Page 14 NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS August 14, 1976 BOB SEGER face make you think he is a Negro, word for mediocrity. And at his worst but no, there was really nothing to Bob Seger is as mediocre as they see, not in the press boat. To see you come. For instance, he over-relies on hadda be out there on the floor of the oldies, and the most obvious ones to charnel house. To hear, too — the boot: "Bo Diddley," "Let it rock," sound system at this place sucks "Little Cmeenie." Now he's added anyway, claims to the contrary to the' Ronnie Hawkins' "Mary Lou." But contrary — but it assuredly sounds he adds nothing to it, or any of the better on the floor (well, obviously) others. So why do 'em? Because the than it does up in the biz-folk box. rest of his originals he don't do don't But don't look at me Jack, I'm not cut it? Because nobody's ever heard gonna squat on that floor where 'em before? No, I'll even give him they're lighting fires that may make it that one, these kids are young, they even tougher on the lions. Screw it, were teething when Chuck Berry and you're either on the bus or off the bus. Bo Diddley first cut those songs. But It's in the grooves, anyway, Ialways say. those songs have been done to death by everyone from the Stones to Chuck Oh yeah, Bob Seger. Here is aguy who has alot of grit and soul and rock Berry and Bo Diddley to Thunder- mugg. And anyway. if none of these 'n' roll power of the most primal sort. kids remember anything, why not just Trouble is, it's spread rather thin over hit 'em with "Persecution Smith," several albums and long out of print "Looking Back" and all those other singles. If somebody put together the self-penned Seger classics, I mean following Seger songs on one album it why even record new albums, just put would be one of the all-time killers: "Persecution Smith," "Sock It To Me 'em out again and only old timers like me and Seger's manager Punch Santa," "Heavy Music," "Ramblin' Andrews (who has only retarded his Gamblin' Man," "Lookin' Back," stardom by adecade or so) will know "Lucifer," "Mongrel.' Let's see ) the difference. that's one side. Well, take the rest of Also, Bob has absolutely no sense the stuff from "Mongrel" album, truly, except for adraggy live "River of stage moves. His idea of physical onstage projection is to rock back and Deep Mountain High" neglected forth slightly clapping his hands and metal classic. Oh yeah, I forgot "/14 + /14 ." bobbing' his head. He has made music Okay, all these songs are rock 'n' that has more teeth than Ted Nugent's wildest dreams, yet he projects this roll classics, right up there with the utterly depressing sense of restraint. I best of the Stones, Berry, you name don't know what's wrong with him. it. They'll floor you. But they're But Ido know this -- when he did the —Mighty hard to get. Bob, contrary to his recent live album, did .just about standard "Do you like rock 'n' roll?" all of 'em in one long medley in the and ...Say Yeah!" That Whole audience, all 65,000 of them, shot middle of his Pontiac Stadium set. their fists at him like battering rams Like I said, old home week. And "YEAH!!! when he did that, the energy level in the room rose so measureably it made You couldn't feel it in the press box, but you could see it. I never saw your toes curl and your hair singe. I anything like it since Isaw Slade in almost raped Esther, and that would be almost like raping myself'. England in 1972. But then, Ihaven't seen Kiss in two years. It was rock 'n' roll dynamism P.S. Here comes thè wimpout after animalism perfecto. It was everything everything I said about Seger, Ithink Iwish Bruce Springsteen was—just he deserves all the adulation he's those .few elements of true grit he getting and more. And not just lacks. It was also a bunch of songs written upwards of or more than a because he "paid his dues" — because decade ago. Next to them, he's one of the last of adying breed: the unaffected. uncreased browed. "Katmandu" and "Beautiful Loser" unhooked up truebn-rn disciple of just don't cut it, not for me at least. rock 'n' roll. But Ialso feel the boy is In fact, much of the rest of the set lazy, and Iknow he can do better, was downright competent. which is and until he does Old Home Week worse than being bad. Any asshole can go take aflying crap in the rain. can be competent; it takes nerve to be P.P.S. Especially since Iwas born BOB SEGER: the boy is lazy and could do better bad in front of ten zillion and not give and bred in 51 Cajon, California a damn. Competence is just a code anyway. You can't keep aGoodman down! Steve Goodman stole the show at the Cambridge Festival. Hear why on his new album Words We Can Dance To. K53038 Also available K53025 Jesse's Jig &Other Favourites New Single K13050 Can't Go Back/Between the Lines .