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Like a rock --- Bob Seger --- 1986 (Capitol)


Bob Seger is one of that rare breed of true American songwriters, in the mould of Springsteen, Cash and Nelson, he writes songs of ordinary people in ordinary situations, and he writes with an honesty and openness that is often lacking in music. “Like a rock” is his thirteenth studio album, but far from being unlucky, I personally rate it as one of his best, if not the best he has produced. I love albums like “Stranger in town”, “Night moves” and “The distance”, but there always seems to be one or two “filler” tracks on his albums, songs that let down the overall excellence of the recording. I've always wanted Seger to record the perfect album, and I think here in 1986 he finally did. Nothing, in my opinion, he released prior to, or indeed after, “Like a rock”, has equalled, much less exceeded the greatness of this record.

Orginally to have been titled “American storm”, it's this that kicks the album off in fine fashion, a bouncy, rockin' flag-waver, paying tribute to the spirit of his country. ”It's like a full force gale/ An American storm/ You're buried far beneath a mountain of cold/ And you never get warm.” Seger's omnipresent backing band, the Silver Bullet Band, are on fine form as ever, and it's the rock'n'roll piano of Craig Frost in particular, backed by the thundering drums of Russ Kunkel that really drive the track. It's a powerful opener, and sets the mission statement of the album from the off. It's followed by the much slower and bluesy title track, reminscences of youth in a theme partially explored on the title track to 1980's “Against the wind”, but expanding on it here. Bob recalls "Standing arrow-straight.../ Chargin' from the gate.../ Carryin' the weight.” Great guitars from Dawayne Bailey, with superb slide guitar from Rick Vito. Essentially acoustic, the track goes electric for the chorus and then back for the verses. Bob's voice as ever is raspy, rough, gruff and powerful, elucidating each line perfectly and with excellent timing.

Then we're into “Miami”, things speeding up again for the tale of those who came to Florida's coast to make their fortune or start a new life. Where the previous track was mostly acoustic, this is very definitely electric, with great keyboards from Bill Payne, backing vocals by two ex-Eagles, Timothy B. Schmidt and Don Henley, as well as a full horn section. Bob relates what would have been the first look these new settlers had of Miami: "Oh it must have seeemed/ Something like a dream/ Shining through the night/ All those city lights” It's a great rocker, with powerful drumbeats driving the song along and a truly great saxaphone outro. It leads into the second ballad on the album, the bitter tale of love turned bad in “The Ring”. Again going for a mostly acoustic feel for this track, as he often does for his ballads, Seger weaves the story of a woman who marries but finds there is after all no pot of gold at the end of her rainbow. ”And sometimes in the wee hours/When the traffic dies down/ She'll hear the sound of some bird on the wing/ And she'll look out the window, look at his picture/ But not at the ring.” Rick Vito, this time joined by Fred Tackett, do a great job on the acoustic guitars, while Gary Mallaber takes drumming duties. The tinkling piano lines give the song a nice country feel.

Things get VERY electronic then for “Tightrope” --- it's almost like a totally different album now. Heavy, almost organ-like keyboards drive this track, with backing vocals by the Weather Girls, among others. This is one of only two songs on the album (apart from the closing CCR cover) not written by Seger alone. On this he collaborates with keyboard player Craig Frost, who also wrote the next track with him, “The Aftermath”, a rocker that lopes along at a great lick, keeping things in high gear as “Tightrope” comes to an abrupt end and the next track takes over almost seamlessly.

And the pace doesn't slow for the next offering, in fact if anything it gets faster! “Sometimes”, a real boogie rocker, takes things to a new level, perhaps the most frenetic song on the whole album, with some truly great piano playing as Frost channels Jerry Lee Lewis! You would think after that they'd be ready to slow down, but no, “It's you”, though a lot slower than “Sometimes”, still ticks along at a good pace, though far less manic than the previous track and nowhere near as heavy as “Tightrope”. It's close to a ballad, but the beat belies that for me. The closer IS a ballad, and as per usual with Bob Seger, it's a belter.

“Somewhere tonight” is the tale of a thousand break-ups, people leaving, people falling out of love, and the unbearable sadness of it all. As Bob sings ”There's a cold wind blowin' from the north/ And the summer birds are leavin' / As the sun slips ever further south/ The lakes will soon be freezin'. / And the ice will claim the empty shore/ Where the ones in love went walkin'/ And the hard blues skies will shiver/ As the winter clouds come stalkin'/ And unless you find someone to hold/ Unless someone starts caring/ Unless you find the warmth you need/ Unless someone starts sharing/ When the long dark nights come closin' in/ And the winter winds comes howlin'/ You don't know if you'll make it/ Without someone you can count on.” --- well, you just want to take your loved one in your arms and be happy they're there. Vito and Fred are once again a perfect pair on acoustic guitars, with Frost on lonely piano. Seger albums usually end on a great ballad, and this is among his greatest.

For me, that's where the album ended, as I bought the vinyl LP when it came out in '86, but apparently the CD version comes with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's standard “Fortunate son”. It's a great song, performed live, but for me it sort of ruins the end of the album, as I had, as I said above, always listened to “Somewhere tonight” as the closer, and for me that track ends the album as it should be ended.

Although Seger has released three more albums since “Like a rock”, with a fourth scheduled for release this year, I personally believe this is the one on which he got everything right (I discount the inclusion of “Fortunate son”, as I believe that's down to the label, not the artist, as it wasn't on the original vinyl release), and it stands as the quintessential Bob Seger album. Maybe he'll surpass it this year, but he's going to have to work damn hard to do so!

TRACKLISTING

1. American storm
2. Like a rock
3. Miami
4. The Ring
5. Tightrope
6. The aftermath
7. Sometimes
8. It's you
9. Somewhere tonight
10. Fortunate son (live) --- CD only


Suggested further listening: "Night moves", "Stranger in town", "Against the wind", "The distance"

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