I’m gonna take a bet that of this album’s fans, Steven Van Zandt (“I’m a pop-rock-band guy. That’s all I am”) is one of the biggest. He’s stated that he sees this – the last Bruce Springsteen and E-Street album to date – as the logical end of a trilogy that started with The Rising with “a projection more toward the pop-rock form” achieved more completely on Working On A Dream.
I might be quoting more heavily on Mr Van Zandt than anyone else but that’s because Bruce is somewhat quiet about Working On A Dream in hindsight. Even in his own book it got just a fleeting mention. Perhaps he – like quite a few – consider it one without real staying power. Perhaps it was sheer timing that meant that Working On A Dream, the third-and-final album with Van Zandt & co would also be the least rewarding. Let’s face it; in the ten years preceeding its release Bruce had reunited the band and embarked on a huge tour, released The Rising, Magic, Devils & Dust, The Seegar Sessions, an anniversary edition of Born To Run, released The Essential compilation, toured the globe tirelessly and stepped into the political arena with the Vote For Change tour. A whirl of activity that by far eclipsed that of Bruce’s previous decade. It was probably time to take a break.
Instead, struck by inspiration and a writing spell that carried through from the final recording sessions for Magic, Bruce returned to the studio with Brendan O’Brien (one last time) and a core band of Max Weinberg, Roy Bittan and Garry Tallent (other members would be bought in to add their parts later) to catch, as he said, the “energy of the band fresh off the road from some of the most exciting shows we’ve ever done.”
One could argue that, with a Superbowl concert on the horizon the need for product was in mind and this one was perhaps a little under-cooked. One could argue that… could…
See, there are some songs here that I simply cannot connect to no matter how I try. The title track has never clicked. Yeah; it’s nice and pleasant but it just seems to lack spark or real weight and I think he’s tackled the theme better elsewhere (on Lucky Town especially). ‘Queen of the Supermarket’ simply should never have been and I had to wonder what a champion lyricist like Bruce was thinking with ‘Life Itself’ – “We met down in the valley where the wine of love and destruction flowed, there in that curve of darkness where the flowers of temptation grow”… do what, mate?
But. But. But. It’s not fair, though, to write it off or brush over it completely because this is Bruce Springsteen and (with the rare exception) you only tend to have to wait a second for a belter of a song to reveal itself and there is a lot to enjoy on Working On A Dream.
Take the opener; ‘Outlaw Pete’. I know it gets a bit of slack for being a bit overblown and borderline self-parody, but I still enjoy it (granted, I wouldn’t listen to it everyday) and I don’t think Bruce is exactly taking himself seriously with it. Yes it’s daft (“by six months old he’d done three months in jail”), yes it may well have borrowed from another song but it sets the scene – I really think that at this point it was a case that, rather than sweating over everything too much, the mood was “you know what? Fuck it, let’s give it a go”. Not to mention that when played live (though I don’t think it’s been touched since) Steve – a much underused player on stage these days – got to play the lead.
Right on it’s heals – ‘My Lucky Day‘ is another fast, blistering tune that, again, sounds like a blast was had recording it. Its fast, rawer sound almost at odds with the layers of overdubs and lush, huge 60’s sound that drapes so much of the album. Step past the next couple of momentum stallers and you get to the great sonic backdrop of ‘What Love Can Do’ and the swampy, blues-stomp of ‘Good Eye‘ a nice enough (though nothing that special) couple of tunes that sandwich ‘This Life’ – a more obvious Beach Boys’ aping sound you’d be hard pushed to find:
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ jangles along quickly and without much to hang on to, as does ‘Surprise Surprise’. ‘Kingdom of Days’ is a genuinely warm one about love and ageing. The album’s most affecting track though is saved for last (if we exclude – still very good – ‘The Wrestler’ tacked on as a bonus).
‘The Last Carnival’ is seen by many as a follow up to ‘Wild Billy’s Circus Story’ from The Wild The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. It is, more importantly, for Danny Federici who passed away in April 2008, the first member of the E Street Band to do so having played with Bruce for forty years. Danny had appeared with the band briefly over the previous Magic tour and did so last less than a month before his death. Bruce asked him what song he wanted to play – it was, of course, ‘Sandy’. In his book it’s clear that while Danny Federici was the only member of the band to drive him to violent rage, Bruce had a genuine love for the organ player and his death certainly rocked him, as he said in the eulogy: “After a lifetime of watching a man perform his miracle for you, night after night, it feels an awful lot like love.”
‘The Last Carnival’ is a beautiful send off. An immensely affecting farewell to a fallen brother. After opening to Jason Federici’s accordion, Bruce sings at the bottom of his range in a barely-suppressed choke and hush against minimal accompaniment “Where have you gone my handsome Billy?” before layered voices swell to a choir. It’s a moving send-off and ending to the last album featuring the full E Street Band*.
A couple of clunkers aside, while there’s nothing wrong with the majority of Working On A Dream it perhaps lacks the sharpness and punch of its immediate predecessor. That being said, in amongst some of the most ambitious production of his career (Rolling Stone gave it the default 5 star review, though none of its songs made their 100 Best Springsteen Songs list, wetting their knickers over its lush sound), Bruce was still capable of crafting a fair few beauties so that the good by far outweighed the bad.
