Detroit/Motown

Rip It Up, Issue 13, 1 July 1978, Page 12

Detroit/Motown

Peter Thomson

Commodores Natural High Motown Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Stranger in Town Capitol Despite their distinctly different musical styles, these two records have a number of factors in common. For a start, both constitute the first collection of new material to be presented by a now major figure whose previous album furnished the all-important breakthrough from cult status to widespread popularity. Where once the Commodores remained darlings of the disco set, they now get selected to perform on prime time T.V. in a Music Awards Special. Where once Bob Seger seemed another aging rocker tenaciously surviving on the grind of constant touring, he now counts the profits from Night Moves and sees it also make critics’ ‘Records of the Year’ lists. Both artists must consequently be depending heavily on the new discs to consolidate their recently won acclaim. Put another way, the obvious question that you want answered in each case is: ‘ls this album as good as the last one?’ Now that’s some expectation. The last one didn't just make it on luck and promotion; there was a bunch of brilliant tracks there. But the answer, in each case, must be an 'almost, but not quite’. It's not that there’s something wrong with the new albums; there isn’t. They continue the same high standards of their predecessors. It’s simply that this time around the successful musical formula sounds, well, the same as it d id last time. There’s a certain lack of freshness. In terms of style and arrangement perhaps one shouldn't expect any great change. Obviously artists will continue to mine a rich lode, however on both albums

there is the occasional case of'tnelodic phrasing which sounds a bit too redolent of previous work. Nonetheless, if neither record provides quite the outstanding heights of last year’s efforts, there are many fine tracks. In funky vein the Commodores continue to deliver the goods, including a particularly catchy "Flying High”. There’s also the, by now expected, highlight of a Lionel Richie ballad. Seger, of course, can still punch out rock & roll of classic dimensions. The shining example here is “Hollywood Nights”, a number which amply demonstrates not only his stature as singer but as a songwriter. The lyric captures, in brilliant simplicity, the sort of ‘rock truth’ which lesser talents strain to express. Many of the cuts on Stranger in Town show Seger pursuing the lighter, less gutsy style he employed to effect on Night Moves. Once the use of strings and girly chorus would have been anathema to him but here they almost become an integral part of the sound. Some Seger fans think he’s going soft, but I remain faithful. Strangely, the only real failures are the two non-originals. (It seems silly to weaken the album and give someone else the royalties when some of his own early songs could stand updating.) But, in neither the Commodores’ or Seger's case is the album to be considered a failure. If the previous album scaled new heights, this one is at least hanging in there. Not as good? Pretty close.