American Music Icons - Bob Seger

[Commander PK]

I started getting into Seger's music when Metallica covered "Turn the Page" several years ago. I knew that my parents were big into Seger, and I actually like most of the 70's rock my parents listened to. I went out and bought his greatest hits, and I was blown away. Great stuff.

Especially "Roll me away"

Took a look down a westbound road

right away I made my choice

Headed out to my big two-wheeler

I was tired of my own voice

Took a bead on the northern plains

and just rolled that power on

Twelve hours out of Mackinaw City

stopped in a bar to have a brew

Met a girl and we had a few drinks

and I told her what I'd decided to do

She looked out the window a long long moment

then she looked into my eyes

She didn't have to say a thing,

I knew what she was thinkin'

Roll, roll me away

Won't you roll me away tonight?

I too am lost, I feel double-crossed

and I'm sick of what's

wrong and what's right

We never even said a word

We just walked out and got on that bike

And we rolled

And we rolled clean out of sight

We rolled across the high plains

deep into the mountains

Felt so good to me

finally feelin' free

Somewhere along a high road

the air began to turn cold

She said she missed her home

I headed on alone

Stood alone on a mountain top

starin' out at the great divide

I could go east, I could go west

It was all up to me to decide

Just then I saw a young hawk flyin'

and my soul began to rise

And pretty soon

My heart was singin'

Roll, roll me away,

I'm gonna roll me away tonight

Gotta keep rollin, gotta keep ridin'

keep searchin' till I find what's right

And as the sunset faded

I spoke to the faintest first starlight

And I said next time

Next time

We'll get it right

Captures that whole mid-west desperado thing perfectly.

[mjah]

Odd that I was just mentioning the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in another thread. I went there for the first time a few years ago and was REALLY disappointed with the small amount of space they gave to Bob Seger. He deserves a hell of a lot more credit than they gave him -- he wasn't even inducted until 2004, for crying out loud -- and it's a shame that the Doors get an entire floor in that place while he gets basically a single panel in a stairwell landing area. Maybe they're just feeling a bit anti-Detroit for some reason, but either way it's pure BS.

My dad introduced me to Seger about 15 years ago and I dismissed him because songs like Against the Wind sounded too "old" to me. But as I matured and my musical tastes got a bit better, I came to recognize just how emotionally balanced and transformative that song is. IMO it's nearly perfect: past vs. present, young vs. older, ambitious vs. wise, unburdened vs. conflicted, strength vs. leverage -- yet at the end of the song he's still the same guy inside. Truly brilliant.

And that's just one of his tunes. I tend to agree with the OP, he has to be probably top 3. I'd even put him above Springsteen, in terms of their respective biggest hits. People treat Springsteen's big hits like universal blue-collar anthems, but when you really listen to them, they're too provincial, rooted in his own upbringing and too easily swayed by froo-froo crap like orchestration (bells? gratuitous sax solos? really?) and overproduction (Born to Run made Meat Loaf jealous; end of story). That's not rock 'n roll. Seger kept it straightforward most of the time, and especially with his biggest hits.

I'll add that he's amazing live. I've gone to see him as many times as I've seen U2, and he was better every time.

[IHOPSkins]

Keep on Rollin Bob!

[rictus58]

To be perfectly honest, I was never really into him. Then last Christmas, my wife purchased me a zune pass. So now I can download pretty much any song I want. I happened across "Live bullet" and downloaded it. Worth its weight in gold. He is a musician for the working class. People who know about lifes struggles. Not like U2 which is for people who have yet to truly struggle in life. I'd also like to thank Chevrolet for helping to spread his popularity.

[Mickalino]

WOW !!

And I thought I was the only one who thought Seger was the most under-rated singer in history !!

I had no idea that I shared so much company in this belief.

To me, a lot of singers in the past few decades actually tried to emulate his style, so that kinda makes him the Father of Rock N Roll.

[JMS]

It's his versatility and longevity which I think makes Bob Seger "the" contemporary American vocalist. He won national competitions in barbershop quartet and calypso music in the 50's as an armature.. Harry Belafonte was the first to tell Bob he needed to turn professional. Finally, following in Elvis and Little Richards footsteps ( Bob's idols)... . He turned his back on his armature career and went professional in 1961. A full year before the Rolling Stone's came together. As such Seger's legacy is the longest and most successful in music history. Even throwing out his versatile armature career, what rocker with his level of success has remained relevant for five decades? he's arguable the longest running most successful premiere Rocker ever. Certainly for an American.