Highlights: My Lucky Day, Kingdom of Days, The Last Carnival
Lowlights: Queen of the Supermarket
*Certainly their last full album. Songs that didn’t make the cut on this or its immediate predecessors and featured E Street (and Danny Federici) included High Hopes highlights ‘Down In The Hall’ and ‘The Wall’.
Mumbling About... 
I will definitely be checking this out in the next day or two. I know next to nothing about it.
BTW, you have a fair number of readers but it seems to be just you and I discussing these. Am I your only Springsteen follower? Or maybe the only one nuts enough to attempt to keep up with you on this?
😀
Ah, a good question – not sure I’m the one to answer. I know they’re being read by others (unless you’ve already followed up on your pledge to leave Trumptown USA?).
Working… is definitely one that slipped through the cracks and probably not on the top of lists for the newbie to purchase / get to
My wife won’t leave the US, not permanently anyway. The family ties that bind, eh?
Ok. I gave this album a listen. (I feel like I’m not giving some of these albums their due, giving them only one play. But, c’est la vie.) Overall I liked it but I’ve stopped trying to figure out whether I like it more or less than the previous one. One thing that’s difficult – especially when you listen to one artist back-to-back with one singer who writes all the songs – is that a creeping sameness seeps into some of the songs. The title track is an example.
I’ll find myself thinking – wait. Didn’t I hear that song on the last album? That midtempo Bruce sound? I probably did. But I imagine if we did this with Petty or Neil Young, that would happen to some extent too. When people have been writing songs for 40+ years, eventually I gotta think the creative juices don’t flow as easily.
So, what to make of “Outlaw Pete?” Well, cute I guess. But eight minutes cute? And a kid’s book as well? Odd. You mention that “This Life” owes much to Beach Boys. I can hear that in the beginning but I find it reminds me of “Girls in Their Summer Clothes.”
But here’s a thing. I’ve always said to myself that it’s remarkable given the era Bruce grew up in that he never recorded a blues. But “Good Eye?” Hey, maybe it’s minor-league Bruce but I’m glad to hear him do one. And with 800 guitarists in the band, not one of them could pull off a solo? Oh, well. (BTW, Van Zandt has been well used on the latest tour, with he and Bruce doing a blistering duet on “It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City.”)
Anyway, good stuff. Probably another album I would cannibalize for songs rather than listen to the whole album when I someday make up my Excellent List of All-time Favorite Bruce songs.
I’ve somehow missed the fun up till now. WordPress is not always great at making with the notifications. This is a great series.
Ive kinda wondered where the hell you were, man. 😂
I literally had no idea this party was happening.
That’s odd. To the best of my knowledge, I get notified right away of any new posts of followed blogs. Except for those where I’ve requested weekly digests.
I think some of mine get lost in the shuffle. I follow a lot of blogs.
Suggestion if I may: create filters in email so all your notifications go into one inbox. Then you can sort through at your leisure. Also, a friend of mine aggregates all her blogs in an app called Feedly. FYI
Cool, thanks for the tips.
I do wonder if that’s the case with Bruce; after so many years are the juices drying up? It would explain the lengthier gaps between albums as artists get further into their careers (Young aside who seems to have something to rail against in song every few months). Either that or they just get to the point where they no-longer need to make an album every 2 years and want to take a break now they can.
Yeah… the children’s book was an odd choice. Mine’s almost 3 and I’m not sure about reading a book based on a song with lines like “Dan smiled as he laid in his own blood dying in the sun” to him for some time.
Reading his book – he played a lot more bluesy, riff-heavy stuff pre “Springsteen Band”, from what he details Cream was something of an influence… I guess he didn’t feel it right to the sound he was going for as he made no real progress / break-thru with it.
I have this (totally unscientific) theory that songwriters get about 15, maybe 20 years of good songwriting then they start repeating themselves or just dry up. Some of them (e..g. Dylan) have a late-career resurgence. But look at even McCartney and Lennon post-Beatles. Some really good stuff, then off the cliff. When’s the last time Paul wrote anything of any real consequence? Paul Simon? I say this not to condemn them, just as an observation.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want you reading ‘Dan smiled as he laid in his own blood dying in the sun” to me either. 🙂
As to Bruce and the blues, yeah I know he tried some Allmans-type stuff and whatnot and it wasn’t his thing. Like Van Zandt, he is a rock or pop guy. And he is certainly not a guy that has ever intersected with the Clapton Crossroads crowd. But after 40 years, it’s sure nice to hear him do one! I have always liked Bruce’s (underrated) guitar playing and thought it had a nice bluesy edge. (Listen to his intro to “Kitty’s Back” e.g.
This is my least favourite Springsteen album. I know you guys don’t have much time for High hopes but I personally think there’s more good work on there than this album even if it is just a reworking of old songs.
Ive only listened to High Hopes once. So I’m not giving some of these albums their proper due. Plus, listening to so much back–to-back Bruce leads to a certain burnout, ear-wise.
Unless you’re a fanatic like someone I could mention. 😉
I’ve been mixing in other music too to prevent that but it’s addictive once you get going. I’ve also listened to Wild Billy’s… at least a dozen times in the last couple of days as my young, almost-three, son is now in love with it and it delights on every spin
My wife is a big Bruce fan as well. She got into that song well before I did while I was still waxing rhapsodic over “Rosalita.” 😀 Way up!
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