Bob Seger pays homage to the Motor City with “Detroit Made”

A scene from the Woodward Dream Cruise, featured in “Detroit Made.” Still image from video.

If there’s a rock-and-roll equivalent of the 1957 Chevy Bel Air, it’s got to be Bob Seger. Like the iconic American automobile, the Michigan native never seems to go out of style, despite the ever-changing trends in the music industry. Next month, Seger returns with a new release called Ride Out (his first in eight years), and the first single, “Detroit Made,” pays tribute to both Detroit and its automotive all-stars.

Filmed primarily at the Woodward Dream Cruise, “Detroit Made” also features ample footage of the Motor City. There are the obligatory ruin scenes of the Packard plant and the Michigan Central Station, tempered with shots of the world’s best-known bronze fist (a tribute to boxer Joe Louis), PJ’s Lager House and the Fillmore Theater to remind viewers that Detroit is still alive and kicking.

Lest you think that Seger is just using the city to sell records (or in this day and age, downloads), the 69-year-old singer has a (very nice) house in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, which could be called an “outer suburb” of Detroit.

“Detroit Made” was written by John Hiatt, and fans of Seger’s traditional guitar-driven rock and roll won’t be disappointed. The song doesn’t break any new ground, musically or lyrically, but we bet it will sound great pumping through the speakers of an Impala SS convertible, a Mustang fastback, or, of course, a Buick Electra 225.

Article courtesy of Hemmings Daily, written by Kurt Ernst.