1. Midnight Rider 2:45
2. So I Wrote You a Song 2:44
3. Stealer 2:56
4. Rosalie 3:22
5. Turn the Page 5:12
6. Back in '72 4:23
7. Neon Sky 3:35
8. I've Been Working 4:34
9. I've Got Time 5:36

Bob Seger 	Guitar, Vocals
Jack Ashford 	Maracas, Marimba, Tambourine
Barry Beckett 	Organ, Piano, Piano (Electric)
Philip Bliss 	Guitar (Steel), Vocals
Bonzo Brown 	Congas
J.J. Cale 	Guitar
Pete Carr 	Guitar
Tom Cartmell 	Flute, Saxophone
Roger Hawkins 	Drums
David Hood 	Guitar (Bass)
Jimmy Johnson 	Guitar (Rhythm)
Marcy Levy 	Vocals (Background)
Bill Mueller 	Guitar
Jamie Oldaker 	Drums
Sergio Pastora 	Congas, Tambourine, Timbales
Scherrie Payne 	Vocals (Background)
Dick Sims 	Clavinet, Keyboards, Organ, Pedal Bass, Piano
Luke Smith 	Vocals (Background)

Returning to independent status, Bob Seger recorded Back in '72, not only the finest of his early-'70s albums but one of the great lost hard rock albums of its era. Seger didn't limit himself to self-penned songs on this excursion; borrowing an idea from Smokin' O.P.'s, he covers quite a few tunes, providing a balance to his own tunes. He makes "Midnight Rider" sound as if it were a Motor City raver instead of a sultry, late-afternoon Southern rocker, while casually tossing off "Rosalie," an irresistible ode to a local DJ that turned into a hard rock anthem when Thin Lizzy decided to record it later in the decade. That's the brilliance of Back in '72 -- there's no separation between the original and cover, it's all united in a celebration of rock & roll. That's why "Turn the Page," perhaps the weariest travelogue ever written, never feels self-pitying -- that's just the facts, according to a first-rate Midwestern band that never got a break. All the same, Back in '72 is a testament to great rock & roll, thanks to Seger's phenomenal songwriting and impassioned playing. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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01. Beautiful Loser – 3:27
02. Black Night – 3:21
03. Katmandu – 6:06
04. Jody Girl – 3:37
05. Travelin' Man – 2:37
06. Momma – 3:17
07. Nutbush City Limits (Tina Turner) – 3:54
08. Sailing Nights – 3:15
09. Fine Memory – 2:56

Personnel:
- Bob Seger - acoustic guitar, guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, piano, lead vocals
+
M.S.R.S. (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) (01-03,05,06,08,09):
- Pete Carr - acoustic guitar, lead guitar, solo guitar (06)
- Barry Beckett - grand piano, organ, synthesizer, electric piano
- David Hood - bass
- Roger Hawkins - percussion, drums
- Spooner Oldham - organ, electric piano
- Jimmy Johnson - rhythm guitar
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M.S.R.S. (Muscle Shoals Horn Section) (03):
- Harvey Thompson - tenor saxophone
- Harrison Calloway - trumpet
- Charles Rose - trombone, baritone saxophone
- Ronnie Eades - baritone saxophone
+
Silver Bullet Band (07):
- Drew Abbott - solo guitar (02), guitar (03,07)
- Robin Robbins - mellotron (04)
- Chris Campbell - bass
- Charlie Martin - drums
+
- Rocky Fannit, Stoney Murphy - background vocals (03)
- Kenny Bell - guitar (03), organ (07)
- Paul Kingery - solo guitar (07)
- Tom Cartmell - saxophone (07)

Beautiful Loser winds up sounding more like Back in '72 than its immediate predecessor, Seven, largely because Bob Seger threaded reflective ballads and mid-tempo laments back into his hard-driving rock. He doesn't shy away from it, either, opening with the lovely title track. And why shouldn't he? These ballads were as much a part of his success as his storming rockers, since his sentimental streak seemed all the more genuine when contrasted with the rockers. If anything, Beautiful Loser might err a little bit in favor of reflection, with much of the album devoted to introspective, confessional mid-tempo cuts. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule, of course -- "Katmandu" roars with humor, and his cover of "Nutbush City Limits" shames Tina Turner's original -- but they are the only full-throttle rockers here, with "Black Night" coming in as a funky, swaggering cousin. It's the exact opposite of Seven, in other words, and in its own way, it's just as satisfying. Occasionally, it might be a little too sentimental for some tastes, but it's all heartfelt and he's written some terrific songs here, most notably the album's heart of "Jody Girl" and "Travelin' Man." Seger had started turning inward, searching his soul in a way he hadn't since the since-disowned Brand New Morning, and in doing so, he was setting the stage for his first genuine blockbuster. --- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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01. Song To Rufus – 2:43
02. Evil Edna – 3:09
03. Highway Child – 2:47
04. Big River – 3:08
05. Mongrel – 2:19
06. Lucifer – 2:26
07. Teachin' Blues – 1:59
08. Leanin On My Dream – 3:16
09. Mongrel Too – 4:07
10. River Deep, Mountain High (Phil Spector/Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich) – 7:24

Personnel:
- Bob Seger - lead guitar, lead vocals
- Dan Honaker - bass, guitar, vocals
- Pep Perrine - percussion, drums
- Dan Watson - organ, piano, vocals

