|
Every Picture Tells A Story
|
ASIN:
B00000612P
Avg Rating
[5.0 Stars]
8 Reviews
Pub. 17-Aug-1998;
|
£7.99
Save £0.51
(6%)
Buy now for only
£7.48
Email link to a friend
|
All orders are processed securely through Amazon.co.uk
Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Authors/Performers
------------------
Rod Stewart;
Product Description
-------------------
Once upon a time, Rod Stewart was not vamping indiscriminately about "Hot Legs" and asking "D'ya Think I'm Sexy?" He was a singer with a gravel-voice approximation of Sam Cooke and excellent taste in cover material. Here, he's toned down with folksy covers of Tim Hardin ("Reason to Believe"), Bob Dylan ("Tomorrow is Such a Long Time"), and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (via Elvis, "That's All Right Mama"). He tops his interpretive abilities with two originals that have since become standards ("Maggie May", "Every Picture Tells A Story"). Quite a different Rod from the one the world has come to know. --Rob O'Connor
Features
--------
Original recording remastered;
Track 1. Every Picture Tells A Story;
Track 2. Seems Like A Long Time;
Track 3. That's All Right;
Track 4. Tomorrow Is A Long Time;
Track 5. Maggie May;
Track 6. Mandolin Wind;
Track 7. (I Know) I'm Losing You;
Track 8. Reason To Believe;
|
Rod Stewart's first two albums, both classics in their own right, served as the build-up to this, his artistic peak. Stewart rocks with soul here more than on any other album he made. Intriguingly, he tends, as on many of his recordings to employ acoustic guitars rather than electric, without losing any of the primal quality of the performance.
There are again only three original songs: the arresting title track, the legendary 'Maggie May' and the beautiful 'Mandolin Wind,' a song that deserves a higher profile. Stewart, more than anyone else, has used the mandolin successfully in a rock context. Both of these last two named tracks appear on the second side of the original LP, which is superior to the first. His reading of Tim Hardin's much-covered 'Reason To Believe' is definitive, complete with another of his favoured instruments, the violin. The Motown cover, 'I'm Losing You' is full of supercharged angst.
The first half is still formidable and includes an impressive workout on Arthur Crudup's 1950s r&b standard, 'That's All Right' as well as a cover of Dylan's 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' which suffers only from the excellence of everything else that's on show. This is one of the all-time great albums. ;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
This 1971 album is far and away the best Rod Stewart album and one of the Top 10 albums of that decade. This was only his third album and it went to the top of the album charts both in the U.S. and the U.K., whereas "Gasoline Alley," released the previous year had only made it to #27 on the Billboard chart (it would not be until 1979 that Stewart would have another album reach #1, with "Blondes Have More Fun"). In the early part of his career Stewart managed to find interesting ways of mixing folk, rock, blues and country, both in his single career and as the front man for the Faces, who released both their second ("Long Player") and third albums ("A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...To a Blind Horse Faces") that year as well ("Stay With Me" was the big hit off of the later). So for Rod Stewart 1971 was a very good year.The big single off of this album, of course, is "Maggie May," hit #1 for several weeks (this was the first song we played for our daughter Maggie, the day after she was born). This is one of the great songs about being seduced by an older woman. Two other singles charted, the rockin' cover of "(I Know) I'm Losing You" originally done by the Temptations, which made it to #24, and Stewart's poignant cover of Tim Hardin's "Reason to Believe," which ends the album on a quiet note and made it to #62. Then there is the exquisite "Mandolin Wind" (played by some guy Rod forgot the name of) and the frenetic energy of the title track, which lulls you into a false sense of security by beginning with an acoustic guitar part before the drums start drivin' this one hard and fast. Surprisingly, most of the songs on this one are covers, the exceptions between "Mandolin Wind" and the title track, the latter co-written by Stewart with lead guitarist Ron Wood. Stewart exhibits a lot of range on this album and for me the only that could possible qualify as a misfire would be the cover of Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow Is Such a Long Time," which is a bit ironic because you would think that would work. "Seems Like a Long Time" is pretty good, as is the rollickin' "That's All Right" by "Big Boy" Crudup. I even love the sheet music on the "back cover" ("It's Full of Good Things and Loads of Suggestions"). As far as I am concerned if your choice is between this and a Rod Stewart "Greatest Hits" CD, get this one because it is all downhill for Stewart from this point on.;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
OK everyone knows Rod Stewart from "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and all theother rubbish he's churned out over the last couple of decades. But thisalbum stands out as a reminder that once he really was very good. Thetrack most will know is "Maggie May", and it is rightfully a classic, butthere are more nearly forgotten gems here: the title track, a reworking ofDylan's "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" and the rawkous "(I know)I'm Losing" youin particular. This album is full of great tunes, a laid back style andsome decent song writing. What's even more surprising is that Stewarthimself was involved in the writing of them.
It makes you wonder what happened to him between the early albums and suchabominations as the 80s ablums "Foolish Behaviour", "Body Wishes","Camouflage" and "Love Touch". You should get a copy of "Every PictureTells a Story", listen to it and enjoy it. But if anyone ever offers you acopy of 1986's "Rod Stewart" - run screaming.;
[Rating: 5 Stars]
|