I like to fire up my stereo, and sit back with a highball, and listen to "Night Moves", "You'll Accompany Me", " "Heartache Tonight", or "Turn the Page", when you close your eyes and if the stereo speakers are really fine; you can still hear Seger's calypso roots in his raspy vocals..

[Dan T.]

We've got tonight might be the best song ever written. Seger is definitely in my top 3 artists of all time.

Don't be ridiculous. Top 3? He's maybe top 10 for songwriting, though definitely top 10 for rock voice.

[Mickalino]

I like to fire up my stereo, and sit back with a highball and listen to ";old time rock and roll",

Not to mention that song defined the movie "Risky Business". When people think of Risky Business, they think of that Seger song.

And vice versa

[mcsluggo]

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there is not a single person alive that hasn't rocked-out to this clip.

it is MADE for the air guitar.

[Riggo-toni]

Pete Carr's guitar lead on Mainstreet is one of the most beautiful solos ever recorded. The tone is breathtaking, and the melody is both powerful and instantly memorable. Glenn Frey (Eagles) may have gone on to be Seger's most famous ex-guitarist, but Carr was the best.

[AsburySkinsFan]

You CAN'T start with that Comparison

You need to bring in the BIG Guns

Neil Diamond is one of the Few in Bob's Class

I almost sense sarcasm here, Neil is a Vegas lounge act at best. As for the Zepplin/Hendrix comparison I still think it's spot on, Plant and Hendrix used loud crashing walls of sound to compensate for the superficiality of their music, and when you really begin to hear Seger, and I mean really hear him then you begin to see through the pomp of Zepplin and Hendrix.

I'd also like to thank Chevrolet for helping to spread his popularity.

See I'm just the opposite really, I think that the Chevy commercials only serve to cheapen Seger's music, not to mention commercializing it which is something that folk music has always resisted. For Chevy to cheapen Seger's music to be about trucks and mud just demeans the whole thing, it's about a young man standing on his own, making his way through hard work and determination in the face of all the posers and crooks. For me it's like John Mellencamp's music; hard working, honest living, salt of the earth people. Not some slick ad campaign jingle.

[China]

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[techboy]

It's good to see that Bob Seger is finally getting the credit he deserves. Honestly, I think much of the negative sentiment surrounding his work is just hate from musicians that know they'll never match up, spread by their brainwashed flunkies.

I think the Beatles still top him, but there's not much else I'd rank that way. Top two?

[renaissance]

I'm workin on my night moves!

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[boysetsfire]

Come on guys. "Night Moves" is absolutely timeless. Way before my time but I can appreciate great music when I hear it and Bob Seeger has it all.

[IHOPSkins]

......Neil is a Vegas lounge act at best.........

You are a Crackling Rose if you think Neil is just a lounge act

Maybe it was a reach to compare Neil to "The Silver Bullet"

[Mickalino]

"You'll Accompany Me" is like the signature wedding song. Can't think of a wedding I attended, that did not play that song.

[Forehead]

Yeah, I have to add my voice to this. My parents introduced me to Seger, along with a lot of other music, when I was younger. Always loved Old Time Rock and roll, that was the first song I ever heard. Hell, did you know it's apparently the #2 all time played jukebox song. After Patsy Cline's Crazy. Heartache Tonight is solid, Turn the Page and Like a Rock are great songs. Definitely needs to be more appreciated than he is. Glad to see so many people here agree with me.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Bob Seger is absolutely one of the greats of R&R :yes:...He's iconic.

[JMS]

Not to mention that song defined the movie "Risky Business". When people think of Risky Business, they think of that Seger song.

And vice versa

"Old Time Rock and Roll", is an anthem to a generation.

[Chachie]

I'll never forget a very old SNL short film with Garrett Morris that was not comedic. It was a series of scenes of Garrett and his girlfriend at the time set to the "Night Moves" by Bob Seger. What a great song. What a truly great songwriter and performer.

[ACW]

Yeah, Seger's cool

[Mickalino]

A sign of an excellent artist and songwriter is when he has a lot of other artists cover his tunes.

Seger inspired a lot of bands to do his cover tunes, including Thin Lizzy and Metallica, just to name a couple.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

the first time i got laid, I was listening to Like a Rock....great memories

he was my dad's favorite....he pretty much only listened to him, the Bee gees, and Neil Diamond, so I have a great appreciation for his music

[Riggo-toni]

What was the cartoon movie that had Night Moves in it? Came out a couple years before the movie Heavy Metal.