Old time rock and roller shows the young guns how it's done
Artiste: Bob Seger
Nationality: American
Album: Ride out
Year: 2014
Label: Capitol
Genre: Rock/Americana
Tracks:
Detroit made
Hey Gypsy
The Devil's right hand
Ride out
Adam and Eve
California stars
It's your world
All of the roads
You take me in
Gates of Eden
Chronological position: Seventeenth album (including all those recorded under the name “Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band”)
Familiarity: Absolutely everything. Well, not absolutely. “Night moves, “Stranger in town”, “Against the wind”, “It's a mystery”, “The fire inside”, “Like a rock”, “The distance”, “Nine tonight”
Interesting factoid: The most cover songs I've ever seen on a Seger album
Initial impression: Ah Bob my man! Where have you been? Tell us your stories.
Best track(s):Hey gypsy, Ride out, Adam and Eve, California stars, It's your world, All of the roads, You take me in, Gates of Eden
Worst track(s): Not a one
Comments: Holy good God it's been a long time since I heard some new Seger! If there's a man who's honest to a fault it's Detroit's finest son, and the album kicks off with the appropriately titled
Detroit made as Seger, through John Hiatt, pays tribute to the Motor City with a sense of pride and enthusiasm that is often sadly lacking in these days of the global financial crisis, war on terror and basic worldwide bum-out, but Bob still knows how to rock and how to bring a smile to the most jaded face. There's a shot across the bows of those who don't buy American, but it's hard to take offence when the music is this good. There's a real Texas swing tribute to Stevie Ray then with
Hey gypsy, some fine organ, followed by a decent cover of Steve Earle's
The Devil's right hand, though it's missing the growl and frustration on the original.
Two real standouts are
Adam and Eve, a duet with .... um, I don't know: not credited, but there are three female backing vocalists, so maybe one of them, and
California stars, though it is perhaps sobering that again these are not Seger-penned tunes, the last seemingly a Woodie Guthrie song, made famous by Wilco I believe. But Seger can write great songs and has done all through his career, and
It's your world showcases him in fine form as he takes on the woes of modern living with a certain gospel tint to the chorus and a feel of Springsteen's “Wrecking ball”. Also kind of reminds me of
Tightrope from “Like a rock”, while
All of the roads is a typical Seger troubadour's tale with some sweet organ and some great fiddle work.
Of course, if you know the man then you know he also writes some heartbreaking ballads, and this time around it's the mostly acoustic
You take me in, while there's more than a touch of
Leader of the pack and a hint of Springsteen's
Jungleland in the closer,
Gates of Heaven, a slow crunching brooder with some powerful backing vocals.
Overall impression: I would have preferred less covers and more Seger original material, but still a damn fine album and well worth waiting nine years for.
Hum Factor: 7
Intention: Well I love Bob so I'll always listen to his music.