Customer Reviews

Working on a Dream (Deluxe Version with bonus DVD)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Optimism and Springsteen haven't gelled well in the past. "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town", the 1992 two-fer that saw Bruce waxing truly optimistic for the first time in his career, rate among the least memorable efforts of his career; they weren't bad, per se, but they lacked a certain something. (The songs were recorded without the E Street Band, which was undoubtedly a contributing factor; but above and beyond that, the arrangements and lyrics suffered from a certain sameiness and genericism that left the majority of the tracks unmemorable.)

Fans will be pleased to know that, while "Working On A Dream" (Columbia, 2009) sees Bruce once again venture into the realm of the positive, he's both a) with E Street this time and b) kept his songwriting skills on top form.

The first thing longtime Springsteen fans will notice about this album is that the focus here is firmly on the music. The album is bookended by two of his more narrative-driven songs - eight-minute epic Western "Outlaw Pete" and Golden Globe-winning movie theme "The Wrestler" - but elsewhere, it's all about the sonic experimentation, rather than storytelling. The songs here hop across a veritable plethora of genres and styles: "My Lucky Day" is a foot-stomping rocker that sounds like it was written in the "River" sessions. "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a beautiful easy-listening tune that sounds more like the '50s than anything Bruce has ever written. "Working On A Dream" is an Orbison-esque plush pop tune. "Good Eye" is what can only be described as electronic rockabilly.

This variety makes the album one of the most enjoyable listens in Bruce's history. On first listen, you've no idea what will come next: harmony-laden "This Life" segues into the cacophonous "Good Eye"; the relentless joyful "Surprise, Surprise" - possibly the Boss' poppiest tune ever - fades into the melancholy, calliope-backed "The Last Carnival", a touching track clearly dedicated to dear departed ESB member Danny Federici.

"Kingdom of Days" is one of Bruce's finest ballads of all-time: the guy from "Born to Run" is all grown up now; no longer desperate to get out of this place, he's happy to lay on "the wet grass, as autumn breeze drifts through the trees", and "count the wrinkles and the grays" of his lover beneath the covers. Bruce's maturity pervades the album: reflecting on past lovers who were "life itself, rushing over [him]"; coming to recognise that "where the river flows, tomorrow never knows".

Not everyone will enjoy every track. Many have criticised the "trite sentiment" of "Queen of the Supermarket", and the "lyrical simplicity" of "Surprise, Surprise". These may be valid criticisms, but they did not hamper my enjoyment of the album even slightly.

The deluxe version of the album comes with a 40-minute DVD that includes some footage from the studio sessions creating the album, as well as the video for "A Night With the Jersey Devil", a Halloween song Bruce released for free via his website last year.

When I first heard the 30 second clips from the songs on this cd I was not immediatley hooked. However, after a few listens today I can tell you that there are some absolutely fantastic songs on this cd. Kingdom of Days stands out the most and I must have listened to that track 10 times today. The line about "laughing under the covers counting the wrinkles and the grays" is perfect. I was not into "This Life" at first, but now I can't get enough of it. I'm not crazy about the title track, and "Queen of the Supermarket" is the oddest thing he has ever done, but "The Last Carnival" and "The Wrestler" more than make up for that. The video of "The Last Carnival" is amazing and the song is an instant classic. Danny was the man and he will be missed. Another amazing cd from Bruce and the band. "Magic" had more of a classic E-street sound to it, but this cd really explores some new sounds for them, and in most cases, it words wonderfully. Can't wait for the tour!!!!

