2 + 2 = ? - Bob Seger System
Song of the Day #18
Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/2-2/1440823444?i=1440823880
If there is a song that can make you go "hold up, THEY made that?", it's this one. Bob Seger is pretty much at the rock bottom of my musical interests, not finding his overtly populist approach to rock music appealing at all. Maybe I haven't given him much of a chance, but "Night Moves" just sounds dull to me, and "Old Time Rock & Roll" can really turn the milk sour. Yet, such was the artistically-fertile spirit of the late 60s that everybody was falling under the psychedelic spell (even Keith Richards couldn't resist!), and in this era of boundless opportunity, a guy like Bob Seger could put out a tough-edged classic about the cruelties of the Vietnam War. Listen to this back to back with Seger's future "Rock and Roll Never Forgets," and you'll be convinced that there was something magical in the air back then that has never been truly recaptured.
Despite its strong counterculture spirit, the first thing you'll notice about "2 + 2 = ?" is that this sounds incredibly heavy for its time as far as 60s garage rock goes. There are barely any songs on the Nuggets compilations that could match this triple attack of its throbbing basslines, heavy drum pummel, and scorching riff. If it wasn't for the gritty production values and psychedelic influences, it would be easy to mistake it for a 70s hard-rocker. Under such a ferocious musical backing, Seger rose up to the task, channeling the collective rage of young America so deeply it must have echoed within his bone marrow. He sings with such blazing intensity that he burns the song's raw, crude lyrics into your memory, but he never loses control of the song, maintaining a balance of seriousness and passion that is incredibly hard to achieve. This is simply one of the fieriest statements of its epoch, a powerhouse overflowing with so much raw confidence and fearless drive that it's almost terrifying. Intelligent critiques on the cruelties of war are a dime a dozen these days, but emotionally-crushing songs like these? Absolutely priceless. Be sure to give this song a good listen before completely writing off Bob's career: it might stir you up enough to become a major revolutionary yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment