Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Against The Wind" (Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band)

Welcome to the Tuesday review at Tuesday's Musical Notes.  It's the first of the month and that means its time for a flashback to a Note that's never breathed in  the blogosphere.  Today's Notes is from May of 2011 and features one of my all time favorite artists, Bob Seger.  Partnering with his Silver Bullet Band, Bob Seger has remained a Rock - N - Roll icon by continuing to tour at the age of 70.  It makes him one of the world's oldest Rock acts that continues to tour.  The most recent tour in support of his "Ride Out" album saw most of the dates sold out soon after the tickets went on sale.  In April of 2011, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band had a tour stop at Verizon Arena.  (I didn't go because the tickets were $67!!  Do you know what that is in Diet Mountain Dew economics?)   I am told that it was a fantastic concert and it was sure to have featured the #5 title cut from 1980's "Against The Wind".   I think this song says  much about standing on your principles with integrity with a little rebellion thrown in for good measure. 

"Against The Wind" title track from the 1980 album by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

and 31 years later it looks like this:

2011 - "Against The Wind" live 

Throughout his 50 year musical history, Bob Seger has demonstrated what it takes to survive and thrive in the music business.  He writes most of his songs, plays guitar and piano, is willing to collaborate on songs with fellow rockers (most famously Glenn Frey of The Eagles, they cowrote the #1 Eagles hit "Heartache Tonight"), and is considered to be one of the hardest working artists in the music business.  He was inducted into the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and has seen 13 of his albums go Platinum (album sales in excess of 1,000,000 units, with his Greatest Hits album selling in excess of 9,000,000 units).  

At the peak of his success, he released 1980's Against The Wind.  The record business was still huge in the '80s and Bob Seger found himself with his first and only #1 album with the release of Against The Wind.   The album benefited by being released in a period of time when the multiple format release (8-track, cassette, and vinyl) was at it's peak.  When released as a single, the title track went as high as #5 on the charts, making "Against The WInd" the highest charting single from the album.

"Against The Wind" is a very reflective song about life.  It begins in the period of youth by facing challenges with a respectful but rebellious attitude, then segues to the prioritizing stage of life where you are working to provide resources for shelter and other amenities, and finally winds up at the stage of life where you've learned to choose your battles and have what you need when you choose to run against the tide of poplar belief.   

 "Seems like yesterday.....but it was long ago"..... Do you reminisce about the times that were "long ago?"  I sure do.  What is it in your past that frames who you are today?  Be careful to remember that the "nostalgia" of your past is probably different from the "reality" of your past.  Do you remember the guidance and perhaps discipline that your parents supplied to "train you up in the way you should go"?  Were your parents ones that had you in church at each opportunity?  Did you see the example of people who understood that salvation doesn't come by how much you work, but working is a  byproduct of your salvation?  Perhaps this is not your life experience, but the one you are trying to provide for your children.  St. Augustine has a great quote regarding prayer and works.... 

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."
~ St. Augustine

The New Testament describes the life of a Carpenter turned preacher whose life ran counter to His culture.  Over and over again you see Jesus making statements that seem to be rebelling against the "religious"  culture of His time.  The story of Jesus cleansing the temple is illustrative of His desire for man to not get sold out to "religion" but be diligent to honor God:  The Gospel of Jesus as written by the Apostle Matthew chapter 21:12-17 New King James Version of The Bible/ The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel.  Jesus teaches a multitude on a hillside many precepts that ran "against the wind" of the religious elite of His time.  This passage also offers some pretty good advice for those seeking to run counter culture to our current world.   His message is entitled The Beatitudes:  The Gospel of Jesus as written by the Apostle Matthew chapters 5 - 7 NKJV/The Message parallel.  His "rebellion" continued in that He sacrificed Himself for my sin. He also sacrificed for your sin.    This propitiatory act is so diametrically opposed to the selfish nature of man.  Jesus did this to demonstrate God's intense love for us.  Jesus did this to be an example of how we are to love others.  Jesus did this so we can understand the right way to run "against the wind".

Here is another blog on today's topic:  Jesus, The Counter Culture Rebel With A Cause - December 2012 by Adam McClane featured in Christian Living


"Our Turn Now" by Carman and Petra from the 1991 album Addicted To Jesus
 


Woodlawn - Movie Trailer -  a Motion Picture that shows Christians running "Against The Wind"

'TIl Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy