Working On a Dream (Special Edition) [CD+DVD, Limited Edition, Special Edition]

I'm a huge BS fan,he has an incredible body of work over many years,has written rock classics we all know so well.In recent years we've had the fabulous Sessions Band both CD and CD/DVD live sets,the acoustic album Devils And Dirt,now this new one with the one and only E Street Band and quite simply its stunning.Full of great new songs superbly played using such a variety of different styles over its !2 tracks,plus the award winning song written for the movie 'The Wrestler',from blues to rock to ballads,Bruce covers all bases and covers them better than any other performer in the business.The title track just gets hooked in your mind,others you know will become concert favourites.This is one album that surely will be already named among the best albums of 09.The DVD is intersesting in the ways we see Bruce taking the songs,lead on acoustic guitar to his producers and band towards creating the finished product,very interesting and great sound,well worth having as is the very intense bonus take of a very blues based song he sang last October.
A top rate release by an artist still very much at the top of his artistic brilliance,thanks Bruce.

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.

I listened to the album first time out and immediately decided I didn't like over half the tunes. But, as with Magic, I gave it a chance to bed down, and have to say a week or so on every song has something about it and they are annoyingly memorable. Even the title track which struck me a dire first time out.....

The thing that has struck me is that I can hear so many different sounds as I listen to it, in addition to the solo Springsteen or Springsteen / E Street Bound wall of sound. From the jangling guitars of the Byrds to the harmonies and tight chords that punctuate some of the Beach Boys more thoughtful work, the unique rough guitar driven sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival through to the haunting side of Neil Diamond's ballads. It's a total mixed bag, and as such it's a treasure.

There's something else though that repeated listening brings out.... There are a lot of lyrical nods towards being comfortable with growing old. I'm sure that was there is some of the Magic songs and there's a lot more evidence throughout this album - and it's great! I defy anyone on discovering it not to be moved by it - has any other artist had the opportunity (or indeed the confidence or ability) to produce music at this stage in their lives that reflects this important aspect of life? Do you agree? Buy it and see - the beautiful lyrics of Kingdom of Days surely reflect love in the autumn of his life. Incredible.

Finally the last two songs of the album proper. Surprise, Surprise cops a lot of flak for being lightweight on the lyrics front. But..... One of the greatest joys of seeing Springsteen live is closing your eyes and picking out the different parts that come together to make the whole E Street Band sound. And when considered in that light Surprise, Surprise is up there with Incident on 57th Street for a listening experience. The wonderful, dreamy organ, the wildly differing guitar sounds, the complimentary (as always) controlled, yet powerful drumming, and then the vocals - the wonderful Springsteen / Steve Van Zandt Harmonies over run by the 60's "girlband" sound that closes the song out. Yeah the lyrics are lightweight but I can't listen to it without a smile - and in my books that's a definition of almost perfection. What it lacks however is a sax solo - that could have lifted it into Sherry Darling territory as far as a feel good song goes. The things is - afer the immense musical high supplied by Surprise Surprise, Springsteen drags you back down to earth with the most haunting, the most beautiful, the most moving song possible. I can't tell you how much The Last Carnival moves me. What an incredible memorial to friend.......

Give it a chance, give it a chance.....