Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 90 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 90
  3. Negative: 9 out of 90

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  1. SimonS
    Feb 4, 2009
    6
    "Working on a Dream" is quite a pleasant album - something you'd play in the car on a long drive. The songs are amiable enough and are quite unassuming. Unfortunately, the lyrics no longer pull you into the song the way they used to and the production is very clinical and sterile which doesn't fit the as-good-as-live sound of the E-Street Band. Not a bad album as such, but when you get the urge to play a Boss album, you may not find yourself reaching for this one.… Expand
  2. KenN.
    Jan 28, 2009
    9
    4 exceptionally good songs with a more positive tone than most of Springteen's work.
  3. VerminDeathstack
    Feb 1, 2009
    4
    Was this album put together so quickly because really it
  4. BrandonS
    Feb 1, 2009
    8
    Almost as good as Magic and The Rising, it's great to have such an up-tempo album from The Boss. I'm amazed at how the critics seem to like this, as do the metacritic commenters, but over at amazon.com, people are blasting this album like it's total sludge. I don't think this album deserves a 10 rating, but it's definitely perfect for opening 2009 on a high note.
  5. AnnaK
    Feb 2, 2009
    9
    Wonderful art by one of the most gifted artists of all time
  6. KosM
    Feb 2, 2009
    9
    Close to make a masterpiece in sound, only the light lyrics bring down the title of one of the most beautiful albums of the decade. Bravo Bruce!!!
  7. DimitrijeA.
    Jan 31, 2009
    9
    No comment. A nice music.
  8. JohnM
    Feb 19, 2009
    4
    I've enjoyed a ton of Bruce's music and his concerts are spectacular, but this album is just a failure. Bruce doesn't have stories to tell or much to say personally, so empty tropes end up filling the songs instead. Which is why a bonus track ("The Wrestler") written for a movie crushes everything else here and reminds you of how great he can be. This has none of the catharsis of The Rising or the anger of Magic, whatever flaws those albums had otherwise. It's a car with no engine.… Expand
  9. AronW
    Feb 3, 2009
    3
    Meat Loaf Lite. A joke.
  10. EasyGoer
    Feb 8, 2009
    10
    A pure pop gem. Wit and wisdom about love and life delivered with a smirk and a nod to AM pop radio. Those that don't like it, just don't get it. "Queen of the Supermarket" is the litmus test; either you love or you don't. It's pure unadulterated pop perfection. "Kingdom of Days" provides a truly great moment in pop music as Bruce declares "I love you, I love you, I love you I do. She whispers then prove it, then prove it, then prove it to me Baby Blue" as the orchestration soars. In the quick of a knife we have brilliantly distilled the essential difference of the male/female perspective with an allusion to Springsteen's own music and that of Badfinger. The song then proceeeds to a Simon and Garfunkle reference captured in a minute of sublime pop bliss. More than this; there is nothing.… Expand
  11. TomT.
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    As Rolling Stone said, the 3rd great album: of the decade. Some fans may not like it because it isn't the "Old" Bruce, but while other shis age are into nostalgia and sticking to forumlas, he is trying new ideas at the age of 60!
  12. RaysaJ.
    Jan 27, 2009
    0
    Just doesn't make sense like he used to. The whole album sounds sluggish and empty and drained of any of the usual E Street band energy. Bruce Springsteen has succumbed to the rock star malaise where he really thinks anything he puts to paper is brilliant. joining the club with the Stones and U2.
  13. KK.
    Jan 27, 2009
    0
    This album is full of words and scattered imagery but no real content. The E Street Band has been produced away to nothing.
  14. FranW.
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    Part Brian Wilson, part Traveling Wilburys, part Roy Orbson, Part Manfred Mann . . pop melodies in a modern age.
  15. EricJ
    Jan 29, 2009
    10
    When the production is this sweet, l can forgive the lighthearted lyrics. Other than Chinese Democracy, this is the best "sounding" album in a long time.
