Bob Seger

Face the Promise (Capitol)

Bob Seger is a badass. Really. Remember “Rock and Roll Never Forgets”? Shit, without “Night Moves,” millions of Americans now in their late 20s wouldn’t even be here. Face the Promise is his first album in 11 years, and Seger, now 60, sounds hungry. He may be a lion in winter, but one with plenty of roaring left. “Wreck This Heart” and “Simplicity” are vintage Seger, gritty riffs adorned with R&B flashes like gospel backup vocals and horns. Rowdy Kid Rock duet “Real Mean Bottle” howls at the moon, and ballads “Wait for Me” and “No More” sit squarely in his brooding-yet-hopeful comfort zone. Seger’s lyrics alternate vague social commentary with homespun homilies about choices and responsibility, with stray reflections on mortality and his legacy. Which, by the way, is secure. A colleague’s reaction to “Wreck This Heart”? “This makes me want to drink beer right now.” Badass.

***

This article appears in November 10 • 2006.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US