SOD: Bob Seger "Tryin' To Live My Without You"

There's no mistaking Bob Seger. His voice is among the very most recognizable in music. It's a raspy, hearty, whiskey-soaked howl that has become a staple of rock. Seger is a Heartland rocker through and through. He and Bruce together have become the poster boys of the genre and there's much to love about each. Seger, who still performs, has had a career spanning five decades, and he's given no indication that he's ready to hang it up. He's a blue collar rock and roll man, and those kind of guys don't quit. They'll die on that stage ,because it's everything the know and love.

"Tryin' To Live My Life Without You" might seem a strange choice for a Bob Seger SOD. What about "Against the Wind," "Night Moves," "Fire Down Below," "Like a Rock," or "Turn the Page?" What about "Old Time Rock and Roll," that's one of the most iconic Rock songs ever made. Tom Cruise immortalized it. But I chose this song for two reasons:

First, even though its a song written by Eugene Williams, and popularized by Otis Clay, it's Seger's version that is the most recognized. This is off of Seger's live album Nine Tonight, and the album is chock full of some of the best versions of his most popular songs. But that's what makes this one stand out. You won't find a studio version on any of Seger's albums, so when this one comes on, you recognize that there isn't a cleaned up version somewhere out there, there's just this. And believe me, that's more than fine because a studio version of this song wouldn't hold a candle this. The life that this song has, could simply never come from a studio version.

The second is that Joey mentioned this song a week or two ago, and prior to that it have been over a decade since I'd last heard it. And I liked it so much I hummed it to myself for a week straight. Then, saturday night, Joey sang it at Karaoke. First of all, I was really impressed the Karaoke guy had the song to begin with, but better than that was how well Joey sang it! From that point on, I haven't even bothered to try and get it out of my head. Instead, I'm going with the opposite approach: saturation.