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Rating: Detroit, Michigan, June 1980: a large crowd of young people is gathering in front of Cobo Hall, waiting for the gates to open, to attend a concert of their idol, Bob Seger, accompanied by his "Silver Bullet Band." Bob is a son of Detroit, born and raised with the Motown myth and a love for soul and black music, for the origins of rock 'n roll, by great rockers like Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, with whom he grew up listening to their hits, learning and absorbing their styles and stage moves. Having been part of some bands as a young man, in the early '70s he founded the "Silver Bullet Band," with which he began to play in various Michigan cities, then broke out nationwide with excellent albums such as "Night Moves," "Stranger in Town," and "Against the Wind," all from the second half of the '70s.
From this concert and those in October '80 in Boston came this live , a concentrate of energy, dynamism, grit, and great stage presence, an exciting and engaging album, where Seger plays his greatest hits, moving from rock 'n roll tracks to more delicate acoustic ballads, from blues to soul, heating up the audience with his powerful and energetic voice, a mix between Fogerty and Springsteen, Otis Redding and Van Morrison..
The beginning is immediately powerful, with "Nine Tonight," a rousing rock 'n roll where the band showcases all its qualities and where Seger wrings his voice almost as if to devour the audience; Drew Abbott squeezes his guitar, accompanied by the excellent Alto Reed, an experienced saxophonist already a veteran of the Detroit music scene, and Craig Frost, an organist a few years earlier with Grand Funk Railroad, other idols of the Motor City. Excellent is the very famous "Old Time Rock 'n Roll," a Tom Jones piece reworked by the band, one of the group's most famous songs and also made famous by the Guitar Hero commercial in recent years, where the beautiful protagonist in underwear and unbuttoned shirt sings in playback holding a broom as if it were a microphone.. Reed's sax dominates the scene, Abbott's guitar is pure energy and the audience sings the chorus in unison. One after another come other energetic and excellently played tracks like "Hollywood Nights," "The Fire Down Below," "Her Strut," which excite the fans; the splendid "Against the Wind," a melancholic ballad made famous by the movie "Forrest Gump," supported by Frost's excellent piano riff accompanying Seger's splendid voice, which sings "We were young and strong, we were runnin' against the wind"..
Very similar to "Travelin' Band" by Creedence Clearwater Revival is the next "Betty Lou's gettin' out Tonight," two minutes of pure old-school rock 'n roll, fast and fun, that makes the delirious attendees dance, and "Fire Lake," a slow ballad suitable for a nice ride on a Harley through the sunny roads of the South West. Very soulful is the song "Trying To Live My Life Without You," where it seems like hearing Otis Redding on vocals; the song talks about a desperate poor man, a heavy drinker and chain smoker, who despairs at the idea of giving up his girlfriend who, tired of him, has left.. Seger in this track, as in others on the album, is accompanied in the choruses by some singers, among which is Shaun Murphy, who will later embark on a solo career of decent success.
To say goodnight, a Chuck Berry piece, always a source of inspiration for the singer, "Let it Rock," a track already covered over the years by people like Who and Stones, a worthy conclusion to a magnificent evening of great energy. This live perhaps represented the peak of their career; in fact, after a couple of excellent albums in the early '80s, Seger disappeared from the scene, then returned with the excellent "The Fire Inside" in 1991, and with other albums that were no longer up to the first but would bring the band back to sell out in the States. An ideal record to lift your spirits after a long day at work, or to start a party with friends.
No frills, no improvisations, or refinements: just pure well-played rock 'n roll full of grit, but as Jagger once said "It's only Rock 'n Roll.. BUT I LIKE IT!!"
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