Last tour for Bob Seger?

Seger worth seeing if he comes near you

Long-time rock and roll singer Bob Seger has begun his 2013 tour and published reports indicate this could be the last time he hits the road. Seger, who is in his 60s, hinted to Rolling Stone last year this could be it when it comes to touring.

At this point, he is not scheduled to come close to this area. The closest date is currently a visit to North Carolina later this month. However, since most of the dates are located in the Midwest, it is hoped he will take the tour nationally later in the year.

He has played Nashville in the past. The only time I saw him in person was in the late ‘80s at the old Municipal Auditorium. The joint really rocked that night, and it remains one of the more memorable concerts I have seen.

Though Seger has long been an elder statesman of his profession, his career is also an example of perseverance. Though it is easy to forget, Seger spent the first 10 years of his career as a wandering performer who could not quite get over the top.

The album that really broke him out was Live Bullet.  In general, I am not a big fan of live albums, but this one really cooks.  Backed by the Silver Bullet Band, it was a multi-platinum release that took him from regional journeyman to national star.

'Stranger in Town' shows Bob Seger at his best

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In the mid and late 1970s, Bob Seger was on a hot streak. After years of struggling to find national success, he had hit the big time with Live Bullet and Night Moves. Both were huge commercial triumphs, and with his straightforward unflinching style, Seger was being mentioned in the same breath as Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty when it came to traditional American rock and roll.

In 1978, Seger released Stranger in Town, and it is a consistently pleasing album that has not lost any of its punch through the years. Coming sandwiched between Night Moves and Against the Wind, I have always felt it has been a little lost in the shuffle when considering his work.  However, there is not a weak track on it, and all of Seger's trademark styles are represented here.

It opens with the thunderous 'Hollywood Nights' and it is highly reminiscent of other Seger rockers such as 'Rock and Roll Never Forgets' from Night Moves and 'Even Now' from The Distance.  His masterful acoustic style is represented on 'Still the Same' and it fits nicely with other similar songs in his catalogue like 'Against the Wind.'

Still, there are other songs that make the album stand out.  For anybody who has ever felt unappreciated by their employer, there is the working man's anthem 'Feel Like a Number.'  For those who were chafing under the popularity of disco in the late 70s, 'Old Time Rock and Roll' felt like a life preserver back then, and it still holds up today.  'We've Got Tonight' and 'The Famous Final Scene' are tremendous ballads that exude warmth in a way that is rare on a mainstream rock and roll album.

Seger brings fire and fury on this album, and if it is not in your collection, it should be.

'The Distance' is vintage Bob Seger

Bob Seger has a fascinating catalogue of albums. Ranging from the 1960s until the present, he has produced memorable ballads as well as some great rock and roll.

Even though he began recording in the '60s, he did not break through commercially until the mid-70s with the live record 'Live' Bullet. The live album concept is not a favorite of mine, but that was one that really worked. Because of the long time between the start of his career and his breakthrough, the public missed a lot of really good music that is never heard on the radio. Of those early albums, seek out Smokin' O.P.'s and Mongrel. They are fascinating examples of a gifted artist finding his voice.

The Distance was released in 1982 and came on the heels of a lot of commercial success. After breaking through with 'Live' Bullet, Seger followed it up with Night Moves and Stranger in Town. Both are filled with big hits and are among the best albums of the '70s. However, after those two he released Against the Wind. Though another commercial success, the quality dipped. The songs sounded forced (like 'The Horizontal Bop'), and there was a malaise to the record that was undeniable.

Seger's career was at an interesting crossroad at this point. After tasting success after all those years of struggle, was he beginning to lose his edge and motivation? The Distance provided a convincing answer to that question and stands as one of the best albums of his career.

The album explodes from the start with 'Even Now' much in the same way as 'Hollywood Nights' did on Stranger in Town. Seger pays homage to his home in Detroit with 'Makin’ Thunderbirds' and questions the pitfalls of fame in 'Boomtown Blues.'

The big hit from the album was his version of Rodney Crowell's 'Shame on the Moon.' However, the strongest track on this set is 'Roll Me Away.' The song begins with Seger questioning who he was and what he was doing. It ended with him vowing to do his best until he gets things right. Propelled by the piano of the E Street Band's Roy Bittan, it is one of Seger's greatest.

