Review/Lookback: Bob Seger Releases ‘Face The Promise – Expanded Edition’ – My Only Question, Why?

The last week has been a busy one at B&V with a bunch of great new stuff coming out: an album from Beck (Ride Lonesome), a rocking single from U2 (“Silencio”) and an EP of outtakes from Stevie Wonder’s masterpiece Songs In The Key Of Life. All of that and I haven’t even mentioned Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts’ exceptional new album Second Song. 

In the midst of all of that, perennial favorite Bob Seger has finally gone into the vaults – as I’ve been hoping he’d do for years – but instead of a box set, which I’ve begged for in these pages, he’s released an extended edition of his 2006 album Face The Promise with four bonus tracks (three unreleased, one previously out there as an iTunes bonus track).

I have to admit, this is a move that has left me baffled, scratching my head, rending my clothing and asking the question, Why? Why revisit this album? After years of refusing to release his older, essential, early records (Who’s Holding Bob Seger’s Early Records Hostage?), and being an artist who eschews the usual career spanning box set, he decides to finally pry open the vaults for… this? It’s, as they say, like kissin’ your sister.

Why wouldn’t Bob go back to his peak years – the albums from Live Bullet to his second landmark live record Nine Tonight – and give us something from the vaults from those sessions… or better yet, additional live stuff – a full concert perhaps – from the tours associated with those fabulous records (say, Night Moves or Stranger In Town or Against The Wind)? “I woke last night to the sound of thunder,” Bob and it wasn’t this package.

Now, before you start to hate on me here, let me state up front that the reason I’m so passionate about this is that I love Bob Seger and have done so since I first started listening to rock n roll. I am from Kansas City, the American Midwest, where Bob Seger is a diety. His music loomed large on rock radio in this area and we loved it. We did everything but snort it. It was as if the notes were ground up and dusted onto our corn flakes in the morning, such was our total absorption and love of his music.

As I mentioned, Bob finally broke into the big time, after years of putting out really great albums that couldn’t break nationally (Back In ’72 (72), Seven (74), or Beautiful Loser (75)), with Live Bullet in ’76 which was quickly followed up by the masterpiece of Night Moves (also ’76) which both have songs on my Playlist: Rock Songs of 1976. That was all it took, the Midwest was in his thrall.

One of my first Seger albums was Stranger In Town (78) as it was just out when I first started listening to rock n roll. My sainted Grandmother bought it for me because, “Bob has nice eyes.”

One of my first concerts was Seger on the Against The Wind tour and I was knocked out by him and the Silver Bullet Band, especially Alto Reed (sax) who played while out wandering in the crowd and Drew Abbott (lead guitar). Those guys had a great chemistry on stage and for Alto, off the stage in Section 120.

Things got a little shaky as we got deeper into the 80s. Like A Rock was a solid album but not quite in the league of his previous records. My favorite song on that one was the bonus/b-side “Fortunate Son,” a CCR cover. The Distance was probably the last great Seger album.

I bought 1991’s The Fire Inside because of the title track and the song “The Mountain” which was a guitar duel between Joe Walsh and Seger but quickly sold it at the used CD store. Of course by that time the Silver Bullet Band was really only Chris Campbell (bass), Alto Reed (sax) and Craig Frost (keyboards), so really a band “in name only” and that hurt Seger, I think.

At that point I started to drift away from Seger, something I never thought possible. 1995’s It’s A Mystery was a disaster to my ears. At that point Bob disappeared to be with his young, budding family and he stayed away for over a decade. Rock radio and Kid Rock (gads) helped get him into the Rock Hall in 2004 (long overdue at the time) and I always felt this “comeback,” Face The Promise (2006) was positioned to take advantage of the induction and the boost in his visibility it brought.

Face The Promise was the first Seger album since 1975’s Beautiful Loser to not have the Silver Bullet Band on it. He made the unfortunate choice to duet with Kid Rock on the Vince Gill track “Real Mean Bottle,” which did not make my Playlist: Rock Songs About Drinking. Yeah, Kid Rock was a poor choice. He also does a duet with Patty Loveless, probably in an attempt to gain the attention of country radio. It does very little for me.

I remember when this album came out, it was at the height of the whole Napster/Limewire thing and I’d use those thieving systems to sample a record before I bought it, like I do streaming now. I downloaded a handful of Seger songs from this record but they just didn’t grab me. Something was missing – maybe it was the absence of the Silver Bullet Band? – but I didn’t hear the old magic.

Listening to this record now, it’s not as bad as I remember. “Wreck This Heart” isn’t a bad little rocker and I even added it to my Playlist: Songs About Hearts. Bob recorded this in Nashville with a bunch of studio pros so everybody hits their marks and hits the notes but it lacks some passion to me.

The real gem here, and with Bob there always is a gem, was the song “Wait For Me.” It’s an acoustic guitar/piano thing and it’s exceptional. I’d forgotten about it. The title track is a nice rocker but nothing special. I can’t say there’s much on this album that would make me recommend it.

As for the bonus tracks, “Little Jane,” another acoustic strummer, is the pick of the litter. It’s a great little song and probably should have been on the album. “Red Eye To Memphis,” a train song and you know I love train songs, was a bonus track on the iTunes version of the album. It’s a bluesy number and it’s not bad.

“Time” is a paint by numbers riff rocker. It’s got some nice lead guitar but doesn’t get me out of my chair.  The last bonus track, “Let Me Try” is another acoustic number but less successful than “Little Jane.” It goes a little gospel towards the end. None of these tracks can touch “Wait For Me.”

Again, I love Bob Seger. I can only hope that this ‘Extended Edition’ is a sign that maybe he’s finally softening up to the idea of opening up the vaults and exploring his past. Fellow Detroit rocker Jack White, of White Stripes fame has offered to remix his old records (yes, puleeze!)… although Bob has refused that offer so far.  He’s shown no interest in looking back, nor did longtime manager Punch Andrews who recently passed.

If this is the first step in getting into Seger’s vault full of songs I’m all in. So far all we’ve gotten is Early Seger Vol. 1 and that’s got some great stuff on it. Seger used to say in interviews that he usually had way too many songs to choose from for his albums. I saw him on the Today Show once say that he had 80s songs to pick for a certain record. Ok Bob, let’s hear some of that!

Seger has an adoring fan base who would love to hear any of this vault stuff he’s willing to release into the wild. He wouldn’t need to tour, or do a lot of PR, in the Midwest if Seger builds it, we will come. Take us back to your heyday Bob!

Keep your fingers crossed for more vault stuff from Bob… but don’t hold your breath.

Things may get heavy out there in the next month, but stay together and take care of everybody and we’ll be okay!

Cheers!