Having been indoctrinated into the fold in '84 after seeing them live for the first time (I've been to many, many shows since), I'm pretty psyched that they're playing the Superbowl. Here's my song by song synopsis of the new album, "Working on a Dream".
'Outlaw Pete'-Always a master of the epic story song, Bruce doesn't dissapoint here at all. We've been to circuses, carnivals, city streets and back alleys, front porches, and boardwalks with Bruce, but, this is the first 'old west' themed storyline I can recall. Being from Kentucky, I find it cool that Pete comes from the "Appalachian Trail". This one's a little cornball at first, with Pete robbing the bank in his diaper and all, but, that just helps set up the story. The theme of this whole album, whether intentional or not, it 'time'. Here in this song, boys and girls, the lesson is: No matter what you do, you can't escape your past. You can't run from it. Instead you must find way to deal with it before you move on because like it or not, it becomes a part of who you are forever. Great song. Ranks among his best.
'My Lucky Day'-A great upbeat rocker. Wouldn't have sounded out of place on "Born in the USA".
'Working on a Dream'-Nice song. Used on a couple of late stops on the campaign trail.
'Queen of the Supermarket'-Lyrically, this one's a departure. Seems there may be more going on at the local Kroger than milk, cereal, and meat purchases. This'll be some folks' favorite. Not mine. I haven't really 'gotten' it yet. The surprisingly blatant "F" bomb he throws at the end is an intentional surprise. I'll have to skip this one when the kiddies are present.
'What Love Can Do'-Catchy hook. Some nice guitar work. Other than the "sunny" lyrics, this wouldn't have sounded out of place on 'Magic', musically.
'This Life'-Some critics will say this one's overproduced. I disagree. If anything, more of the Beach Boys type harmonies would have been welcomed. Wait'll you here this intro. It takes the layered sound that they were shooting for on 'Girls in their Summer Clothes' to a whole other level. In fact, the music on this is so much like the Beach Boys, it ain't even funny. Great song, and something different.
'Good Eye'-Now I know why Bruce counts Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters as some of his all time favorite singers. Bruce does the Delta Blues here. He's found a place for that fuzzbox vocal that first showed up on the D&D tour for "Reason to Believe". This one's awesome, and another musical departure.
'Tomorrow Never Knows'-Steve Earle doesn't sound this much like Steve Earle anymore.
'Life Itself'-I've been playing this one over and over for the past couple of weeks now. I love the jingle jangle Byrds sound they're getting out of the guitars on the breaks. Yet another musical stretch.
'Kingdom of Days'-Another one about 'time', and it's effect on our lives. Use it wisely. This one sounds like a lot of the stuff on 'Magic' as well.
'Surprise, Surprise'-This might be my least favorite so far. Nice hook, though.
'Last Carnival'-This one had to have been written with Danny Federici in mind. If you're a long time E Street Band fan, this one'll put a lump in your throat.
'The Wrestler'-Thanks to Mickey Rourke for asking for a song for "The Wrestler". Otherwise, we might never have gotten this one. Great. Very somber. But, danged if I ain't ever seen a one legged dog making it's way down the street. Maybe two legs, or three, yeah, but, a one legged dog? I'm going to youtube now.
"WOAD", in my opinion, is yet another sonic and lyrical masterpiece from the Earth Shakin', Soul Stirrin', Tongues a Waggin', Tail's a Rockin', mighty Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I might add that you can hear Federici all over the place on this whole album. I've loved most all of Bruce's stuff over the years, and the "Tunnel of Love" album was no exception, but, I remember when it came out, I searched frantically for any sign of "the band" in there, and it just wasn't happening for me. Little did we know back then...

It's a complex Bruce, perhaps the most complex album delivered by Bruce & the band. I'm only in my 4th listen-through and I can say that each listen produces a wealth of audio candy. It's a multi-layered, Spector-esque "Wall of Sound" that runs the gamut from dark and stark ("Kingdom of Days") to the things-aren't-quite-what-they-seem ("Queen of the Supermarket," make sure you listen carefully) to the rave up ("Good Eye," but again, that good eye is to the dark). I am reminded of "Livin' in the Future," from "Magic," which many felt to be a "Glory Days" style party song. Maybe so, but only if you ignored the lyric, about fascism and denial. Don't pay any attention to those who write this album off as Bruce's "pop" album. Simply because the Boss embraces the 60's era layered production that would make Brian Wilson proud does not mean this is "Surfin' USA." It is most simply a rich tapestry in which all instruments - including the voice of the protagonist - weave to form something far greater than their parts. Spectacular...

"Working on a Dream" is a generic Springsteen album. The E Street Band plays wonderfully. Brucey sings with his usual attitude and faux dramatics. The thing is there's nothing really new here and no songs that will really mean much of anything after a few plays. Most folks will go back to one of their favorite albums of old like Born to Run," "Darkness on the Edge of Town," or "The River."

i find this new cd much more listenable than Magic, which i found dull. the variety & upbeat spirit here helps. also, Bruce seems more relaxed vocally here, not over emoting or straining. of course it dosent have the clarity of the classic run of lps from Born to Run thru Tunnel of Love, but for me, this is the best cd of the new Bruce. good job.

the bonus dvd is excellent. it features 7 full performance videos of the key songs. for 12.99, this 2 discs set is valued pack, unlike the expensive prices U2 is charging for their video content for their new cd.

Regarding some of the other reviews, you can guess what some folks will say when you see that this album has been tagged with "political propoganda." So, I'm sure that some of the customer reviews will be skewed somewhat by some rather immature posters who can't seem to get over the fact that Bruce Springsteen doesn't share the same political philosophy as they do, and wish that he would "shut up and sing."


This album will play tricks on you. As a long time fan, I hated this the first time I heard it because it is so different than anything else he has done, especially within the last twenty-five years or so. It's an album that requires effort to get inside of, but in the end, it is well worth that effort.