This album is rock and roll at its best.

'Night Moves' made Bob Seger a bonafide star

It had been a long road for Bob Seger. Making music since the mid-1960s, mass market success had always been just out of reach. Despite a hit single in the late sixties ('Ramblin' Gamblin' Man'), he had never quite gotten over the hump.

By 1976, this was changing. The live album Live Bullet made a significant dent on the Billboard album chart that year. The album's sales would eventually reach the multi-million level, and at this point, Seger needed a strong follow-up album to consolidate his success.

He found this with Night Moves. The album was both a critical and commercial success. The Rolling Stone Album Guide has referred to it as 'remarkable,' and it reached number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The title song was a big hit single and remains his best known song. Reaching number four on the singles chart, it is a memorable acoustic ballad about the coming of age of youth. Pulsing acoustic ballads would serve Seger well in the future, and it was an approach he had developed over many years. An early example of this style was the song 'Big River' that appeared on 1970's Mongrel.

Despite the success of this approach, Seger is first and foremost a rocker. Night Moves opens with 'Rock and Roll Never Forgets.' It is infectious and thunderous. It continued Seger's tradition of beginning albums with breathtaking rock and roll (future examples include 'Hollywood Nights' from 1978's Stranger in Town and 'Even Now' from 1982's The Distance). It is a song about the healing and redeeming qualities of rock and roll, and it is a timeless theme.

'Mainstreet' was another top 40 hit from the album, but the record's strength is the depth of its album cuts. 'The Fire Down Below,' 'Sunspot Baby,' and the hypnotic 'Come to Poppa' made the album much more than a record with a couple of big hits.

If a person were looking for an album that represented the best of rock and roll in the mid-1970s this would be a good place to begin. It has heart, grit, and a singer who can tell a great story.

Bob Seger's 'Live Bullet' one of the most notable live albums of all time

As I have written before, I am not a big fan of live albums. Most of them re-hash an artist's big hits and rarely break new ground. Additionally, with all the techno-wizardry that goes on in post production these days, many live albums are not totally live.

However, when looking back at the last 40 or 50 years of popular music, there are a few that stand out. One such album is Live Bullet by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. In one mesmerizing performance, Seger went from regional journeyman to national star.

By the mid-70s, it appeared that Seger was running out of chances to make the big time. Though a fan favorite in the Midwest, he had not been able to break out nationally. He had a Top 20 hit with 'Ramblin' Gamblin' Man' in 1969, but he was unable to sustain it. Most of his following albums barely dented the Top 200.

Live Bullet changed this. Recorded at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Seger was playing at home to his people. The crowd and Seger fed off each other. His passion fueled the audience, and their response drove Seger to greater heights.

The album begins with a funky version of Tina Turner's 'Nutbush City Limits,' which allowed the artist and crowd to generate a nice lather. Then, the Silver Bullet Band launched into a medley of 'Travelin' Man' and 'Beautiful Loser.' Seger's growling vocals, and the instrumental break that links the songs defines 'urgency.' It was as if all involved understood that they were in the middle of something special. And they delivered.

Perhaps the most well-known song from the set is 'Turn the Page.' Still a radio staple, it is a ballad about the challenges of life on the road. It is clearly autographical as Seger sings with weariness about his journey. It is a great performance, but likely, it could not have happened without the 10-year struggle he had gone through to reach this point.

Other highlights include a rocking re-make of Van Morrison's 'I've Been Working' and a thunderous 'Katmandu.' Additionally, the set includes 'Ramblin' Gamblin' Man' and 'Get Out of Denver.' 'Get Out of Denver' is likely one of the better Seger songs most people have not heard. Built on a Chuck Berry riff, it is delivered at a frantic pace and deals with the need to get out of town quickly.

There are some missteps. 'Heavy Music' is too long, and 'Jody Girl' seems to have been included just to give the band a chance to catch its breath.

However, those are minor issues. Thirty-five years after being released, it sounds as vital as ever. In the United States, it has sold more than five million copies and many more internationally. Seger followed this album with the remarkable Night Moves, and it planted him as a musical force that was here to stay.

He records at a much more leisurely pace these days. That is a shame, but at least we have a ton of good tunes to listen to.