[From the STMcC Archive: February 5, 2006]
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Late last November, my Bro and I drove down to Tombstone
("The Town Too Tough To Die") to get out of Phoenix for
the weekend. Bro doesn't have a CD or tape player in his car, and since
Airheadzona is too uncultured to have a real Jazz radio station, we had to
settle for "Classic" Rock. (There's nothing like seeing the
rebellious Rock of a man's youth labeled "CLASSIC" and played in
grocery stores to make him feel geriatric!)
Driving out of the uncultured metropolis and into
the unyielding desert wasteland, our talk turned to tunes of our ancient
personal history. While Bob Seger's
'Turn The Page' played (thanks to "The Real Deal, Rockin' Steele" at
KDOG), Bro mentioned how much he used to like Seger, a rocker I had turned him
onto back in '75. Before we even reached Tombstone's Boot Hill (final resting
place of Billy Clanton and the McLaury Bros. after that nasty little bit of
business near the OK Corral), I had decided that I was gonna get Bro a copy of
Seger's 1975, ‘BEAUTIFUL LOSER’ for Christmas - you know, exhume that body from
the graveyard of his buried past for him.
So, on Christmas morning, while y'all were in
slippers and knotting those new ties around the collars of your pajama tops,
Bro and I - two Beautiful Losers - were re-experiencing our Black Nights,
discussing Momma, and sharing a Fine Memory or two. It was astounding to me - a
Rock 'N' Roll deserter who took up arms for the Jazz camp about 20 years ago -
to find just how good this album sounds today.
‘BEAUTIFUL LOSER’ was released at the time Bob Seger was just starting
to get national recognition. Some might call this a minor breakout album, but
I'd call it the "Lost Classic Rock" recording. My Bro also got Mr. Seger's 'Greatest Hits'
from me last Christmas, but ‘BEAUTIFUL LOSER’ was the winner.
Bob sings like a REAL man (a rare occurrence in
those androgynous days and an even greater rarity in this era of wimpy,
pseudo-tough poseurs trying to convince every hormone-overdosed, pimply
suburbanite that they've seen bad times). Seger strikes an ideal balance between
catchy hard rockers and sensitive (but most certainly not saccharine) ballads,
perfectly expressed through that Jim Beam and barbed wire-raked voice of his.
The man sure knew how to write an intelligent Rock song. (Yeah, I know that's
nearly an oxymoron. And was this really the same guy who 5 years LATER would
pen the sophomoric and regrettable 'Horizontal Bop'?)
The song BEAUTIFUL LOSER always did (and still
does) remind me of a beautiful friend who one night decided to voluntarily find
out what's on "the other side." KATMANDU is
driven by Bob's Motor City
mania. JODY GIRL is not just one of the most tender ballads ever written, it's
one of the saddest - damn near activates my tear ducts! MOMMA brings to my mind
that tortured and misunderstood, yet loving relationship between my Ma and my
Bro back in those days contemporaneous to this album. The biggest surprise was
NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS, which I never much cared for back "in the day."
Don't know what I was thinkin' - this bad boy REALLY ROCKS; it nearly blows the
grey hair right off of my head! And this collection closes with a beautiful and
introspective ballad about a FINE MEMORY, which the entire album is for me.
~
Stephen T. McCarthy
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Nov 28, 2007
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YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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Nov 28, 2007
ANTI-MICROCHIP says:
Nicely done!!! Now I know why the gentleman who commented on
"The Unseen Hand" got sucked into your reviews for, wasn't it four
hours, he said? Though I don't feel this is your best review, it definitely has
the McCarthy flare and sense of real life impact I've grown to love. Well done,
sir, well done.
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Nov 22, 2011
TULIPS says:
“Great review.... you sound
like one of those 'ol western flicks narrated by Sam Elliott!” .
YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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"Turn the Page" has to rank right up there as one of my favorite Seger songs, partly because of that sax intro. I'm not nearly as familiar with him as you are, especially with his earlier work, although I did like his sound on "Lucifer" and "Looking Back." He won me over with his later stuff like "Against the Wind", "Like a Rock", "Night Moves", and Old Time Rock & Roll." It's terrific that you and your brother have similar tastes in music.
ReplyDeleteSUSAN ~
DeleteIn truth, Brother Nappy and I don't really have similar tastes in music. There are certainly some exceptions (and Seger is definitely one of them), but generally Nappy likes more commercial / Pop stuffs than I do. He doesn't like much Jazz and no Blues, and those are my favorite music genres respectively.
But Nappy and I agree quite a bit on... beer. And when it comes to movies, our tastes are so much alike that it's almost supernatural. Nappy's recommendation or warning about a movie is the only one in the world that I place nearly 100% trust in. (Second place would probably be our mutual friend FarAwayEyes.)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Back in the 70's Seger almost toppled the Allman Brothers as far as listening popularity in my circle of friends in East Tennessee. Just about everyone had at least one Seger album.
