LoathedVermin72 wrote:Working on a Dream is so underrated. Such a good album. My only reservation is that goddamn production.
Gonna commit the mortal sin of quoting myself cuz I'm gauche as all get out.
evenslow wrote:Haven't listened to WOAD in years. You've inspired me. Let's Actually Listen...
Completely forgot that Outlaw Pete OPENS THE ALBUM. Lol. The title alone has it dead on arrival. He could have picked anything other than "Pete" for Christ's sake. Outlaw Dave, ftw. Super overwrought, wannabe opus with some redeeming organ. I couldn't make it all the way through. Next.
My Lucky Day - yeah I really don't like the production on this thing. The drums are too airy. This song's pretty good - the chorus has got some real energy.
Title track has always been solid. Makes me realize this album should've been produced by Jeff Lynne. Chorus is full-on Orbison.
Queen of the Supermarket - music from a bad Aldi's commercial. Lyrics worse than Outlaw Dave. Next!
What Love Can Do - this is okay. Can't muster up too much feeling either way.
This Life - Bruce the lost Beach Boy. Kind of a distant cousin to Girls in Their Summer Clothes, which was approximately 7 zillion times better than this.
Good Eye - this has got a really weird volume issue to it, like LV pointed out. Sounds like the song on the opening credits of an HBO show that got cancelled after season one.
Tomorrow Never Knows - This song thought it had half a chance and then Bruce went and named it after a timeless Beatles track and that was all she wrote. Song title suicide. It's got a good beat and I could have a picnic to it. Throwaway.
Life Itself - I'm bored. Is that a guitar solo played backwards?
Kingdom of Days - lost cut from latter day aborted Ringo Starr album.
Surprise Surprise - music from a Viagra commercial. This thing is way too featherweight. BOB did it no favors. Maybe he hates Bruce?
The Last Carnival - this is kinda nice. Starts intimate. Absolutely doesn't need the backing vocals though. Buzzkill city. What the fuck were they thinking with those last twenty seconds?
The Wrestler - good song with a nice amount of ache. Doesn't sound like the rest of the album. Did he do this separately for the movie and then throw it in here?
Yeah, sorry, I still don't really like this album at all. It's hard to believe it's the same guy that bookended this with Magic and Wrecking Ball. Oh well, they can't all be winners. As I said before, I'm just grateful he's putting stuff out at a good clip these days.
LoathedVermin72 wrote:Working on a Dream is so underrated. Such a good album. My only reservation is that goddamn production.
Gonna commit the mortal sin of quoting myself cuz I'm gauche as all get out.
evenslow wrote:Haven't listened to WOAD in years. You've inspired me. Let's Actually Listen...
Completely forgot that Outlaw Pete OPENS THE ALBUM. Lol. The title alone has it dead on arrival. He could have picked anything other than "Pete" for Christ's sake. Outlaw Dave, ftw. Super overwrought, wannabe opus with some redeeming organ. I couldn't make it all the way through. Next.
My Lucky Day - yeah I really don't like the production on this thing. The drums are too airy. This song's pretty good - the chorus has got some real energy.
Title track has always been solid. Makes me realize this album should've been produced by Jeff Lynne. Chorus is full-on Orbison.
Queen of the Supermarket - music from a bad Aldi's commercial. Lyrics worse than Outlaw Dave. Next!
What Love Can Do - this is okay. Can't muster up too much feeling either way.
This Life - Bruce the lost Beach Boy. Kind of a distant cousin to Girls in Their Summer Clothes, which was approximately 7 zillion times better than this.
Good Eye - this has got a really weird volume issue to it, like LV pointed out. Sounds like the song on the opening credits of an HBO show that got cancelled after season one.
Tomorrow Never Knows - This song thought it had half a chance and then Bruce went and named it after a timeless Beatles track and that was all she wrote. Song title suicide. It's got a good beat and I could have a picnic to it. Throwaway.
Life Itself - I'm bored. Is that a guitar solo played backwards?
Kingdom of Days - lost cut from latter day aborted Ringo Starr album.
Surprise Surprise - music from a Viagra commercial. This thing is way too featherweight. BOB did it no favors. Maybe he hates Bruce?
The Last Carnival - this is kinda nice. Starts intimate. Absolutely doesn't need the backing vocals though. Buzzkill city. What the fuck were they thinking with those last twenty seconds?
