BOB SEGER "SMOKIN' OPS" (PALLADIUM) 1972 vinyl GREAT EARLY SEGER

$

30

BOB SEGER "SMOKIN' OPS" (PALLADIUM) 1972   cvr is nice vg++  slight wear    rare insert is here!  disc appears m- at first glance but there a few small marks so have to say vg++       nice copy to own
Seger has always been a good interpreter of other people's songs, and he's at the top of his game in this one-off collaboration with Teegarden and van Winkle, the ace Motor City percussion/keyboard duo. The seven covers are well-chosen and the performances top-notch, with Skip "van Winkle" Knape's organ deliciously prominent a la Jon Lord in Deep Purple.
"If I Were A Carpenter" is the killer standout: stunningly powerful, probably the greatest cover I've ever heard, and on some days my favorite recording ever. Skip pulls out all the stops, so to speak, on his Leslie-amplified Hammond, and Bob's vocals are just amazing: full of passion, power, yearning, as soulful as soul gets. This song somehow keeps ending up on my mixtapes/CD's.
"Love The One You're With" is the other highlight: a driving arrangement with a Bo Diddley beat and a high-wire soprano co-lead (by either Crystal Jenkins or Pam Todd; liner notes are unclear). It's as good as the original, vibrant anf urgent. (Interestingly, Marcy Levy a.k.a. Marcella Detroit, who toured with Seger around this time, collaborated with Clapton on "The Core" which has the same vocal arrangement.)
The rest of the covers are a good listen. The churning organ drives the beat at least as much as the drums do, especially on "Bo Diddley", a pulsing, extended groove. Seger gives Leon Russell's "Hummin' Bird" a devastatingly soulful vocal. "Let It Rock" is OK, but the smokin' 'Live' Bullet performance is superior. (Speaking of smokin', the "O.P.'s" in the title refers to "other people's" smokes/songs.) There are also a couple of originals tacked on, probably to make the album long enough. "Someday" is forgettable (and somewhat maudlin), while "Heavy Music" is a great song, in fact the original, kick-ass single recording., but nearly ruined with crummy reverb. Forgiving the originals, a solid cover album with a great first side and classic early '70's, early Seger vibe.   Even though it was filled with covers it only took a spin or two realize that he had reinvented the wheel, because his interpretations for the most part exceeded the originals. I suppose I had heard “If I was a Carpenter” by someone besides Tim Hardin. I know Bobby Darin made a successful dull single out of it. But in all due respect to everyone else this is by far the only version that matters.
  Track listing  A1 Bo Diddley6:10 A2 Love the One You're With4:12 A3 If I Were a Carpenter3:42 A4 Hummin' Bird3:45 B1 Let It Rock3:20 B2 Turn on Your Love Light4:35 B3 Jesse James3:23 B4 Someday2:22 B5 Heavy Music2:30 Total length: 33:59
ALL RECORDS ARE PACKED IN NICE BOXES WITH PADS....RECORDS OUT OF SLEEVES UNLESS SEALED