Springsteen’s album full of power ballads, old fashioned love songs

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The 24th album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Working on a Dream,” could not have worked any better.

The effort is a follow-up to the band’s 2007 release, “Magic.”

While “Magic” brought Springsteen back to the basics with tracks like, “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” and “Devil’s Arcade” the release of “Working on a Dream” takes Springsteen back to the days when he wrote power ballads about the American experience, and good old-fashioned love songs.

The Boss has made an album that is chock full of those songs and offers listeners insight into the true lyrical power that is Bruce Springsteen.

Moreover, the album expands upon ideas from previous albums and altogether is the better effort when comparing the album with its predecessor.

“Working” is a true story book of tragedy, love and happiness. This is apparent in songs like the eight-minute-long, tragic Old West-styled serenade “Outlaw Pete” and followed up by the deep-South rhythm heard on “Good Eye.”

Springsteen expresses his range through the entire album, letting listeners know that he still is capable of sounding like an accomplished singer – something that was less present in his recent solo releases. The work displayed on the new release reminds us that The Boss can still impress with his talents.

The rest of the band complements Springsteen by bringing their unique sound to the album. They took a hit in April of 2008, losing organist Danny Federici to melanoma. This is his last studio recording with the band, and “Working” is dedicated to his memory.

The album even contains a bonus track, “The Wrestler,” which was featured in the film of the same name. The song netted Springsteen a Golden Globe this year.

It’s a nice touch to the album because it compliments the tracks by offering another tragic tale of a down-and-out soul searching for a way back to prominence.

The album was released in two versions, a single-disc edition and deluxe version that contains a forty-minute documentary detailing the making of the album.

Also packaged with the deluxe version is the music video for the song, “A Night With the Jersey Devil,” which Springsteen released exclusively on his Web site for Halloween. While these are great features for die-hard Springsteen fans, the deluxe edition is not recommended for those just looking for the music.

“Working on a Dream” is a clean, well-put-together album that commands attention from Springsteen fans as well as fans of music in general. The 51 minute work is some of the best Springsteen music heard in the last 10 years and is recommended to those looking to get involved with his music or those searching for a beautiful work of art.

lifeline@cm-life.com