  16. JamesO.
    Feb 10, 2009
    9
    Great album, his best since The Rising.
  17. TonyB
    Mar 1, 2009
    9
    Great album. Awesome mix of pop and rock.
  18. Terri
    Mar 14, 2009
    10
    Love the songs, but who is baby blue, Patti?
  19. brigidm
    Mar 30, 2009
    10
    One of the most romantic albums ever made.
  20. [Anonymous]
    Mar 6, 2009
    10
    I'm glad that the song "The Wrestler" was included.. beautifull song... another outrage of the 81st academy award that it wasn't even nominated!!!
  21. RayT
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    Beautiful. This album made me smile.
  22. TommyD
    Jan 27, 2009
    8
    It's not as good as Magic or the Rising, but it's not as bad as some are making it out to be. It has some great songs, but doesn't mesh as an album in a coherent fashion, and the lyrics are very hit and miss.
  23. paolor.
    Jan 27, 2009
    8
    maybe too much strings attached and a sad cover art, but there are at least 7 beautiful tracks, to be discovered trough repeated listenings.
  24. MattD.
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    Reviewers are getting just plain silly yet again. Bruce does angst well; he also does bliss well. In fact, he actually makes "Queen Of The Supermarket" sound like a profound observation. Musically, this is even better than Magic - more diverse and with better quality production.
  25. SteveB.
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    I think this is a wonderful album, full of gorgeous lush melodies and great melodic singing. And the lyrics, though lighter on the surface than normal, are deeper and thematic upon inspection. This is not an album one expected from Springsteen, and it requires some outside the box thinking as it's more orchestral and less guitar oriented than one might expect. It rewards repeated spins and I think it's the best album Springsteen has made since at least 1987.… Expand
  26. JeffryeT.
    Jan 27, 2009
    9
    This set resonated with me deeper and faster than his previous few efforts. The more moderate use of compression makes it a far more pleasant listening experience than "Magic" was as well.
  27. KingsleyA
    Jan 27, 2009
    10
    Beautiful songwriting. Like Bruce - this album is an acquired taste.
  28. SusanK
    Feb 14, 2009
    4
    There are maybe 3 good songs on this album. The rest are OK to to embarassing. It's been a downbound train since The Rising.
  29. RichI
    Feb 18, 2009
    9
    Great record. Immersed in pop history, it's a bit fluffy considering some of Springsteen's grander visions. But what is more grand than putting together a great collection of pop music.
  30. Rob274
    Aug 18, 2010
    10
    *Sniff,Sniff* So beatifull. Bruce Springsteen has outdone himself. Also the whole album was the best out of his whole career. I think that this album may be his best yet! The song "The Wrestler" is so pretty, I wanted to hear it again and again. A solid 10/10
  31. CRL
    Jul 30, 2011
    6
    I'm a teenager and I love Springsteen, but this just had something missing. There were a couple really good songs, especially My Lucky Day and The Last Carnival, but they were surrounded with somewhat moving yet almost generic soft-rockish songs.
  32. Ricko
    Nov 14, 2011
    8
    A great album, full of classic Springsteen tracks from start to finish. He's a lot more polished and produced than his 70's/80's heyday but beneath it all is still some masterful songwriting. The version I have has "The Wrestler" as the final track and it move the record up from an 8 to a 9. One of his nicest songs and a fitting way to end one of his best albums with the E-Street band.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 29
  3. Negative: 1 out of 29
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    100
    Springsteen's topical concerns have subsided for now, washed away by a high tide of positive personal feelings.
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  2. Rolling Stone
    100
    Working on a Dream is the richest of the three great rock albums Springsteen has made this decade with the E Street Band--and moment for moment, song for song, there are more musical surprises than on any Bruce album you could name.
    Read full review
  3. Spin
    60
    Bliss isn't the Boss' bag. Without anything to push against, one of rock's most eloquent lyricists is in the awkward position of having little of interest to say.
    Read full review
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