This brings us to the tour. Even though it seems like Springsteen and the E Street Band just got off the road from their marathon world tour for Magic, all indications are that they are revving up to do it all again this year for Working On A Dream. Early reports indicate this will be a comparatively shorter run, probably hitting about 60 cities both in America and Europe. Rumors already are circulating about headlining dates this year at festivals like Bonnaroo and Glastonbury.
One of the most exciting rumors I've heard is that Springsteen is mulling nightly mini-sets where he performs one classic album from his catalog in its entirety. Could this mean we finally get to hear "the Price You Pay" live this year? I mean, The River is considered a classic album, right? If so, my ass will be on a plane to the nearest city where that happens faster than you can say "Drive All Night."
Next up are the warm-up dates, in the form of the Super Bowl and a heavily rumored gig at Obama's inauguration. Anyone got any guesses on a 12-minute setlist for the Super Bowl yet? Whatever it is, Springsteen and the E Street Band will be playing it live, and without anything dubbed or lip-synched. From what I hear, it was a part of the contract that Springsteen himself insisted on.
Looks like 2009 is gonna' be an E Street Band year. So ya' think this Springsteen fanboy is excited yet? Nah, not me.
Here's the tracklist for Working On A Dream:
1. Outlaw Pete (8:00)
2. My Lucky Day (4:00)
3. Working on a Dream (3:29)
4. Queen of the Supermarket (4:38)
5. What Love Can Do (2:56)
6. This Life (4:30)
7. Good Eye (3:00)
8. Tomorrow Never Knows (2:13)
9. Life Itself (4:00)
10. Kingdom of Days (4:02)
11. Surprise, Surprise (3:24)
12. The Last Carnival (3:11)
13. The Wrestler (Bonus Track) (3:50)
Article comments
1 - BillSaysThis
Dude, now you've got me excited about this record!
2 - Ellie
My heart is in my throat. Yes, I think Bruce feels the hot breath of mortality on the back of his neck. Praise be if it results in such generosity. I will always be there. He doesn't know how to be anything but sublime. Blessed be, Bruce Springsteen and all your merry friends, blessed be. I'll be there with everything I got.
3 - Mark Saleski
...is mulling nightly mini-sets
with my luck, i'll go on Tunnel Of Love night.
4 - Glen Boyd
I'm thinking Tunnel doesn't get covered. Its just not considered a classic Springsteen album the same way that Born To Run, Darkness, River, and BITUSA are. But I'll tell ya what Mark...if you saw that record done live, I'd bet you get a new appreciation for it.
In the meantime, I'm hoping I get The River...for reasons which anyone who knows me should be obvious..
-Glen
5 - Mark Saleski
f you saw that record done live, I'd bet you get a new appreciation for it.
i've listened to various live versions of it...and hated every single one.
i do hope you get to see The River though..that'd be cool.
6 - Glen Boyd
Now what would be really cool is if he did all of the Nebraska album live with full band arrangements...
-Glen
7 - Mark Saleski
i, of course, would go for Darkness.... oh man, it give me shivers just thinkin' about it.
8 - Glen Boyd
Have you ever heard the Tunnel show from Stockholm? It was a radio broadcast so the quality is excellent and its pretty easy to find on the Net. The versions of Tunnel, Adam Raised A Cain, and Boom Boom that open the show, all with the miami Horns are drop dead amazing. You should look into that show if you've never heard it...
-Glen
9 - Mark Saleski
in my quest to see what i'd missed out on, i obtained a copy of the stockholm show many year ago. it has some cool stuff on it, but the Tunnel songs just leave me flat. sorry, there's no hope for me on that particular record, the songs just don't resonate in any way (except negatively)
10 - Glen Boyd
Those opening three songs just kill me. Bruce screams his lungs out on Adam and Boom Boom. And Tunnel sounds great when fleshed out by the horn section. I'd actually rank right behind Winterland 78 and Nassau 80 as some of the best live Springsteen stuff out there. Different strokes I guess though...
-Glen
11 - Mark Saleski
Different strokes I guess though...
yep, and i've never really figured this one out as it's the only Bruce record that i get a completely negative reaction to.
12 - Glen Boyd
Human Touch and Lucky Town were like that for me when I first heard them. And I still think the best songs from each would've made a much better single record. But both have grown me in the years since.
-Glen
13 - Glen Boyd
It also took me awhile to warm up to Seeger Sessions.
-Glen
14 - Mark Saleski
weirdly, the only one that took me a while was The River. i was pretty young then and wanted very loud guitar instead of the spector/wall of sound kind of thing.
years later (not too many) my reaction was closer to "what the hell was i thinking?!!"
as for Tunnel, it will always remain a mystery. not only has it not grown on me, i actually get annoyed while listening to it.