ReplyDeleteI went to seen him in 75 or 76 I guess it was when he was opening for Kiss. Sure, I stayed to see the Kiss circus, but it was Seger that I came for. The band delivered for sure.
Don't listen to Seger much anymore unless I hear him on the radio, but when one of his songs comes on I'm always glad to hear it. One of the songs that I find most poignant and nearly evoking a tear or a wistful feeling at very least is "Main Street". That melody and the words just reach back into the past and drag me back with it.
He was one of the greats in one of the great eras of music.
Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteI saw Bob Seger performing live in-person once also, but it was a few years later than you saw him.
BUT... here's the strangest thing:
You said that you saw Seger when he opened for Kiss. What a strange double-bill. But you know what? Probably the thing I most remember about the Seger concert I attended was that it was a very strange combination of bands.
Bob Seger was the headliner, and I went to see him. But the band that opened for Seger was either The Cars or UFO (can't remember now for sure which one it was, and I've seen them both).
I'm inclined to think it was The Cars though, because I would have paid to go see UFO whether they were the opener or the headliner.
I always thought: What crazy promoter would team up The Cars with Bob Seger? What in the world do they have in common?
And, by the way, The Cars was the most boring band I ever saw in concert. They were all dressed in black, never moved on the stage, and played every single song note-for-note like their studio recordings. Had I actually paid to see The Cars rather than Seger, I would have been really, really disappointed.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I always liked BL with Travelling Man on Live Bullet better than the studio version... but it's just what your used to, because our station always played the live. Katmandu brings back a childhood memory of riding up and down a hotel elevator in Cleveland during a trip to watch the Tribe play the Yanks. What fun!
ReplyDeleteBROTHER MARTIN ~
Delete'Katmandu' takes you back to a hotel elevator in Cleveland? Ha! Well, I'm pretty sure it isn't because the song was playing in the elevator. 'Katmandu' sure as hell ain't "elevator muzak".
I'm listening to the great 'Rickie Lee Jones' debut album right now as I type these words. I was going to put on one of the Bob Seger CDs I gave to my Brother years ago, but apparently he has ALL of them in his car right now. (I think he's been on a Seger kick ever since I posted my last 'BOTB' with the song 'Get Out Of Denver'.)
I myself don't own any Seger CDs, but that's only because Nappy has 3 or 4 of 'em. But I intend to move out of this house, and out of the state of Airheadzona, later this year, and when I do, I guess I'm-a have to buy me some Seger CDs. I'll get 'BEAUTIFUL LOSER' for certain (and first!) I will also need 'NIGHT MOVES'. Maybe a 'Greatest Hits', but although I like some of his later hits such as 'Hollywood Nights', 'Against The Wind', and 'Like A Rock', it's his mid-career stuffs that I like best of all.
For me, 'Beautiful Loser' and 'Night Moves' might be the only ESSENTIAL Bob Seger albums.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Excellent review, but I wouldn't expect anything less. I really enjoyBob Seger, but was not as familiar with this particular album some of the sonds yea, but not all. Of course I went directly to YouTube. Thanks fur the 'Fine Memory'. I really enjoyed that one.
ReplyDeleteProbably my favorite BS-Katmandu. I know, I know, that's just me.
Rickie's song 'COMPANY' is playing at this very moment, and damn, Damn, DAMN! - what a fantastic song it is!
DeleteYou like 'Pirates' better than 'Rickie Lee Jones'?
Thanks for the "Fine Compliment", FAE.
And... if you knew my friend Kelly Anderson, maybe 'Beautiful Loser' would be your favorite song.
If I had to say which is my all-time favorite Seger song, it would probably be 'JODY GIRL'. If not that one, then 'BEAUTIFUL LOSER'.
Seger was pretty special; he could write an intelligent and sensitive song, as well as rock-the-daylights out of a hard rocker.
"All the world still loves a dreamer..."
~ 'After Hours'
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Are you and your brother close in age? I find that age makes all of the difference with music. I appreciate a great deal of the music you post here, but much of it is new to me. I think that is largely due to the age difference... which isn't huge, but just enough that we are of different generations. That may be the biggest determining factor between you and Nappy and your difference of opinion on music.
ReplyDeleteAs for Bob Seger, I have always enjoyed his music, but most of it was "classic" by the time I was a teen. Funny how that happens so quickly....
ROBIN ~
DeleteHey, damn it! Did you just call me an "old man"?
Why, I've never been so insulted in my entire (long, Long, LONG) life!
[Just kidding, of course.]