WOAD is not really suited for the thirty-something crowd, either (though I am actually a member of that agegroup myself). On this album, though, Springsteen has created some of his most beautiful melodies and arrangements. The harmonies are mind-blowing, in so much that it takes a moment to realize that it is the E Street Band that you're listening to.

The centerpiece of this album is "Kingdom of Days," a majestic Roy Orbison-crossed-with-the-Byrds-harmonies track that shows Springsteen at the peak of his musical creativity.

I don't want to go through and rate the songs one at a time. However, another highlight of the album is O'Brien's production. While many were divided over the work he did on Magic, this album is crisp, clear, and most tellingly, it does not peak on the master track. The over-compression is gone, and you can see/hear the high and low points within the track.

I listened to the "Sneak Peak" of this album on NPR. I couldn't wait to hear it on a proper setup as even on the PC speakers you could tell the sound so of this was "richer" than most of Springsteen's recent work.

Working on a Dream has a very different sound from the last two albums. The sound is lusher and the outlook is happier than the past two. It sounds like Bruce has been listening to a lot of the Byrds and the Beach Boys. Yeah, there are a lot of strings (heresy?) on this album, but I think it works on the songs that they are on. There is plenty of great guitar work. The only quibble I have is that there is not much of Clarence on this one (he only steps out on "Lucky Day" and "This Life".

This album has knocked the latest Derek Trucks Band CD off the system for now. I have listed to the whole thing several times and it sounds awesome on headphones on a proper system! It's hard to single out one song above the other, but if you told me to pick a few I'd go with "Outlaw Pete", "Life Itself", "Lucky Day", and "Surprise, Surprise" for a start. The two "extras" are a nice bonus. "The Wrestler"... what can you say? The Academy miseed the boat but at least they appreciated "Streets of Philadelphia". I am 50-50 on "Night with the Jersey Devil" but it may grow on me.

A LOT of folks really are slamming "Queen of the Supermarket". Folks, it's supposed to be a fun song. I seriously doubt the man is really stalking Pathmark letching on checkout girls. He has written goofy tunes before, and he did it here.

I'd like to say a word to the "experts" who like to trash the Boss. It's a free country so vent. Thing is you are in the minority. Most of you have probably never accomplished a damn thing and slagging someone who has is what gets you off. If you don't like it, don't listen.

It seems that the objection seems to be that the "Old" Springsteen is missing. A lot of folks want to hear the "Born to run" or "Darkness" over and over again. That is not a bad thing as they are classics. However, the mark of a great artist is someone that doesn't keep re-cycling his "trademark" sound but branches out. "Seeger Sessions" and some tunes on this WOAD may not be everyone's piece of cake, but I find it awesome that age of 60, the man was/is still trying different.

I remember reading somewhere years ago in an interview where Bruce said that someday he'd like to do a whole album of love songs. No message songs, just love songs. Well, it looks like he finally did it. And while it may not be a "message" album like he has been making lately, it IS nice to hear him having "fun" on this one.

Bruce Springsteen has been a constant source of pleasure for me for over 30+ years. While other artists go on tour recycling he same old stuff, he is still out there trying new sounds at the age of 60. It doesn't always work but give credit for trying! Hey, and if he sounds "happy" on this album, why not, he's earned it. I, for one can't wait to see some of these tunes in concert.

I'm a 20 year veteran fan of Bruce's and I'm sorry I'm not going to be too kind to this album just because he's the Boss. Strike one, I have to say is that no artist in recent history has ever been able to accomplish having a great successful new album made up of old sessions (this was mostly recorded during the sessions for 'Magic'). Strike two, no one can tell me any different that at least a certain amount of reasoning for releasing this album so quickly within' a year was to capitalize on Bruce's own campaign for Obama. Mixing politics and music is absolutely insulting, just stop already!!! As far as the songs, 'Outlaw Pete' is just very sneaky and cunning sounding, epic if you will. It could easily contend for the 'Jungleland' of the 21st century. 'Working on a Dream' isn't bad until the whistle while you work theme comes into play, it just makes my skin crawl at how cheesy that is. 'My Lucky Day' is one of the highlights to me, it could have easily fit on the Born In The U.S.A. album, yeah Bruce can still rock like that if he wants. 'Queen Of The Supermarket' is just plain weird, it's another one those Brian Wilsonesque songs that was first featured on the 'Magic' album. The only concept in the song I like is the orchestration and the checkout scan chirps at the end of the song. 'What Love Can Do', is another highlight which would've fit nicely on the last album. 'Life Itself' is a pretty song, dramatic at best. Why Bruce chose to sing the way he does on this song though is beyond me. It sounds like his jaw is wired shut, and his voice almost comes across as some Holy man singing a hymn, it's just plain irritating. 'Good Eye', ehhhh. 'Surprise, Surprise' I have no words for, it's really that bad. 'The Wrestler' one word ...awesome!!!!!! This is easily the centerpiece on the album. So why the hell is it a bonus track then, and why the hell is shortened by 2 minutes!?!?!?! The version on the soundtrack of the film by the same name is almost 5+ minutes with a gorgeous piano outro. Ughhhh....you know, there's at least 4-6 songs on here that are worth hearing and having. My recommendation is that Bruce should have just made 'Magic' a double album and called it a day until he started fresh new sessions for a something completely new and without the political capitalization.

I'm only a couple listens into WOAD, so my opinion may very well shift. I didn't care much for Magic at first listen and grew fairly fond of it. FWIW, I've been a near pathological bruce fan for 25 years since I was 12 y.o. IMHO, this is far from his best outing...not even his best outing in recent years, but that said it's a rather interesting album, and I do commend him for putting something as unusual as this out there.

first, many are commenting that there is a lot of american 60's sounds borrowing from beach boys and the byrds. sure there's some of that, but I'm hearing a lot more british pop musical influence. i'll ID it where I hear it below.

before i break it down (mostly for my own amusement, I'm sure), a prediction. within 5 years bruce stops coloring his hair, goes all white (a la peter gabriel), grows a beard (or at least goatee) and transforms into an acoustic bard. no more e-street except to get democrats elected...but puts out some damn good folk genre albums. he'll get more involved in a cause of some sort and remain public, though I don't see him running for public office. oh well, that's my BS musing...so the music:

outlaw pete- a weird song, but i can't quite get it out of my head, so that's saying something. def props to bruce to doing a wacky long ballad like this, especially as the lead track. first brit musical connection: this sounds to me like a Townshend rock opera track from Tommy or something...and it's also a rocky racoon-esque storyline...if i'm not mistaken the foil here is named Dan as well. some dylan sounds too in the vocals.

lucky day- best bruce straightforward rocker....bet he opens shows with it. great tune...nothing wrong with it.

woad- in the last few years bruce has invented a sort of cheesy middle of the road soft rock bruce ballad i'm just not crazy about. middle of the road meaning it's not a rocker, but nor is it a somber, reflective ballad (think Long Walk Home f/ Magic) I like my bruce hard and pounding (adam raised a cain) or extremely supple (my beautiful reward, valentines day). This track is from that in between variety that just doesn't grip me...there are a number of this genre on the album...the whistle bit near the end is nice though.

queen- kind of nonsensical, but gotta compliment him for putting it out there. sort of like a promised land story...immigrant coming to this country and beiing overwhelmed by the choices and grows into the american dream. i think it's starring that same horny dude from girls in summer clothes. justifiably panned by many. in general, though, i tend to regard bruce as beyond reproach so I can't be annoyed too much by songs like this. the unexpected and unnecessary f-bomb at the end of the tune is enough to put a smile on my face though.

what love can do- great song. to me it has a strong british pop rock sound,- think XTC, Squeeze...a nice post-punk rhythm. it's a new rhythm for him but I like it a lot.

this life...more middle of the road balladeering...recycled from magic...and not the best of magic. This has the beach boys sound to it with a REM harmony at the end lifted from shiny happy people or something...

Good eye- pretty enjoyable for what it is, but I don't seek refuge in bruce for delta blues....i seek refuge in his R&R. I kinda wish he'd make a straight delta blues album, then I could buy it or not but at least be clear about what I'm getting. And for that matter please go make a straight country album while he's at it too where he could hide the next tune.

tomorrow never knows: could live without it. again, go make a country album to get songs like this out of your system. he could do a trio with dylan and neil young and they'd have a blast playing old hank williams tunes.

life itself...perhaps best song on the album. quite beautiful in substance and texture. same qawalli wail at the end from worlds apart on the rising.

kingdom of days: alright song...nothin' special. more of that middle of the road soft rock ballad stuff. my fear is that he runs the risk of going too far down the spectrum of soft-rockdom that he'll be sitting next to phil collins and rod stewart.

surprise, surprise...interesting tune for bruce. not profound, but helluva lot better than many of the other songs on the album. it's almost a relief, frankly after kingdom. more british pop sound...can't place it exactly, but that's what it makes me think of.

Last carnival...phenomenal beautiful ballad. this is what a bruce ballad should be. one of his best. content-wise the most interesting song on the album, too. clearly a paean to Danny Federici...not to mention Wild Billy from Wild and Innocent.

Aside from the dedication to Danny, I wonder if he is saying anything else with this song? Is Danny his 'handsome Billy' or is he something more? Is he saying goodbye to Billy forever? Not gonna be on that high wire anymore? Billy may have been his doppelganger all these years, it turns out.

it's kind of cryptic, but nevertheless f'ing beautiful.

the wrestler...excellent. nothing to complain about here.