The bit that you skip #231: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Sunburst
When I started this daily writing challenge I never thought I’d made it this far. I gotta admit I’ve had a few duffers in this collection, and other bits I’ve found both satisfying to write and quite cathartic. In the end, the purpose of writing daily is more an exercise on forcing myself to write than producing full quality writing everyday, which I don’t believe is humanly achievable.
Contrary to previous years, I feel euphoric while writing. Revisiting music I love while still reminiscing about good times is fulfilling. Sure, I’ve made up some stuff that never happened to flex the creative part of the brain, and perhaps as some sort of therapeutic “what if”. Believe it or not, it helps getting over all those “I should’ve so and so” kind of regrets one drags along a broken body (and soul).
A couple of people have told me they’ve found new music thanks to this lil’ experiment and I’m happy to share music with people who take their time to read this. To all of you: I love you and thank you with all my heart.
Now, like many of my generation, my first experience with Bob Seger was on screen. It could’ve been Tom Cruise dancing in his underoos in Risky Business or ALF parodying this scene in his show. Since I was too young to watch Risky Business, it was the latter for me.
Bob Seger is an unsung hero of American Rock music. His soulful blues-based rock is deep-seated on Americana and small town memories. You can sometimes smell succotash and blueberry pie on his music.
Night Moves and Hollywood Hills earned Seger a new generation of fans thanks to the inclusion of both tracks on the sempiternal GTA V. Metallica’s cover of Turn the page made a few hard rockers check Seger’s discography. Dolly Parton and Chris Stapleton paid tributes to Night Moves. Rod Stewart in his infamous trilogy of covers albums tackled Still the same.
I could (and should) spend a larger article on Bob Seger’s expansive discography, but today I want to focus only on one track. It’s not a deep cut by any means, but hardly comes up on conversation, which is a shame.
What attracts me to Sunburst is its structure. An easy going pace, never meandering, describing that burning anticipation before a show. It’s the opposite of Turn the page, which pinpoints the gaunting nature of touring. Sunburst it’s about that fleeting euphoria, with a half-life of 3 minutes, when the artist and the public are one and the same. Only a musician like Seger can describe that intoxicating nature, and how you are left wanting more once the song ends. There might an encore, or maybe it’s time for house lights. Whatever happens, you experience joy with an artist you like. Enjoy it while it lasts.
-Sam J. Valdés López
https://youtu.be/39RIl3mhpT0?si=O0nnJIGn9EeEc7P3
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