Fortunately, it is the off-season for our Buckeye football team. Because today, like it or not, we feature a guy who was born in Detroit, grew up in Ann Arbor, and still lives in Oakland County and the northern tip of the “Mitten State”. February 25 was Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s favorite day in 1980 and 1981. Hey, at least they got the band name right. On February 25, 1980, Bob Seger released Against the Wind, his only #1 album, and on February 25, 1981, it became a double Grammy award winner.
Seger had established himself as one of the great rock songwriters and performers of all time with Night Moves (1976) and Stranger in Town (1978). But, neither of those albums nor any of his previous records had reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart – a fact of which Seger was acutely aware. "We had a chance to make it and we wanted to make some history. At least some Silver Bullet history if nothing else, so we could say we were Number One at least once in our lives. 'Cause the market may change...Who knows?"
Bob also knew what kind of songs he needed to write to get to the top. "We wanted to really have a No. 1 album; that's what we went for on that album. We dropped away a little bit from rockiness and went straight for the singles charts on all 10 cuts, virtually." The set list illustrates his strategy of having all medium length songs, and at least 3 singles. They ended up releasing 5 singles, a perfect blend of ballads and rockers.
Side A: “Horizontal Bop” “You’ll Accomp’ny Me” “Her Strut” “No Man’s Land” “Long Twin Silver Line”
Side B: “Against the Wind” “Good for Me” “Betty Lou’s Gettin’ Out Tonight” “Fire Lake”
Then, Bob stacked the deck. Besides his usual backing from the Silver Bullet Band and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (The Swampers), Seger had help from old Michigan pal Glenn Frey and fellow Eagles Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit, Billie Payne, Paul Harris and Dr. John. He also enlisted famed producer Bill Szymczyk to co-produce the album.
All that translated into a great recording experience. "I was a very hard-working person, but I probably wasn't the best person to be around …I think it wasn't until 1980 that I really opened up, and that's why I think I have such fond memories of Against the Wind. I think at that point I had relaxed, and you can almost hear it, there's less desperation -- I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing -- but Against the Wind is far more relaxed and offhand than Stranger in Town and Night Moves are…I think of all the albums I've ever done, Against the Wind is probably the easiest for me to listen to...it's probably the most fulfilled I ever was as a songwriter. Things were going along real good, I was very relaxed, the tracks were very spontaneous, and the people I was working with, it was very exciting to be working with them...Bill Szymczyk, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Billy Payne, the girls, Shaun and Laura, we were doing so well....I really look back very fondly on that album."
As the album went up the charts, Seger did everything he could to promote it. "We were going for Number One. We were Number Two for five weeks and I called [manager] Punch [Andrews] and said 'Take 'em all. Every city! I don't care! We're playin' every night.'"
Seger achieved his goal on May 3, 1980, when Against the Wind bumped Pink Floyd’s The Wall from the top spot, a position it held until June 14. It would be his only #1. The following year, the album won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, as well as for Best Album Package, which included the now famous painting by Jim Warren on the cover. Against the Wind is certified 5X Platinum, and helped Bob Seger into the rock HOF in 2004.
The embed above is a very good live recording of the band at the Cow Palace on its The Distance tour in 1983. Bob and his band are at the peak of their talents. It’s one of the best live Seger recordings I’ve found, and a definitive collection of his hits – worth the time and the download, if possible. You’ll see that the “guts” of the show are 5 straight songs off Against the Wind. Enjoy!
- 0:00 Feel Like a Number
- 4:50 Band Intro – Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You
- 10:00 Roll Me Away
- 15:50 Mainstreet
- 20:25 Old Time Rock and Roll
- 26:45 Makin' Thunderbirds
- 30:45 Shame on the Moon
- 35:45 Hometown Blues
- 39:35 Even Now
- 44:20 Against the Wind
- 50:00 Her Strut
- 54:00 Horizontal Bop
- 58:15 Fire Lake
- 1:02:00 Betty Lou’s Gettin’ Down Tonight
- 1:06:20 We’ve Got Tonight
- 1:11:30 Turn the Page
- 1:17:05 Fire Down Below
- 1:21:45 Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
- 1:24:50 Katmandu
- 1:30:00 Night Moves
- 1:35:45 Hollywood Nights
- 1:40:50 Fortunate Son
- 1:44:05 Get Out of Denver
