Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…
One of the best albums I listened to for this dip into 1976 was Night Moves, Bob Seger’s 12th album (counting three he released with The Bob Seger System at the beginning of his career). This was his first release where the Silver Bullet Band was also credited, even though they don’t appear on nearly half of the songs.
This is a quintessential rock and roll album, with heartfelt lyrics sung over muscular guitars and plaintive pianos. It owes a lot to Bruce Springsteen and a little to Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
This album started a run of multi-Platinum releases for Seger and featured two of his best-loved songs in ‘Night Moves’ and ‘Mainstreet.’ Just as good are ‘Ship of Fools,’ ‘Sunburst,’ ‘The Fire Down Below,’ and ‘Rock and Roll Never Forgets.’
Maybe I shouldn’t say “just as good,” because ‘Night Moves,’ in particular, is a singularly excellent song. Named the Best Single of the Year in 1977 by Rolling Stone, it’s one of those tunes you just have to stop and appreciate.
I was a little too tall, could’ve used a few pounds
Tight pants, points, hardly renowned
She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own, sittin’ way up high
[Verse 2]
Way up firm and high
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my ’60 Chevy
Workin’ on mysteries without any clues
[Chorus]
Workin’ on our night moves
Tryin’ to make some front page drive-in news
Workin’ on our night moves
In the summertime (Mmm)
In the sweet summertime
[Verse 3]
We weren’t in love, oh no far from it
We weren’t searchin’ for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Living by the sword
And we’d steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, to the alley, or the trusty woods
I used her, she used me, but neither one cared
We were gettin’ our share
[Chorus]
Workin’ on our night moves
Tryin’ to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin’ on our night moves
Mmm, and it was summertime
Mmm, sweet summertime, summertime
[Bridge]
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
Yeah, and we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
[Verse 4]
I woke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Ain’t it funny how the night moves
When you just don’t seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closin’ in
[Outro]
Mmm, night moves (Mmm)
Night moves (Night moves)
Night moves (Yeah)
Night moves (I remember)
Night moves (Ah, sure remember the night moves)
Night moves (Ain’t it funny how you remember?)
Night moves (Funny how you remember)
Night moves (I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember)
Night moves (Oh, oh, oh)
Night moves (We were working, working, and practicing)
Night moves (Working and practicing)
Night moves (Oh for the night moves, night moves)
Night moves (Oh)
Night moves (I remember, yeah yeah yeah)
Night moves (I remember, ooh)
Night moves (I remember, Lord I remember)
Night moves (Lord I remember, huh huh)
Ooh
Oh yeah yeah yeah
Uh-huh, uh huh
I remember, I remember
Meet Me In Montauk 
Agreed, “Night Moves” is a classic.