Title: “American storm”
Format: Single
Written by: Bob Seger
Performed by: Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
Genre: Rock
Taken from: Like a Rock
Year: 1986
Acclaim: Just outside the top ten in the US, nowhere in the UK. How surprising.
I've always been a big fan of Bob Seger, ever since I heard “Night Moves” on the radio, and have collected pretty much all his albums. I think I'm correct in saying he has never toured outside of the USA, and he's certainly nowhere near as well known outside the States as he is at home. What I did not know is that this, the lead single from his album
Like a Rock (which had originally been titled
American Storm) is about cocaine abuse. I assumed it was just another of those gung-ho American nationalist things, but it appears that Bob was worried about the spread of cocaine across the US and wrote this song in reaction to reading John Belushi's biography. Well. You learn something new every day.
The song itself is a powerful driving rocker, running on a romping piano line and with Bob's trademark drawl telling us all about facing
”A full force gale/ An American storm”. Indeed. Takes on new significance now that I know what it's about. Must admit, whoever designed the single sleeve was having a very unadventurous day, as it's the album sleeve too. How boring and lazy. Nothing lazy about the song though!
Things I like about this :
1. Powerful, punching opening that drags you right into the song
2. Great piano work
3. Bob's vocal
4. Great sense of energy in the song
Things I don't like about this:
Nothing
Rating: 