Bob Seger-Face the Promise

Eleven years is very long time between albums but some people can get away with it and pick up where they left off, like Bob Seger.

Face The Promise is a fantastic new album from Seger. This is the deluxe set with a DVD. What I learned about Bob in the DVD, besides watching some choice archive videos and concert footage from his storied career, is that there was a reason why he took an eleven year lay off. He decided to start a family at the tender age of 47. He stayed home to bring up his children with his wife, and continue to write songs. I am so glad he kept writing because if he had not continued we would not be enjoying this new album.

Here we are some 50 million album sales later and this one is sure to bump that number up by millions. There are 12 tracks on this recording, everyone a potential single. The Silver Bullet Band still has it going on, they are cookin’, and Seger’s voice is just as good now as it was during his heyday. It’s like the past eleven years was a bat of the eye lash and Bob is back in the saddle pumping out working class rock Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½n’ roll all over again.

Face The Promise is about leaving small town USA and going to the big city to realize your dreams. Guys like Seger lived it and came back alive to tell the tale; others are not so lucky and come back defeated or not all. Life in the big city forces you to grow up and learn new survival skills. I have been through it myself and became a much better person, well equipped to be a success no matter where my feet landed. That has always been Seger’s mass appeal, the songs he writes are about you and me, the guy next door, it’s real, it’s all about life set to some of the best music you will ever have the pleasure to hear, period. Seger’s sound is a hybrid of rock, pop, blues, and country, truly a signature sound that is unmistakable.

Besides some of the best tunes Seger has ever recorded, he sweetens the pot with a few special guests. Kid Rock showed up and told him that they needed to crank up the volume and intensity on the country tune “Real Mean Bottle.” It turned out great; they form an effective duo and the song rocks. “The Answer’s In The Question” features Patty Loveless trading phrases with Bob. This turns into another successful collaboration because of a perfect meshing of counterparts.

I can tell you for certain, if you are a Seger fan, you will love this album. I promise you that once you hear it, you will not be able to stop listening to it. Some of the tracks that are shakers and movers for my taste are the title track, “Simplicity,” and “Between.” They are all real smokin’ rockers with hooks, grooves, and a beat that does not die for a second during the entire run of the song. Then for a total switch to other side of the musical tracks, the longing country-rock duo with Patty Loveless “The Answer’s In The Question,’ which is sure to be a huge crossover hit, is one of the best tracks of Seger’s career. It reminds me of what Kenny Rogers did for his successful run on the charts as a solo artist.

Watch this album shoot to the top of the pops in a heartbeat, it is a sure bet.

Ã?© Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 14, 2006

CD Tracks:

01. Wreck This Heart
02. Wait For Me
03. Face The Promise
04. No Matter Who You Are
05. Are You
06. Simplicity
07. No More
08. Real Mean Bottle (with Kid Rock)
09. Won’t Stop
10. Between
11. The Answer’s In The Question (with Patty Loveless)
12. The Long Goodbye

DVD:

BONUS DVD includes career retrospective and a “making of Face The Promise” interview segment with studio footage. Includes previously unreleased historical concert performances of Still The Same and Hollywood Nights recorded live in San Diego in 1978. Also features the classic music videos for Like A Rock and The Fire Inside.