Most artists that deliver a second record as shaky as Noah fold on their third album. Not Bob Seger. He reasserted control of the System, consigning Tom Neme to a fanboy's footnote, and returning the group to the piledriving rock that was his trademark. All of this was evident with his third album, the superb Mongrel. Never before, and never since, has Seger rocked as recklessly and viciously as he did here -- after a spell in the wilderness, he's found his voice. He's so assured, he elevates his Ramblin' Gamblin' Man characters Lucy Blue and Chicago Green to mythic status in the pulverizing "Lucifer," perhaps the greatest song on this lean, muscular record. That assurance carries over not just through the ferocious rockers that dominate the album -- "Evil Edna," "Highway Child," "Leanin on My Dream," and "Song to Rufus" all hit harder than latter-day MC5 -- but to quieter moments like "Big River," where he first hits upon the wistful, passionate ballad style later popularized with "Night Moves." The fact that the System connects on both illustrates that Seger is not just fronting an excellent band, but that he's developing into a first-class songwriter. Put it this way -- the only time the System sounds ill at ease is when they tackle "River Deep - Mountain High," and that's not because they're ill-suited to the epic -- it's because they find the lie in the song's artificial pretensions and deliver a performance that eclipses the song itself. That two-fisted punch of terrific performances and songs is unexpected, especially after an album as conflicted as Noah, but the truly remarkable thing is that Mongrel showcases a band so powerful and a songwriter so distinctive, that it still sounds white-hot decades after its release. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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1. Ramblin' Gamblin' Man - The Bob Seger System, Dan Honaker, Pep Perrine, Bob Schultz, Bob Seger
2. Tales of Lucy Blue
3. Ivory
4. Gone
5. Down Home - The Bob Seger System, , Dan Honaker, Pep Perrine, Bob Seger
6. Train Man
7. White Wall
8. Black Eyed Girl
9. 2 + 2 = ?
10. Doctor Fine
11. Last Song (Love Needs to Be Loved) 

Bass, Vocals – Dan Honaker
Drums, Vocals – Pep Perrine
Engineer – Jim Bruzzese
Guitar, Lead Vocals, Piano, Organ – Bob Seger
Harp [Blues] – Mike Erelwine (tracks: 5) 

The Bob Seger System throw everything into Ramblin' Gamblin' Man, dabbling in folk, blues-rock, psychedelia, and piledriving rock & roll synonymous with Detroit. Typical of such a wide-ranging debut, not everything works. The System stumbles when they take psychedelic San Franciscan bands on their own turf. Trippy soundscapes like "Gone" drift into the ether, and the longer jams, "White Wall" and "Black Eyed Girl," meander. But the songs that do work are absolute monsters, highlighted by the title track, a thunderous bit of self-mythology driven by a relentless rhythm, wailing organ riff, and gospel chorus. It's a stunningly great record, and while nothing here quite equals it, the songs that come close (with the exception of "Train Man," the first inkling of Seger's knack for reflective, intimate ballads) are sterling examples of spare, bluesy, angry Michigan rock & roll. "Tales of Lucy Blue" has a spooky, menacing edge, "Ivory" is a great Motown-styled raver, and "Down Home" rides a manic riff and a simple blues harp to be one of the best rockers on the record. Then there's "2 +2 = ?," a ferocious antiwar song in the vein of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," but here Seger can't imagine why the nice guy in high school is now buried in the mud. It's a frightening, visceral song that stands among the best anti-Vietnam protests. Finally, the album closes with "The Last Song (Love Needs to Be Loved)," an unabashed peace, love, 'n' understanding anthem styled in the manner of West Coast hippie pop, particularly Love. It's atypical of anything on the album or anything Seger would ever do again, but in many ways, it's the perfect way to close an exciting, flawed debut that winds up being a symbol of its times by its very diversity. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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01. Hollywood Nights – 4:59
02. Still The Same – 3:17
03. Old Time Rock & Roll (George Jackson, Thomas Earl Jones) – 3:13
04. Till It Shines – 3:49
05. Feel Like A Number – 3:41
06. Ain't Got No Money (Frankie Miller) – 4:10
07. We've Got Tonite – 4:36
08. Brave Strangers – 6:20
09. The Famous Final Scene – 5:08

Personnel:
- Bob Seger - guitar, vocals
The Silver Bullet Band plays on tracks 1, 2, 5, 8:
- Drew Abbott - guitar
- Robyn Robbins - keyboards
- Alto Reed - horn
- Chris Campbell - bass
- David Teegarden - percussion, drums
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section plays on tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 9:
- Barry Beckett - keyboards
- Pete Carr - guitar
- Jimmy Johnson - guitar
- David Hood - bass
- Roger Hawkins - percussion, drums
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- Glenn Frey - guitar solo on 04
- Don Felder - guitar solo on 06
- Bill Payne - organ, synthesizer, piano, keyboards on 01
- Doug Riley - piano, keyboard on 05, 08
- Venetta Fields, Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews - background vocals on 02, 07
- Julia Waters, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters - background vocals on 01
- Brandye - background vocals on 02, 08
- James Lavell Easley, Stanley Carter, George Jackson - background vocals on 03
- Jim Ed Norman - strings arranged and conducted by

Night Moves was in the pipeline when Live Bullet hit, and wound up eclipsing the double live set anyway, so Stranger in Town is really the record where Bob Seger started grasping the changes that happened when he became a star. It happened when he was old enough to have already formed his character. Even as celebrity creeps in, as on "Hollywood Nights," Seger remains a middle-class, Midwestern rocker, celebrating "Old Time Rock & Roll," realizing old flames are still the same, and still feeling like a number. Musically, it's as lively as Night Moves, rocking even harder in some places and being equally as introspective in the acoustic numbers. If it doesn't feel as revelatory as that record, in many ways it does feel like a stronger set of songs. Yes, musically, it doesn't offer any revelations, but it still feels impassioned, both in its performances and songs, and it's still one of the great rock records of its era. ---Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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