A Pair of Rock Giants (part II)
- Big Wilson with Antonio
- Jan 17, 2019
- 5 min read
Bob Seger - Michigan Rock Motor
Focusing on the common life of the everyone, Seger embraced the emotional bout of Wilson Pickett and James Brown, added it with touches of soul, southern boogie, hard-rock and folk-rock and proceeded to pen the serious ambiences of recordings.
A passionate and throaty vocalist in the vein of the black shouters, Bob Seger blend that tradition with his working class (Detroit) roots. Primarily a hard-driving rocker in the vein of fellow Michigan garage rockers the Rationals and Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger turned into some of the most prominent heartland rockers throughout the '70s. His father was a bandleader and musician who did work in a car plant to support his wife and 2 kids. When he was 10, his father abandoned the family entirely, leaving for California in search of success which he never achieved. Among the facts about Bob Seger is that he liked James Brown more than the Beatles, it was really not a surprise Motown was the first major label to offer him a contract. Unimportant factor is that he recorded 18 studio records like Bruce Springsteen. Out of his 18 albums, down bellow I listed 5 albums which I really hope any of you would appreciate like I do?
Against The Wind (1980 )
While many people remember the album for its ballads, 2 of the rock numbers would certainly make my top 5 selection of his tunes. "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" and "Horizontal Bop" both cope with sex and Seger's vocal and amusing verses are just a delight. "Betty Lou" is both frenetic and melodious all at once and Seger goes to his rocking finest. In 1980 he had developed a groove that would serve him well for the remainder of his career and, while he might not have advanced creatively, the album was well written, melodically and lyrically strong, and essentially a brilliant piece of 70's rock. Out of the many tunes Bob Seger has recorded throughout the years, this one has continually been one of my faves. He has a method to put the real significance and emotion to his performances. I still love to listen to it after all these years. Bob Seger certainly never disappoints, everybody who listens to rock music knows that. He is really one of the giants in music.
Night Moves (1976 )
Despite the fact that this album was his very first real breakthrough, Night Moves is in fact the ninth overall studio album by Bob Seger. The record was well received by critics and was Seger's first to be certified platinum and to date it has marketed over 6 million copies worldwide. Practically a god in his home state of Michigan, precisely where he could sell out large arenas, he was even so relatively unrecognized in the majority of the rest of the country. "Night Moves" would be the record that changed all that and made Seger a bona fide rock star throughout the world. "Night Moves" would also be the first studio recording to present The Silver Bullet Band, most of who would continue with Seger for years. The album had a number of huge hits with "Rock N Roll Never forgets", "Night Moves", "Mainstreet", and "Fire Down Below". The remaining tracks are really strong as well. "Night Moves" remains some of the better mainstream rock albums of the 70's and has held up more than the years.
The Distance (1982 )
While many critics did dislike this album way too much, for me this specific is Bob's favorite album for me, and I never get tired of listening. The Distance was hailed as a recover upon the moment of its launch and, in various ways, might be a little sturdier, a bit more consistent than its predecessor, Against the Wind. This album has several gems featuring the very underrated Even Now that should have been a huge hit. Shame on the Moon is a ballad that gets you on a quest, however most Seger songs do. If you have even half a passion in Bob Seger you will not be disappointed. Seger fans will love this underrated album. This is precisely one of the best albums to have ever before been produced. The mixture of soft ballads and rock and roll truly gives it a good balance. With songs to match every single mood this is definitely worth a tune in, if not a place in your record collection!
Like a Rock (1986)
Bob Seger may have come to be a tad complacent or perhaps maybe just too secure. The songs marked a slight turn from the blue collar rock whereupon his reputation had indeed been established. The increased keyboards and synthesizer audio on a few of the songs was his adapting to the music of the 80's. Like A Rock, issued in April of 1986, was his first studio album launch since 1982's The Distance. The ever growing delay time between releases would not help him very well as the general quality of the records were not as strong. While this latest production would contain several classic performances, there would also be an amount of filler songs. Seger had a difficult road to explore right after the excellent hat trick of albums prior to this one (" Night Moves", "Stranger In Town", and "Against the Wind" ), these 3 albums were cortically famous as his best work, and also I agree. This is not Seger's greatest studio album but it contrasts perfectly with his ideal selling albums of the late 70s and early 80s. The gems of the album are "The Ring" and his cover of "Fortune Son", which I consider as being better than CCR's and it is tough to beat the original of any type of hit.
The Fire Inside (1991)
Seger was known for spending long breaks from the music business. One these hiatus lasted for five years after the launch of 1986's "Like a Rock." The ALBUM had made him a full-blown, sellout star, as the title track was employed to market pickup in television commercials. Hair music group became massively popular in his void, and the grunge movement was soon to get to its pinnacle; both trends had made many traditional rockers outdated. But only when you thought Seger had vanished for good, he returned to the spotlight in 1991 with "The Fire Inside." Seger always has been a top songwriter in his very own best, however he incorporates a pair of Tom Waits music right here, too: "New Coat of Paint" and "Blind Love," the performances of which are perfect. He adds another outside song, "She Can't Do Anything Wrong," to close things out. The album also features "The Long Way Home," a serenade in the custom of "Famous Final Scene" coming from "Stranger in Town." This is quite underrated and undersold record by one of the best artists in rock and roll. Nice blend of ballads and classic Bob Seger rock.
Seger has a legion of devoted fans, but it was a hard-earned success. He really did not receive publicity from benefit shows simply because they mainly failed to be present throughout his prime time in the '70s, and also he didn't benefit from the MTV era in the same way that John Mellencamp, yet another heartland hero, did. Additionally, he didn't have the New York multimedia’s in his side like Bruce Springsteen, who also advanced his career thanks to the popularity of music videos.
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