Working On a Dream

Bruce SpringsteenWorking On a DreamFollowing up modern classics The Seeger Sessions and Magic is no small task, not even for a legend like Bruce Springsteen. Rather than labor over a new set of songs in the studio for years as he’s done in the past, Bruce and band quickly recorded Working On a Dream in late 2008. Keeping in mind the keyword here, “quickly,” Working arrives much different than its back story would suggest. The tunes are solid, the production is full and the set is diverse. Most impressively, this is an album unlike your average modern Boss record in that from time to time is speaks a language not really heard too convincingly on other Springsteen releases. It’s a happy, hopeful album that takes a few chances.

Opener “Outlaw Pete,” for starters, is a head scratcher. Browse through the man’s catalog and you’ll notice one thing: blisteringly good opening tunes. Singles, usually, the kind you hear at the bar and at the grocery store. Not to imply that “Outlaw Pete,” a eight-minute song that many reviewers have rightfully likened to Kiss tune “I Was Made For Lovin‘ You,” is a bad song, but track two, “My Lucky Day,” just screams “opener!” “Pete” is a doozy of a tune that is sure to grow on fans and reviewers over time. It’s a big production of a story song, complete with strings, dramatic swells and, of course, a stuck-in-the-head hook.

Following “My Lucky Day” (a tune that hits every bit of criteria on the classic Bruce checklist - no different from 2007’s “Radio Nowhere”) comes the title track, a super produced, anthem-ready tune you can expect to hear at pretty much every Springsteen full-band show from now to eternity. Strings, once again, swell and flush throughout, making for one of Springsteen’s most fully developed compositions of the current decade. The strings and almost over-the-top production will surely put off many of the faithful, but others, especially those who loved Magic or welcomed the new sound of Born In the U.S.A when it was released in 1988, will find much to enjoy here. Okay, what I’m trying to say is this: *Working is not a sequel to Nebraska. It’s not an album about lyrics and its approach won’t make snobby audiophiles smile in secrecy. This is a pop album - turn to track 11, “Surprise, Surprise,” for solid proof.

Better yet, turn to track eight, “Tomorrow Never Knows,” a beautiful, simple and short songwriter tune that’s equal parts Magic and Seeger. “Queen of the Supermarket”: killer or awkward filler? Different folks will tell you different things - a fact that’s likely true for every song included here not called “My Lucky Day.” Working is Bruce’s version of a modern day U2 record in that the production style is the only thing that feels focused and consistent, while the content, though mostly good enough, nods to many different sounds the artist has tackled over the years. It’s an album full of well made - albeit semi-cheesy - tunes that will give the most loyal fans much to love and others much to complain and tease about. Style over substance, but, for the most part, it works.  6.5/10

Written by G. William Locke