No, Nappy and I are only about a year and a half apart in ages. This is really just a difference in tastes. (We also differ in that music is extremely important to me in my life, while for Nappy it's just a form of entertainment that he could probably live very comfortably without if he had to. Me, I realized way too late that of all the art forms I was interested in, music is the one I should have pursued as a career, rather than acting and, later, writing. My next life will be better!)
The one thing about Nappy's musical preferences that has always puzzled me is that he (unlike myself) doesn't care much for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.
I would have thought that TP&TH would be right up Nappy's alley. After all, somewhere in the documentary 'Runnin' Down A Dream', Mike Campbell or Benmont Tench says that the musical motto of TP&TH was basically, "Don't bore us, get to the chorus." And that's exactly the sort of music that Nappy ordinarily likes. So it's a bit of a mystery to me why he never really liked TP&TH.
But, I think the reason Nappy never took to TP&TH is due to Petty's voice and/or his phrasing.
Me, I am absolutely floored by a long, instrumental jam like Buck Clayton's 'All The Cats Join In', whereas Nappy is more of a "Neil Diamond Kind Of Guy".
Occasionally, however, our musical tastes DO match up. Examples: We are BOTH big fans of The Carpenters, The Beach Boys, and Simon & Garfunkel. And somewhat surprising to me, Nappy also likes Warren Zevon.
But when it comes to movies we are about 99.90% simpatico. I can think of only one movie Nappy ever recommended to me that I did not much care for. And although my all-time favorite movie, 'KOYAANISQATSI', is one Nappy wouldn't even put on his '10,000 Favorite Movies' list (it's way too artsy and abstract for him), it is a very rare occurrence when our opinions about a movie don't match up to within a + or - in the grading (e.g., B+ versus B-), that's about as far apart as we ever are when it comes to our movie likes and dislikes.
Incidentally, Robin, those movies I sent should be arriving today or tomorrow. Please let me know when you have 'em. Thanks.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Hahahaha. I wasn't calling you old. My ideas about when old begins have changed as I've gotten older:) However, I have noticed that even five years sometimes makes the difference on musical likes/dislikes, thought that doesn't sound like the case between you and Nappy.
DeleteI have long thought that one of the great tragedies of our lives is that we don't figure out "who we want to be when we grow up" until we are about 40. At that point, we have just cruised past the halfway mark (probably) and can't afford a career change. Why can't we know ourselves better when we are 18????
I would agree with you about that maybe in the next life thing, but should we decide to do it again I suspect we won't be any more attuned. It's a darn shame!
And the movies arrived yesterday afternoon. I meant to send you an email, but then I just didn't get on the computer again.... so, there you go.
>>... one of the great tragedies of our lives is that we don't figure out "who we want to be when we grow up" until we are about 40. At that point, we have just cruised past the halfway mark (probably) and can't afford a career change.
DeleteI couldn't agree more.
Alright, glad the movies got there safe and sound. Happy viewing, Robin!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Oh, God! I didn’t see this coming.
ReplyDeleteI just went to YouTube to listen to songs from Bob Seger’s ‘BEAUTIFUL LOSER’ album. Having just heard the title track, I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes.
I’ve said before that the song ‘Beautiful Loser’ makes me think of my friend Kelly “Andy” Anderson who committed suicide in 1986.
Mostly it’s a combination of the title, ‘Beautiful Loser’ (Kelly was beautiful in his own way, but does anyone commit suicide if they don’t secretly think they’re a “loser”?), and the line “He’s your oldest and your best friend; if you need him, he’ll be there again.”
I know I’ve said this before, but it is worth repeating...
Kelly and I grew up and met in Santa Monica, a city in the Los Angeles area. I could have called Kelly on any given date at 3:00 AM, wake him up out of a sound sleep and say, “Kelly, I’m stuck in New York City and I need to get out of here as soon as possible. Can you come and get me?”
By 3:15 AM, that crazy friend would be in his pickup truck and driving toward New York City (i.e., within the time it would take him to get a cup of coffee!) [I can barely see to type this because of the tears. Wait...]
Oh, God!
I know everyone reading this will think I’m exaggerating but I am... NOT!!! (You could ask my Brother, Nappy, and he’d confirm this!)
How many people have ever had a friend THIS devoted to you? I wouldn’t have done that for Kelly, but he would have done that for ME!
He may have killed himself, but do you think GOD doesn’t have a place for a person like THAT?! God ain’t no fool!
Kelly, man, wherever you are right now, know this...
“Blue skies, black death; drive fast, take chances, but... get gas first!” “You know the gig” and “You know what Merle Haggard says: Fuck ‘em!”
