Springsteen Hits Wal-Mart

Bruce Springsteen will be everywhere over the next five weeks, but especially Wal-Mart.

The artist's new studio album, Working On A Dream, will be widely available as of Jan. 27. But a 12-song Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band hits collection will only be sold at Wal-Mart in the U.S. — just like AC/DC's chart-topping Black Ice was earlier this year — starting on Jan. 13. The album will be available from all Canadian music retailers.

Springsteen has also posted notes on his website on the origins of Working On A Dream, which follows last year's Magic.

"During the last weeks of mixing Magic, we recorded a song called 'What Love Can Do,' he wrote. "It was sort of a 'love in the time of Bush' meditation. It was a great track but felt more like a first song of new record rather than something that would fit on Magic.

"So our producer Brendan O'Brien said, 'Hey, let's make another one right now!' I thought, no, I haven't done that since my first two records came out in the same year. And usually I don't write that quickly. But that night I went back to my hotel in Atlanta and over the next week, I wrote several songs ('This Life,' 'My Lucky Day,' 'Life Itself,' along with 'Good Eye' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows') that formed the beginnings of our new album. Excited by the sounds we made on Magic I found there was more than enough fuel for the fire to keep going. Brendan and I demo'd these songs before we left the studio and agreed we'd somehow find time during the touring year to get this record made.

"Over the past 10 years with Brendan, our ability to get records done and to work on a variety of projects at the same time (Yes, we can multi-task!) has allowed us to get a steadier stream of our best music out to our fans. This is something I've always wanted to do. We found time to book sessions, get the band while it was hot off the road, write and record a new record, while giving our audience what I hope was some of the best E Street shows we've ever done. We're excited about you hearing this music and I just wanted to drop a line about how it all started. Have a great holiday and we'll see you in the New Year!"

Springsteen has been touring almost non-stop since releasing Magic and will take to the stage again when he performs with the E Street Band during the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Go here if you're interested in being on the field for the performance.

Springsteen also gave a new song called "The Wrestler" to the recently opened movie of the same name that has earned star Mickey Rourke rave reviews. The song is available on iTunes. Here's what Rourke says about it:

"I wrote Bruce a letter, because we've known each other over 20 years, and he knows what I used to be, or whatever. Where I went. What I'd been reduced to. I told him how I felt lucky now and didn't have to end up being this guy, being Randy (character from The Wrestler). A while later I got a call in the middle of the night: he said he'd written a little song, for nothing. It's fucking beautiful, right? I was honoured he took the time, because he's a busy cat. I mean, I'm so goddam proud of this magical movie and to have Bruce's input... ain't nobody in Hollywood with all their millions can just ring the man and he'll do a song, y'know?"

You can hear the song in this trailer for the movie:

Here are the songs on the Wal-Mart-exclusive hits collection:

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"
"Born To Run"
"Thunder Road"
"Darkness On The Edge Of Town"
"Badlands"
"Hungry Heart"
"Glory Days"
"Dancing In The Dark"
"Born In The U.S.A."
"The Rising"
"Lonesome Day"
"Radio Nowhere"