Rockin'
I've owned this release on vinyl for many years before getting it on disc and it is without a doubt my favorite Bob Seger album. Bob sings with absolute joy and soul. The band is tight and guitarist Michael "Monk" Bruce shines on tunes like "Turn On Your Lovelight" and "Love The One You're With." His style is R&B with just a tinge of jazz and is reminiscent of early Steely Dan guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter. Skip Knape's Hammond organ puts down a driving groove on most tunes and Pam Todd and Crystal Jenkins' vocals help make the Stills cover more soulful than the original. If this disc doesn't make your feet tap, check for a pulse.

One of the most innovative albums ever
A great album that I just never get tired of- I always wish it was just a little longer every time I get done listening to it. Every single track on this cd is done extremely well with the only "average" song being Jesse James. What makes this cd so great is that it is the only successful album ever put out that was made up of mostly cover songs performed by one artist...something few artists would ever have the guts to do. And the fact that the covers are done in a way that they aren't carbon copies of the original versions makes them even more enjoyable to listen to. I would recommend this cd (especially at this ridiculously cheap price) to anyone looking for a refreshingly unique and innovative listening experience.

Smokin'!
This is a forgotten gem. Seger makes these covers better than the originals and even on the slow numbers he's burning. The Bo Diddly workout is just a warm up. Love the One You're With wasn't even this soulful when the Neville Bros. covered it (hard to believe, but true!) Even the Four Tops couldn't do If I Were A Carpenter with this much heart and heat, nevermind Tim Hardin, who wrote it. Leon Russel's Hummingbird is an improvement on the original as well. Then there's the cover of one of Chuck Berry's more obscure titles. Heavy Music seems to sum up what this collection is all about. I believe what makes all these covers so good is that frills (like strings) have been dispensed with. There's just voice and a bare bones backing band and they don't hold back. That, my freinds, is rock and roll.

Excellent Lucky Strike parody!
The cover conception is a parody of the Lucky Strike cigarette pack. I have to admit that it's beautiful! SMOKIN' OP's,Bob Seger claims in interviews,is supposed to be "smoking other's people's cigarettes". Here's another awesome pre-Silver Bullet Band album of Seger's with great tracks that include Stephen Stills' hit LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH,Chuck Berry's composition LET IT ROCK and E. McDaniels' BO DIDDLEY. Seger worked with David Teegarden who would join the SBB at one point in the legacy. LIR,appears to be Seger's live encore,which ended his LIVE BULLET and NINE TONIGHT albums. BD was part of the LB line-up as well.

3 1/2 stars
there is a great album trying to get out here, and not quite making it. there are three alsolutely outstanding cuts on this album that make it something you should have. these are: "Bo Diddley," a raw scorching rocker, with wicked guitar. "if i were a carpenter," a stunning version of the tim hardin classic. and "let it rock," another great raw slice of rock and roll. the 1st & 3rd of these songs appear on the wonderful "live bullet" album, but the versions here are more raw and powerful than the live performances, making this album a worthwhile purchase. unfortunately, the other six tracks on "smokin' o.p.'s" are, though enjoyable enough, not essential. so this recording has three seeds of greatness that fully flowered. the rest did not quite make it. hope that helps you decide if you want to purchase it or not.