The Wrestler - good song with a nice amount of ache. Doesn't sound like the rest of the album. Did he do this separately for the movie and then throw it in here?
Yeah, sorry, I still don't really like this album at all. It's hard to believe it's the same guy that bookended this with Magic and Wrecking Ball. Oh well, they can't all be winners. As I said before, I'm just grateful he's putting stuff out at a good clip these days.
Isn't Working On A Dream just leftovers from the Magic sessions?
For my money Magic is the best thing he's done since the 80s. Wrecking Ball is uneven, but it at least has a few good tracks going for it. I could totally do without ever listening to WOAD again...
Thurman Murman wrote:Isn't Working On A Dream just leftovers from the Magic sessions?
For my money Magic is the best thing he's done since the 80s. Wrecking Ball is uneven, but it at least has a few good tracks going for it. I could totally do without ever listening to WOAD again...
Some of it is leftover Magic material, some of it was written on the Magic tour. It's by far and away his worst album and I can't believe it came out just over a year after Magic, which is a bona fide masterpiece. I think he wanted to get it out to tie in with Obama's inauguration and his Super Bowl appearance.
"A man who doesn't spend time with the Jamily can never be a real man," - Don Corelone
tragabigzanda wrote:Bruce is tomorrow's guest on Marc Maron's podcast, if anyone cares (I do not care).
Oh shit, this is a big one
I'm curious. He's a magnificently crafty bullshitter regarding his own history though, and one thing Maron is not is a determined digger. So many moments in the 'Bruce' bio have multiple people relating a story that doesn't fit his narrative, and then a great "gee shucks I dunno maybe but we were a band" Bruce interview that paves it all over. It's a big part of why I'm hesitant to read the auto.
dimejinky99 wrote:That really only happens once in the book.
About the rock n roll hall of fame induction.
But he's actually honest about it.
This was my thing. These are my songs. I started this.
He's totally honest about his own ego and insecurities all throughout the book. It's the main theme of the book to be fair.
Maybe that's the only thing in his autobiography, but the list of weird Bruce moments out there is pretty healthy and long. "Which fuckin assole is spending my money on these fuckin limos," 30th birthday onstage ex girlfriend humiliations, total diva stuff on the Tunnel of Love tour, plot loss in the early 90's. And "these are my songs" is a pretty dismissive simplification for a guy whose fame was initially solely about live shows, who defined himself by his gang until he was super famous, and whose most successful single was a blues slider altered completely by his keyboardist's reimagining.
tragabigzanda wrote:Bruce is tomorrow's guest on Marc Maron's podcast, if anyone cares (I do not care).
Oh shit, this is a big one
I'm curious. He's a magnificently crafty bullshitter regarding his own history though, and one thing Maron is not is a determined digger. So many moments in the 'Bruce' bio have multiple people relating a story that doesn't fit his narrative, and then a great "gee shucks I dunno maybe but we were a band" Bruce interview that paves it all over. It's a big part of why I'm hesitant to read the auto.
Yea, my impression of him is that of a guy who has no problem inflating his own narrative.
He's a storyteller, so that's should be expected. I'm about to start his book, can't wait.
tragabigzanda wrote:Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb
I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Mon January 12, 2026 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tragabigzanda wrote:Bruce is tomorrow's guest on Marc Maron's podcast, if anyone cares (I do not care).
Oh shit, this is a big one
I'm curious. He's a magnificently crafty bullshitter regarding his own history though, and one thing Maron is not is a determined digger. So many moments in the 'Bruce' bio have multiple people relating a story that doesn't fit his narrative, and then a great "gee shucks I dunno maybe but we were a band" Bruce interview that paves it all over. It's a big part of why I'm hesitant to read the auto.
Yea, my impression of him is that of a guy who has no problem inflating his own narrative.
He's a storyteller, so that's should be expected. I'm about to start his book, can't wait.
I don't follow your logic. Because he writes songs about fictitious characters, he should be able to spin a false narrative about himself? That would be sort of like if the singer of some other popular rock band decided to deny the existence of his former drummers.
More so that he would twist and exaggerate facts to make a better story. I don't think you get to his position as an American/Rock and Roll icon without a certain degree of ego and/or hubris.
