Rod Stewart: Some Guys Have All the Luck
Rod Stewart: Some Guys Have All the Luck
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Monday, 17, Nov 2008 05:24
Warner Bros, out now.
In a nutshell...
Easy, sentimental, warm, thoughtful, predictable.
What's it all about?
A double-sided greatest hits package from Rod Stewart. The 32 songs chart Stewart's whole back catalogue, and selections range from the well-known classics (Maggie May, You Wear it Well, and Baby Jane) to other, lesser known songs. Stewart even throws in a few unplugged tracks, and some cover versions too - with varying degrees of success.
Who's it by?
Well, it's by Rod Stewart. Presumably you don't need any further information? Ok, fine. One of the biggest-selling artists of all time (his album and single sales total over 250 million), Rod Stewart first shot to fame with the Jeff Beck Group, and later with Faces. He achieved massive popular solo success in the 70s, 80s and 90s. He also launched his own fashion range in March of this year. And he is married to model Penny Lancaster. And Lancaster would definitely still be married to the ageing rocker with wrinkles and an earring, were he not rich and famous...
As an example...
On the upside, there are lines like:
"The stars in the sky don't mean nothing to you, they're a mirror/I don't want to talk about it/How you broke my heart/If I stay here just a little bit longer/If I stay here won't you listen/To my heart... "
But then again, there's always:
"When I fall in love again I know/It's gonna last forever."
Which some might say is not exactly a new thought of the subject.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Well, it's blinking Rod Stewart, isn't it? It's a bit late for the critics to decide he sucks now.
What the others say
"Rod fans will adore both, while the cool kids will admit to only like the first - well bits of it at least." - Daily Star
"His latest album release is yet another collection that will see loyal fans fleeced for the sake of a few rare versions of his back catalogue.
"If by some chance you like him and you haven't got all these tracks, then fair enough it might be for you, I just see it as the cynical money making scheme it really is." - The Beat Surrender
So is it any good?
The weird thing about Rod Stewart is that I'm never quite sure if I think he's any good or not. He certainly sings much better than many. Stewart croons with an elegantly pained lilt, which, at times, appears to crack with emotion. And some of the lyrics are almost poetic. The Killing of Georgie tells a surprisingly non-sentimental story of the homophobic murder of one of Stewart's friends.
But for every wise, understated lyric Stewart writes, there are six more trite, boring and predictable ones. Even beautiful, tender songs like I Don't Want to Talk About it (my personal favourite) suffer from occasional overkill. Surely someone in the studio could have stopped Stewart from moaning "this old heart... " in the middle of that recording? And I know a lot of people love the perky 80s cheer of Baby Jane but the tune isn't particularly original (although it does stick in your head like a bad hangover), the arrangements are boring, and the lyrics are all cliches. All in all, I'm not exactly sure what songwriting talents were being employed here, because there's clearly nothing new whatsoever in this song.
The final nail in the coffin for me, though, came in the funeral arch shape of a Motown cover. Now, Motown covers basically don't work at the best of time. In fact, I have never heard one which sounded anything besides presumptious. No, not even Bowie and Jagger's Dancing in the Street. Not ever, in 23 years of listening to music. And this is no ordinary Motown cover. This is a cover of one of the best Motown songs ever to be written: This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) by the Isley Brothers. The soul has been sucked out by overproduction, over delivery, and general overkill. Listening to it is like watching the youngest child from The Sound of Music turn slowly into a crack addict. And I don't care if Ronald Isley is singing on the track too. He was probably just grabbing any microphone he could find, trying to reignite his career. Which is even more depressing. Artists, take note. Motown covers: no matter the circumstances, don't do it. It's painful for everyone. Everyone.
But don't let this take away from the true gems of the collection, like Maggie May and You Wear it Well. It's clear that Rod Stewart is immensely talented, and deserves those 250 million sales he's stumped up. But whether we need another collection of his greatest hits is a different question. After all, repeated release of Greatest Hits albums implies continued popularity, and a growing audience. Can Rod Stewart appeal to fresh audiences and become a long-lasting figure of musical history, alongside the Bob Dylans, Michael Jacksons, and Freddie Mercuries? (And the Isley Brothers, for that matter.) The answer is, sadly, probably not, really.
6/10
Louise McCudden