If you're in the mood for that old time rock & roll, you just might be in luck! Capitol and EMI have announced two remastered editions of classic live albums from Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. 1976's Live Bullet and 1981's Nine Tonight are both due in stores on May 17.
Bob Seger catapulted to national stardom in 1976 with the LP Night Moves, after a string of regional hits in the Detroit area and throughout the Midwest. Just before that commercial breakthrough, Seger and his Silver Bullet Band were captured in their live prime at Detroit's Cobo Hall for the 2-LP set Live Bullet. Seger had already recorded six albums for Capitol by this point without gaining a significant national audience. Night Moves would change all that just a few months after the release of Live Bullet. The new, single-disc edition of the album adds one bonus track, a live take on "I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home." Bizarrely, the track listing supplied to retailers leaves off the album's electric opening cut, a cover of Ike and Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits." Seeing as how "Nutbush" received considerable airplay and is an integral part of the LP, it's doubtful that the song has actually been excised from the reissue, but we'll report back as soon as more details are confirmed. Both "Nutbush" and the bonus track should handily fit on one disc.
1981's Nine Tonight drew on 1980 concerts at both Cobo Hall and the Boston Garden, and featured a U.S. Top 5 hit, "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You." Nine Tonight features live renditions of many of Seger's most enduring classics including "Night Moves," "Hollywood Nights," "Old Time Rock & Roll" and "Against the Wind." Previous CD incarnations of Nine Tonight have included an edited version of album closer "Let it Rock," Seger's cover of the Chuck Berry song, shortening it from 10:36 to 6:18. It's likely that this reissue may contain the same edit, as it adds one bonus track, a live version of "Brave Stranger."
Hit the jump for pre-order links and track listings, with discographical information, for both Seger live releases. Live Bullet and Nine Tonight will be released by Capitol on May 17.
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Live Bullet (Capitol SKBB-11523,1976 - reissued Capitol, 2011)
- Nutbush City Limits
- Travelin' Man
- Beautiful Loser
- Jody Girl
- I've Been Working
- Turn The Page
- U.M.C.
- Bo Diddley
- Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
- Heavy Music
- Katmandu
- Lookin' Back
- Get Out Of Denver
- Let It Rock
- I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home (Exclusive Live Bonus Track)
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Nine Tonight (Capitol STBK-12182, 1981 - reissued Capitol, 2011)
- Nine Tonight
- Tryin' To Live My Life Without You
- You'll Accomp'ny Me
- Hollywood Nights
- Old Time Rock And Roll
- Mainstreet
- Against The Wind
- The Fire Down Below
- Her Strut
- Feel Like A Number
- Fire Lake
- Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight
- We've Got Tonight
- Night Moves
- Rock And Roll Never Forgets
- Let It Rock (CD Edit)
- Brave Stranger (Exclusive Live Bonus Track)
Release Round-Up: Week of June 11
Lookin' Back: Capitol, UMe Reissue, Remaster Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band's "Live Bullet"
Release Round-Up: Week of September 7
East Side Sound: Bob Seger and The Last Heard's Rare Singles Collected By ABKCO
COBO Hall, my friend, not KOBO.
To a Detroiter, this is like spelling America with a 'K'.
Small harm, though, in the light of any new issue of the mighty Live Bullet. I presume the version of "Brave Strangers" that will be added to Nine Tonight is the live b-side of that album's first single, "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" - I've always thought that was better than anything on the album.
Let's hope that this will be a harbinger of things to come - CD releases at last of all of Bob's early catalog - or spit them out on fresh vinyl, whatever.
People need to understand what a badass this guy was before he followed the Eagles to the middle of the road.
Heavy.
Music.
Hey - spelling now corrected...
Speedy service with a smile. All of Motown rejoices.
Run for office, please.
Thanks!
Thank YOU for reading, Eagle-Eyed Glenn! I must have had Borders' e-reader, the Kobo, on the brain or something... 🙂
I refuse to get excited about any Bob Seger reissues until they involve his long out-of-print early albums. Then, as Glenn suggests above, we'll REALLY see what a badass Bob Seger was back in the day.
Preach it, brother. I'm totally with you on this one.
I will absolutely REJOICE if and when Seger's '68-'74 output sees the light of day again. There are many people (mainly under age 40) who only know Seger from his more MORish period of the late '70s and beyond, and have NO IDEA that this guy rocked like a maniacal beast in his early career. Modern critical perception of Bob woul change for the better if this music was finally made more readily available.
Bob and Punch, are you listening?!
The trouble with Bob is that he lets his manager (and often producer), Punch Andrews, call all the shots about his catalog. In a recent Rolling Stone article, Seger said that the reason his entire catalog is missing from iTunes is entirely Punch's idea. Ditto for the back catalog not be released in whole on CD - Punch said years ago that it wouldn't be worth the effort. Bob apparently wants to be in these marketplaces, but his nearly 70 year-old manager says no.
There's been some softening lately with CD releases of Smokin' O.P.s and the 'Early Seger' collection. But that was pretty bastardized, and only released in one outlet.
I really think that a reissue campaign across Rockin' Robert's entire career would be a winner for everyone concerned. Bootlegs CDs of his early albums fetch 30 or 40 bucks easily.
And even if they don't want to release the missing 6 or so albums, a box set covering the highlights of those, with Seger's early singles included, has got to be of as much market value as reissue releases by, say, Howard Jones or Smokey Robinson.
C'mon, Bob - It's your career. Get a grip on it.
Yeah I'm hoping that early catalog gets reissued too. But I'm not surprised about the delay due to Punch. It's not the first time Seger hasn't been in charge of his own band. Fans will know these two words. TOM. NEME. Anyways hoping that changes and most looking forward to Mongrel getting a proper release someday.
Brave Stranger! Love that song. Can't wait to hear it live.