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It’s sad to think about, but one suspects a whole lot of Americans think Mitch Ryder dropped off the face of the earth. But not only is the first of the great blue-eyed soul singers still around, he’s never gone away – even if it seems like he might’ve. After a series of criminally underrated records in the late 70s and early 80s that combined his familiar rock ‘n’ soul with a thoughtful singer/songwriter approach, Ryder began concentrating on the far more lucrative European market, where his star had never fallen and he hasn’t been idle. The Promise, originally released over there in 2009 as Detroit Ain’t Dead Yet, is his first American release since 1983’s ill-fated, John Mellencamp-produced Never Kick a Sleeping Dog.
But enough history. For American ears, The Promise picks up practically where Sleeping Dog left off. Produced by Don Was and featuring veteran sidemen, the record seamlessly blends a warm 70s soul vibe with Ryder’s more familiar 60s R&B roots, laying a set of probing lyrics over the top. Ryder isn’t partying hardy here, a la “Devil With a Blue Dress” or his other classic hits – he’s surveying modern life, both as a world-weary cynic (“The Way We Were”) and as a determined optimist (“Crazy Beautiful,” the title track). He spends plenty of time on matters of the heart/crotch as well, shifting gracefully between macho strut (“Get Real,” “If My Baby Don’t Stop Cryin’”) to tender, if melancholy, sway ( “Everybody Loses,” the bossa nova-flavored “Let’s Keep Dancing,” a passionate cover of *Jimmy Ruffin*’s “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted”). Add assertions of gratitude (“Thank You Mama”) and self-reliance (“My Heart Belongs to Me,” originally recorded on 1981’s Got Change For a Million) and Ryder gives us a thematically well-rounded record.
Ultimately, though, the question for American fans is: can his voice still cut it? The answer is a whole-hearted “yes” – indeed, it seems his rough, soulful wail hasn’t degraded one iota since the late 70s. A lot of singers would ride that golden larynx and not worry about the songs being sung, but Ryder actually puts thought and effort into his tunes, letting his passion serve the songs instead of the other way ‘round. The Promise isn’t just a showcase for a classic singer – there’s actual art going on. Isn’t it awesome when the greats prove themselves to still be, well, great?