~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
Like some others have mentioned, I'm more familiar with the "Turn the Page" Bob Seger than I am the "Beautiful Loser", but I just streamed the entire LP and I enjoyed it a lot. I had completely forgotten that Katmandu was his song. Or how much I liked that song.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from the stream I listened to I just had to share this comment, because it made me laugh out loud. I may not know much about Bob Seger but I DO know how to spell his name.
Comment:
I wonder, how can fans STILL misspell his name... it's not Seager, Segar, Seegar, Seeger, Siger, Ceegar, Cegar, Segarr, Segger... or however else you spell it. HIS NAME IS BOB SEGER JUST LOOK AT THE TITLE OF THE VIDEO
Bob sings like a REAL man
That's for damn sure, and I can certainly appreciate that!
Regarding the comments above, it's interesting to hear the split in musical taste but the strong similarity in beer and even stronger similarity in movie choices with Nappy. When you say he likes more pop, what kind of pop are we talking about? Like KC and the Sunshine Band type pop? Michael Jackson type pop? ...Justin Bieber?
KOYAANISQATSI
What? Did you just drop a game of Scrabble? Had a stroke mid sentence? I'm not sure I caught that... ;)
~6B
6-B ~
DeleteSorry, kinda late replying, but... I wanted to wait until I stopped crying – which I finally did about 3 minutes ago.
[:-)}
Yeah, I have always liked Bob Cigar and at one time I probably owned about 5 of his albums.
>>... When you say he likes more pop, what kind of pop are we talking about? Like KC and the Sunshine Band type pop? Michael Jackson type pop? ...Justin Bieber?
Ha!
Well, not quite, but you’re not far from it. Getting up now, moving to Nappy’s CD collection and coming back with...
Tony Orlando & Dawn: ‘The Definitive Collection’, ‘The Very Best Of The Eagles’, ‘Simon And Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits’, Neil Diamond: ‘His 12 Greatest Hits’, Dionne Warwick ‘Her Classic Songs, Vol. 1’, ‘41 Original Hits From The Soundtrack of American Graffiti’. And apparently he has it in his car right now, because I don’t see it here, but he has a compilation of hits by... [*Gulp!*] ...The Bee Gees.
Now, I will admit that I like Simon And Garfunkel quite a bit myself; I like a few songs by The Eagles (especially ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’); and I also own the ‘American Graffiti’ soundtrack on CD – it’s an absolute classic that probably every American citizen should be required to own in order to stay in the country.
But Nappy doesn’t own a single album by Satchmo, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, or Lightnin’ Hopkins. So... basically, his taste in music is pretty poor and if he were in my will I’d disinherit him.
>>... What? Did you just drop a game of Scrabble? Had a stroke mid sentence? I'm not sure I caught that... ;)
[:-)}
It’s a Hopi Indian word that can be translated as “Life Out Of Balance”. Here ya go:
‘KOYAANISQATSI’ (movie trailer)
~ D-FensDogg
‘Loyal American Underground’
Why did you have to give me up on all those sissy pop bands? You couldn't have mentioned the kick ass, hard rock groups that I love so much, like The Osmond Brothers, and The Defranco Family? Not to mention, Abba? Thanks bro. I'm going to let my tears dry while I make some quiche.
ReplyDeleteNAPPY ~
ReplyDeleteHa!-Ha!-Jai Alai!
That might be the most entertaining comment I’ve ever received... on either of my blogs! It actually took me a sentence or two before I realized who had written it.
Bro, this Jim Beam bourbon without any mix sux!
I just now stole some of your wife's 'Bailey's' Coffee Creamer' to mix it with, and now it's not bad at all.
Go ahead and sue me! There's not a lawyer in America (not even a Feminist one) who would take your sucky case!
Incidentally, regarding my line "...if he were in my will I’d disinherit him", did you make the "bust" on that, or not?
If not, you'll get another chance next "December" ...loser.
[:-)}
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
>>... That might be the most entertaining comment I’ve ever received... on either of my blogs!
Delete...And why should that surprise me?
You were 40% of the 6-dude gang 'The League Of Soul Crusaders'.
"Torch" was another 40%, and Pooh, Twinkie, Cranium, and I made up the missing 10%.
How'z my math?
Any better'n it used 2 B?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Of course I made the bust. You think I'z ignant? Thanks for the kind words, but that is a load of B.S. You were just as important and instrumental to "The League" as Torch and I were. What would the League have been without a Mr. Intense? Well, it would have been a very un-intense league of course. Think, American League.
ReplyDeleteHa! (Loved the "American League" analogy.)
DeleteYeah, well, I guess a Mr. Intense WAS kind of a plus at times. And besides that, if I weren't there, who would you guys have had who could go out on the front lawn time and time again to deal with the police in a calm, rational, "seemingly sober" manner?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'