Post by jptheprofessor on Oct 27, 2006 2:13:45 GMT -5
BOB SEGER - FACE THE PROMISE (Capitol) Bob Seger is a rock legend who has reached that point in his career where he calls his own shots, and releases albums when he is damned good and ready. Eleven years since his last studio album, his latest, Face The Promise, is Seger, now damned good and ready. If there is any surprise upon listening to this album's dozen tracks, it might be that Seger sounds just like he has never been away, simply picking up where he left off with renewed conviction and swagger. Seger sounds confident and reinvigorated on the album's opening track and second single, "Wreck This Heart," as hearty a rocker as he has ever put out. As the album moves forth, Seger's hardest rocking tracks all offer common sense statements; the title track "Face the Promise" ponders taking the leap of faith towards a better life, "Are You" regards keeping ambition and greed in check, "Simplicity" lauds sticking to life's fundamentals, and "Between" addresses staying the course and not getting caught up in the rat race. In the best Seger tradition, there are deep and folksy ballads as well; "No More" and "Won't Stop" both offer wisdom about accountability and facing the truth; while Seger's duet with country star Patty Loveless, "The Answer's In the Question," and the album-closer "The Long Goodbye," both deal with trust and honesty. And old-school Bob Seger meets new-school Kid Rock in a rowdy country ode to drinking, Vince Gill's "Real Mean Bottle." As Seger returns with conviction and a sense of purpose here, he made this as a solo album without the Silver Bullet Band, instead recording the album in Nashville with studio hired guns and producing it himself. As such, the album comes across as Seger knowing what he wants to say and how to say it; and it sounds heartfelt, warm and sincere. Face The Promise offers the sound of an artist who still embraces the promise of what is out there on the horizon, but who has learned enough lessons through his life and career to know how to cautiously proceed towards that promise. At age 61, Bob Seger sounds as steady, poised and like a rock as he has ever sounded on an album, and this is his strongest collection of new tunes since his popularity peak in the 70's and early 80's.