Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
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CD Details
Artist: Bruce SpringsteenBrand: Team Marketing
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); German (Published)
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 2009-01-27
Model: N03-015121
Music Label: Columbia
Product features:
- Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
- Outlaw Pete
- My Lucky Day
- Working On a Dream
- Queen of the Supermarket
- What Love Can Do
- This Life
- Good Eye
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- Life Itself
- Kingdom of Days
- Surprise, Surprise
- The Last Carnival
- The Wrestler (Bonus Track)
Music reviews of Working on a Dream
Music Review: The almighty Boss sounds downright ordinary
Rating: 3 Stars
THE BAND: Bruce Springsteen (vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards, percussion, glockenspiel), Nils Lofgren (guitars), Steve Van Zandt (guitars), Roy Bittan (piano, organ, accordion), Danny Federici (organ), Garry Tallent (bass), Clarence Clemons (saxophones), Patti Scialfa (vocals), Max Weinberg (drums & percussion), and additional musicians - Soozie Tyrell (violin), Patrick Warren (organ, piano, keyboards), Jason Federici (accordion on "The Last Carnival").
THE DISC: (2009) 13 songs clocking in at approximately 52 minutes. Included with the disc is a 22-page booklet containing song titles/lyrics, band member photos, thank you's, and a personal note regarding Danny Federici (R.I.P. - one of the original E-Street band members). This is Springsteen's 16th studio album. There is a deluxe edition - available with a 38-minute behind the scenes making of the album DVD. The Japanese (only) cd edition contains a bonus track, "A Night With The Jersey Devil". Track 13, "The Wrestler" is considered a bonus track - added to the disc after the success of the movie of the same name. Like the album's predecessor ("Magic"), the disc case is made of slick thin eco-friendly cardboard. Recorded at Southern Tracks, Atlanta, GA. Label - Columbia Records.
COMMENTS: I've been listening to Springsteen since the late 1970's and I'll be the first to admit - I like The Boss when he rocks. For me, the past decade was hit and miss for Bruce - "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" (1995) was downright average; "The Rising" (2002) was upbeat and brought Bruce back into the limelight; "Devils & Dust" (2005) and "We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions" (2006) were folksy misses. I do admire Springsteen for taking chances. That doesn't mean though that I have to love and praise everything he does. In 2007, "Magic" gave me a renewed interest in The Boss. "Magic" was for the most part a bitter album filled with poetic angst revolving around economic hardships and pain... at times, totally disillusioned with the state of America. The lyrics bit hard. The melodies were memorable and catchy. Seems so much of Bruce's affective and poignant music and lyrics often comes from his lowest of low points. Even on the cover of "Magic" - The Boss looks hard-edged, gruff and maybe even slightly pissed off.
With "Working On A Dream" the E-Street Band is back and still fully in tact. While much of the overall feel of the album might be a continuation of "Magic", the words and messages the listener gets are mostly polar opposite - pertaining to that of hope and happiness. The stories just aren't as engrossing as the previous album(s). The melodies just aren't as significant - similar tempos come off recycled and end up running into each other. Notes on songs: "Outlaw Pete" - a strong story with emphasis on string arrangements (my easy favorite here); "My Lucky Day" - an upbeat tune and Clemons' sax shines (too bad his sax is non-existent on the rest of the album); the bluesy throwback "Good Eye"; the title track is good, but the 15 seconds of whistling in the middle almost ruin it for me; "This Life" and "Kingdom Of Days" are modified all-is-right-with-the-world hymns better suited for the church; "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a wonderful Jakob Dylan impersonation; "The Last Carnival" is a wonderfully soft song about life on the road - dedicated to long time bandmate Federici; and the bonus track "The Wrestler" is a solid acoustic slow piece that makes me think about the movie, which in turn makes me think of Mickey Rourke's sad state facially... it's a song penned by Bruce at actor Rourke's request - about a loser (with undying spirit no less). Some tracks are downright flat and repetitious - with "Surprise Surprise" Bruce repeats the title 42 times (one of his worst songs in years); the title track repeats the chorus 22 times; singing about the beauty bagging his groceries in "Queen Of The Supermarket" - just the most woefully silly lyrics of any Bruce song in recent memory. Even the "Working On A Dream" album cover is happy and colorful... a softer, gentler Bruce is surely represented.
Rolling Stone magazine (Feb 2009) praised this album to no end - and again it makes me wonder - am I missing the boat, or is the magazine staff writer a Boss magnet from Freehold, NJ? In the end though, decades have passed, and I still find myself longing for the truly mythical song lyrics that came from his albums in the 70's and 80's. And it makes me wonder if the days of the New Jersey king belting out his amazing working class tales have passed us by. It's likely so - and the safe world of adult contempory music is better off for it. 10 of the 13 songs on "Dream" fit into the corporate cookie-cutter 3 to 4 minute mold. Two songs are in the 2-minute range, while the leadoff track, "Outlaw Pete", hits a staggering 8 minutes (rare in this day and age for Bruce).
Springsteen has always been up on his politics and culture - and was he making a statement (Nov 2008) performing the title track at an Obama rally in Cleveland ? Is a message about working hard to achieve your dreams right around the corner (here it is - buy this album). I thought this kind of stuff was reserved for U2's Bono. "Working On A Dream" is no 5-star Boss outting (like "Born To Run", "Darkness On The Edge Of Town", and "Born In The USA" among others). Long time fans will probably get together like bobbleheads sitting on a car dash riding down a bumpy road agreeing this is one of his best albums... I for one, simply can't do that. The science of government aside, ultimately, I feel this album simply has too much love, merriment and sap. The melodies are average fare by Bruce's standards. The lyrics ultimately disappointing (again, by Bruce's standards). And, like its predecessor "Magic", the guitar solos are for the most part absent, and the sound on a majority of the songs suffer from over-production. Maybe these songs will come to life on stage (and fans know Springsteen sets the standard for a live performance). In Springsteen's catalog of albums, "Working On A Dream" is overall a decent album, but far from classic status (3+ stars).
Description of Working on a Dream
2009 album by one of the finest American songwriters of his generation. Working on a Dream was recorded with the E Street Band and features 12 new Springsteen compositions plus a bonus track: 'The Wrestler'. . It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album. Springsteen also wrote an eponymous song for Darren Aronofsky's 2008 film The Wrestler. The song, also titled 'The Wrestler' won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. SBME. 2009.Classic Rock CDs
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