Bob Seger - Greatest Hits
Hang the heartland rocker because the music that he constantly plays it says nothing to me about my life…
I’ve often wondered, when it comes to art, whether being inoffensive is in itself offensive? As I’ve got older and mellower or sufficiently exhausted that I like to keep my powder dry for things that really deserve it, I’m less inclined to think such things. However, I’m slightly amused that something as inoffensive as this week’s pick has been the subject of some quite tetchy debate.
In fairness to DLBH he didn’t suggest that listening to this album was a life changing experience, simply some good singalong rock that he has very fond memories of. On that basis I get why people might like it and how it could sell bucketloads as an easily digestible experience not requiring too much effort to engage. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. Though there are some exceptions, I don’t really get heartland rock because neither musically nor lyrically does it particularly resonate with me. The lack of connection was exacerbated in this case by songs and performances which had had the life produced out them and felt rather bland to me. It all felt a bit like the musical equivalent of eating Kraft cheese squares when what I wanted was a bit of gorgonzola or something. As others have said, if I wanted to occasionally listen to something in this space it probably would be Springsteen or Tom Petty.
That said, as I have already posted I ended up listening to his very first album and quite liked it, so I’m drawing the conclusion that Bob Seger is talented but over time that talent has been buried under a landslide of suffocating Classic Smooth Rock FM Radio friendly corporate sonic nothingness. Beyond not making a connection to me, much of what I disliked about this pick was in the arrangements and the production. As a simple example the ‘gospel lite’ backing on Night Moves could indeed, as junior proclaimed, have been the concoction of an AI that had been instructed to 'make it soulful' but that’s one of multiple places where I felt it sunk into a lowest common denominator genericism. As suggested I did try Stranger In Town but I didn’t get on with that either so I would probably stick with his first couple of albums were I to listen again.
As for this album I didn’t really have any standouts but did like his voice when he didn’t get too histrionic and there were some songs that had they had completely different treatments, I would find more enjoyable so I may even explore one or two covers that people have produced of some of these.
For me personally this was a good pick because it gave me a chance to explore someone I was very unfamiliar with, and it was a partial success in that it turns out there’s music of his I would listen to again, but just not from this album so 5/10 for me.
