Bruce Springsteen took to the Web via his own BruceSpringsteen.net to give the goods about his forthcoming album, 'Working on a Dream,' due Jan. 27. Starting off with "Dear Friends and Fans," Springsteen writes that a song called 'What Love Can Do,' which he pegs as a sort of "love in the time of Bush meditation," was the spark for the new album.

As Springsteen shares, "It was a great track but felt more like a first song of a 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!'" Longtime Springsteen fans know though that the wait between albums, while shrinking of late, still is at a minimum usually a good two to three years. And Springsteen says that occurred to him as well: "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."

He continues to say that with that seed planted, he wrote several more tracks for the album, including 'This Life,' 'My Lucky Day,' 'Good Eye' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows,' in an Atlanta hotel room in the span of a week.

Springsteen ends with words of optimism and excitement for those waiting on a possible new tour (which, among Bruce's followers, is rumored to hit the States in April ). "We're excited about you hearing this music and I just wanted to drop a line about how it all started," he states. "Have a great holiday and we'll see you in the New Year!"

Regardless of if and when the tour starts, it's already shaping up to be a busy 2009 for Springsteen and his band. On Jan. 11, Springsteen's title song for the Mickey Rourke film 'The Wrestler' is up for a Golden Globe, and the song has been shortlisted for an Oscar, which Springsteen already has won once for his 'Streets of Philadelphia.' Then on Feb. 1, he and the E Street Band perform during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. And as a primer for possible new legions of admirers, a Wal-Mart-only 'Greatest Hits' covering just Springsteen and the E Street Band's legacy will be released in mid-January. He's also rumored to be playing Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration.