The Toy Box: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

Popularity had waned drastically for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band over the past few years. Sales for his 1982 released, The Distance, drastically decreased from previous albums. While he remained a platinum selling artist, records such as Night Moves (1976), Stranger In Town (1978), and Against The Wind (1980), far surpassed it with their five- and six-times platinum certifications.

Returning to the mic, the band released Like A Rock. Like its predecessor, it fared well, reaching platinum status, but again failed to reach the status of previous releases. Despite this, the album peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, producing two hit singles for the Billboard Hot 100, Like A Rock (12), and American Storm (13).

Embracing the MTV generation, Seger would record music videos for both. However, the latter would prove to be the more popular, mainly for its inclusion of actors, Lesley Ann Warren, James Woods, Randy Quaid and Scott Glenn.

Things started out fairly strong with American Storm, Like A Rock, and Miami, but then quickly drifted off to mediocrity, and candidly, forgettable. I honestly found myself more entertained with reading about the remainder of the decade for the band. Things did course correct, and I can't believe I'm saying this, with the ballad, Somewhere Tonight.

I think the biggest aspect missing from the album is that traditional storytelling that Seger is known for. Rather than painting vivid pictures through his lyrics, things seem pretty generic. It's as if he's trying to embrace a more mainstream sound but failing in the process.

What makes no sense is the band's cover of Creedence Clear Water Revival's Fortunate Son. Mind you, the cover itself is serviceable. Seger definitely has the voice to do justice to John Fogerty. Where it fails is that it's a live track tacked on at the end and completely comes out of nowhere. Basically, it's out of place.

Prior to closing out 1986, Seger contributed the song, Living Inside My Heart for the film soundtrack About Last Night... Then in 1987, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Seger would have one final hit in the decade, but it wouldn't come about from normal circumstances.

Based on his hit single, The Heat Is On for the film Beverly Hills Cop, Glenn Frey was asked to take the reins on the sequels lead track, Shakedown. However, the singer not only disliked the lyrics, but came down with laryngitis leading up to recording sessions. He would ask his buddy Bob to take over, which in hindsight may have been a mistake by Frey. The song became Seger's one and only number one hit and garnered him an Oscar nomination as co-writer in the Best Original Song category the following year.

I already touched on where he went from there in my post about 1980's Against The Wind, so rather than rinse and repeat, we'll call it a day.

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You know you have some sway in the industry when you can request your label release your album on a format that isn't even being produced anymore. Such was the case with Bob Seger's The Distance. Knowing many of his fans still utilized 8 track tapes, the artist was able to get Capitol Records to release the album on the defunct format.

As a whole, it sold over two million copies, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. With it came Billboard Hot 100 hits, Even Now (12), Roll Me Away (27), and Shame On The Moon (2). The latter being a cover of Rodney Crowell's tune from his own self-titled album released in 1980.

Seger drew inspiration from the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, initially intending the album to be about relationships. However, after realizing this would make for a rather boring record, he shifted course. Though ultimately some tracks ended up making the cut from this original vision. These included Even Now, Love’s The Last To Know, House Behind A House, and the album closer, Little Victories.

Playing though it, you immediately get treaded to the standard Bob Seger sound. I.E. songs that either dig into the roots of jukebox rock, or deep dive into the storytelling of the artist.

It's typical fare, but not without its high points. Take away tunes for me were Even Now Boomtown Blues, Shame On The Moon, Roll Me Away, and House Behind A House.

Overall, it's okay, but it doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table. I suppose that probably works for a lot of fans when an artist stays in their comfort zone and essentially releases the same album over and over, myself included in that camp. So, I can't fault Seger for not really doing anything mind blowing. He's found the formula that works for him, and he's running with it.

Sales for The Distance took a sharp downturn for Seger and his band. While it did reach platinum status, it failed to garner the numbers of his past three records, which achieved five- and six-times platinum certifications. This sudden downturn left the artist quickly becoming irrelevant in the MTV era.

While he contributed the 1984 song, Understanding to the soundtrack for Teachers, nothing else surfaced from him until 1986, when he released the studio album, Like A Rock. This would also be his last for the decade. Tomorrow is where I'll pick that one up.

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