Thursday, January 23, 2014

70's Seger > 80's Seger

I've got a soft spot for early Seger. I never expected it to happen, but there are some things that you shouldn't fight. Guilty pleasures be damned.

A couple of months back, I found myself in an early 70's state of mind. I happened to give Seger's Mongrel album a spin on the iPod, and I was reminded how amazing that album is. I've wanted to own a copy of this, with the original Capitol labels, for a while now, but I've never been inspired enough to put forth the effort to hunt one down. After blowing my load over the Vertigo swirl pressing of Sabbath's Vol 4, I was hot to cross another first pressing off my Want List.

It was tough trying to find a copy that wasn't a cutout, but I won't tolerate saw cuts or holes. I found one with a cover that was a little more beat up than I would have liked, but for a record that can sometimes go for over $50, I was happy to grab this for just over $10.

I didn't put a lot of effort into my search for the Ramblin' Gamblin' Man LP that I bought a few years ago, but for Mongrel, first press with the gatefold cover was a must.

Check out those strong 70's mustaches.

I love everything about this album. The songs have got a great raw edge to them. I'm even captivated by the live photo on the back cover. I'm not sure what it is...rock concerts from the 70's just looked cooler. Look at that crowd pressed right up to the stage! Fuck today's 15 foot barriers.

Admittedly, I was on a bit of a Seger high after buying Mongrel. I'd never ventured outside of his early 70's work, but when I saw The Distance LP in the dollar bin of my local record store, I figured that I'd take the risk.

This record from 1982 is just okay. It isn't nearly as strong as Seger's earlier work, but it isn't terrible...just not something that I'll be reaching for very often.

Holy shit. Those dudes from the 70's should kick the shit out of you for looking like this.

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