Part 12: In Which Our Hero Continues His Journey With the Great American Songbook, with Detours in Rock and Motown.
Rod Stewart was riding on the success that he hadn’t had since the 70s. Surprisingly, The Great American Songbook series was a smashing hit. The first two volumes sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. Rod wasn’t done with records. A third volume was a guarantee. Before we get to 2004, let’s check in on some older songs I missed or were released recently.
456. Train (Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones) (1969)
A lost gem that was discovered in 2018, Train, is a rousing number with a funky bass line. Presented in its rough form on the 2025 Faces release First Steps, even in its not finished state, the boys were onto something. The fun just oozes out the speakers with Rod pleading with the listener, “waiting for the rain to come”. Supposedly, this is the first of several songs that have been discovered, and if that is the case, we are in for a treat.
Grade: B
457. God Rest Ye Gentlemen/Good King Wenceslas/Silent Night/ O Come Ye Faithful (Unknown, John Mason Neale, Thomas Helmore, Franz Xaver Gruber, Joseph Mohr, John Francis Wade) (1970)(Live)
A mashup of Christmas time music with the Top Gear Choir, one would hope that the Faces would dirty the songs up a little. They don’t. They play them straight, which makes them boring. I mean, if you want to listen to a choir with The Faces sprinkled in, then this is your song, I will take my Faces with Miss Judy’s Farm. It’s just boring.
Grade: D
458. That’s All You Need/Country Honk/Gasoline Alley (Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood/Mick Jagger Keith Richards/Rod Stewart Ronnie Wood) (1972) (Live)
An incredible mashup with a classic Faces song, a classic Rod Stewart song and a classic The Rolling Stones is everything you want it to be. It might be my favorite version of Gasoline Alley live. Hearing this song makes you understand why The Faces were so popular with John Peel. They give one hell of a performance here.
Grade: A+
459. Give Me the Moonlight (Albert von Tizler, Lew Brown)(Live)
A standard made popular by Frankie Vaughan, this seems like John Peel just throws it to The Faces and they do a quick, impromptu pool hall version of Give Me The Moonlight. Quick and fun.
Grade: B-
460. Underneath the Arches (Bud Flanagan, Reg Connelly) (1972) (Live)
A legendary British comedy duo are given The Faces quick and dirty pool hall version of their standard. Fun note, after hearing the original Underneath the Arches, Stewart definitely used it as the basis for his hidden not meant to be released gem, It’s Coming Out of Your Royalties.
Grade: B-
461. Time After Time (Cindy Lauper, Rob Hyman) (1984) (Live) with Cindy Lauper
I have no idea how I stumbled across this, but it is magical. Rod is lending Lauper a hand, not sure where this was recorded, but Our Hero has to look at a cheat sheet as he sings with Lauper. It is a moving a soulful performance. I do know that Rod recorded a version of Lauper’s True Colors, well at least according to several people that have heard it and spoken about it. I want to hear that.
Grade: A-
Rod Stewart was once again at the top of the music world with the unlikely success of his Great American Songbook series. the first two volumes established a pattern, Rod would take classic pop standards, add his vocals, freshening them up, and he would get help with some of music’s biggest names. Stardust…The Great American Songbook Volume III was released and shot straight to number 1 on the Billboard charts.
Stardust…The Great American Songbook Volume III October 19, 2004
462. Embraceable You (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
Gaining fame in 1930 when it was sung by Ginger Rogers for the Broadway play, Girl Crazy, Embraceable You would become a standard classic when Billie Holiday released her version in 1944, In fact, Holiday’s version is so revered that it is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Stewart speeds it up and adds a more playful tone to his version. It gets the album off to a strong start. I love when Our Hero sung it to Katie Couric during the promtion of the album, she melts, proving Stewart always charms the ladies.
Grade; A
463. For Sentimental Reasons (William Best, Deek Watson)
Written in 1945, For Sentimental Reasons became a soul hit. My guess is Our Hero fell in love with Sam Coooke’s 1957 recording. Stewart seems really comfortable digging into songs covered by Sam as evidenced by his soulful and heartfelt reading here.
Stewart sticks pretty close to Cooke’s version in arrangement and it is a pleasant, beautiful song.
Grade: B+
464. Blue Moon (featuring Eric Clapton) (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
A song that has been recorded by so many famous musicians, from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan, here Eric Clapton lends a gentle, never over powering guitar to Stewart’s subdued and beautiful singing. Stewart forgoes the doo-wop of the number one hit by the Marcels and plays Blue Moon straight. No rock ‘n’ roll, just a gentle wonderful cover.
Grade: A-
465. What a Wonderful World (featuring Stevie Wonder) (Bob Thiele, George David Weiss)
Maybe, just maybe the most famous song Rod Stewart has ever covered is What a Wonderful World. It takes big you-know-what to cover a song so synonymous with one musician as Louis Armstrong’s untouchable 1967 version.
Stewart enlists the help of Stevie Wonder on harmonica, and to Rod’s credit he changes the meaning or at least his version feels a lot different. Armstrong’s is so classic and evokes images of being happy and enjoying the world around you. Stewart decides to ever so slightly change the phrasing and also in one key part sings, “I see my babies cryin’” Making the song more personal.
Stewart gambled paid off. It reached number 13 on the Adult Contemporary Charts and was the lead single of the album. And if you want further proof that Stewart’s version is winning, watch him perform it live at The Royal Albert Hall. The audience falls instantly in love with him and his take on an all-time great song.
Grade: A
466. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish)
Tinkling pianos, subtle playing by the band makes Stardust a dusty old gem from 1927, a breezy, light and somewhat forgettable song after first four on the album are pretty strong.
Like most volumes of Stewart’s Great American Songbook series, the problem isn’t with the singing or the band or the production. The songs are so well known. Covered so many times that the safe covers feel just that, safe. It doesn’t ruin the album, just slows it down. Stewart sings well on the track.
Grade: C
467. Manhattan (duet with Bette Midler) (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
A fun travel through the city that never sleeps, Bette Midler lends a very capable voice to Manhattan.Volume 3 of this series and even more so, volume 4 really bring in the guest stars. It makes sense. The series was a runaway success and it is fun hearing Rod team up wonderful artists.
The song is breezy, fun and Midler and Stewart play off of each other very well.
Grade: B
468. ‘S Wonderful (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
A song from the Broadway musical “Funny Face” has become quite the standard. Being a big Ella Fitzgerald fan, I am going to say Rod heard her sing it and decided to record it as well due to his version being really close to hers, sans the opening verse.
Another song that Stewart sings wonderful (wink) but not terribly exciting.
Grade: C
469. Isn’t It Romantic? (Richard Rodges, Lorenz Hart)
A mellow, beautiful song, sung with passion and gusto by Stewart. My favorite part is in the last moments of the song, where Our Hero hits all the notes perfectly singing, “Sweet, symbols in the moonlight, do you mean that I will fall in love per chance Isn’t it romance?” Every time I lose interest in the way a Great American Songbook album is heading, Stewart brings me right back.
Grade: A
470. I Can’t Get Started (Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin)
Popping up in the revue, Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, where it was performed by Bob Hope and Eve Arden, but it was Bunny Berigan’s version that really made I Can’t Get Started into the classic it is.
Stewart for his part made the song fit his life with clever lines like “in 1999 I sold short…” it’s fun. It’s fine.
Grade: C
471. But Not for Me (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
Ginger Rogers first performed But Not for Me in the musical “Girl Crazy,” but it was Ella Fitzgerald who made it legendary in 1959, winning the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance. Fitzgerald absolutely crushes the song.
Stewart once again adds some contemporary names in his version, like Oprah; he also makes his version a little more playful and breezy. Another instance where Rod is in complete control of a classic song. Stewart sings with confidence and swagger.
Grade: B+
472. A Kiss to Build a Dream On (Oscar Hammerstein II, Bert Kalmer, Harry Ruby)
A fun and enchanting song with the piano featuring heavily in the runtime which makes sense with Harry Ruby being one of the composers. Horns make their way into the song about halfway through to give it another layer. Stewart sings well and the song, like most of the songs on Volume III is fun.
Grade: B
473. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Frank Loesser) (duet with Dolly Parton)
A delicious team up of Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton, which might just be my favorite song on the album. A classic winter tale in every sense, which sets Stewart and Parton’s version above a lot of others, is that they both get the assignment. Stewart’s vocals plead with Dolly’s and she is game with soaring vocals and the perfect amount of playful, sexiness in her delivery.
A truly fun song and a hit as well. It climbed to number 2 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Charts. It would pave the way, almost a decade later, for Rod’s Christmas album.
Grade: A
474. Night and Day (Cole Porter)
The fire of Baby, It’s Cold Outside is dampened slightly with Cole Porter’s most famous song. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it is so well known that it just doesn’t do anything for me. But Rod made What A Wonderful World work, so I’m not sure where the disconnect on this song is.
Grade: C-
475. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin)
Rod closes Volume III with a Great Britain Songbook song. Of all the versions that I have listened to for this article, Vera Lynn, Sinatra, I am baised because I like Rod’s the most. Stewart has more fun with the song, the arrangement is more fun, and you can tell listening to the song, Stewart does love the song.
Grade: B+
I big shoutout to Antonio for sending me the last of the Songbook series that I was unable to obtain.
476. You Belong to Me (Pee Wee King, Chilton Price, Redd Stewart)
I love this song; The version I grew up with was by the incomparable Patsy Cline. Cline’s voice gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes; she sang so beautifully.
Rod does You Belong to Me justice. It is wonderful and a bummer that it was only available in Japan as a bonus song. It deserved to be on the album.
Grade: A
Stardust…The Great American Songbook was historic for Rod for a couple of reasons. First, it debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard charts. Rod’s first since, unbelievably, Blondes Have More Fun, in 1979. And maybe even more shocking, it won Rod his first Grammy. Ever. The reason for this isthat the Songbook series became an annual tradition, with each one building on the previous volume’s success. It also is the most fun one to that point. It sold in the millions, guaranteeing a fourth volume would be coming.
477. Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton, Will Jennings) for Tsunami Relief 2005
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne gathered the talents of their many friends to raise money for the victims of the devastating Tsunami that struck Southeast Asia, which left over 200,000 people dead. Rod follows Elton John’s opening and delivers a subtle and moving performance in the first verse. Stewart gives way to Mary J. Blige, Josh Groban, Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne and many others.
The original song is a beautiful tribute to Clapton’s son, who fell to his death in 1991. Here, it starts as a stark reminder of how precious life is, then builds to a powerful, slightly overdone ending. Stewart only comes back a couple of times with an “oh, yeah.” But it raised money to help children and that’s what matters.
Grade: B
Rod had once again scored a hit with Volume 3 of The Great American Songbook. Being a number 1 album and a Grammy winner, the inevitable happened. Rod would release Thanks for the Memory…The Great American Songbook Volume IV in October of 2005. I have always given Rod the benefit of the doubt. But, to me, the least successful album he has ever released was Thanks for the Memory. It truly felt that it was rushed into production and released really quickly. Yes, he released a Great American Songbook the previous three years on the same schedule, but this one felt different. I remember getting the album and thinking it was weird that the songs did not have a number associated with their titles on the back, which I found out, as I was listening to it, was because they were out of order (wink). The arrangements felt lazy, and so too did the song choices. But, like all Stewart albums, there is some gold on the disc.
Thanks for the Memory…The Great American Songbook Volume IV, October 18, 2005
478. I’ve Got a Crush on You (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) (duet with Diana Ross)
The album starts with a fun duet with Diana Ross. Teaming Rod with a woman powerhouse vocalist has led to success on the other albums.
They fit together very well. Rod playfully understating his part. Making it very flirty. Ross for her part, takes her part with her trademark soaring vocals and matches Stewart’s playfulness. Not a bad start to the album.
Grade: B+
479. I Wish You Love (Leo Chauliac, Charles Trenet, Albert A. Beach)
What?! A French song in the American Songbook? A classic that was American-ized by Albert Beach. It’s an ok song with Rod really singing well. It’s just so safe and thus not very exciting. I do really enjoy how Rod sings “And in July, a lemonade, to cool you in some leafy glade”.
Grade: B-
480. You Send Me (duet with Chaka Khan) (Sam Cooke)
Yikes. In my life, I never thought I would not like Rod covering Sam Cooke, but here we are. Rod has already made this a part of his song repertoire in the vastly superior 1973 cover on Smiler. It also feels like Rod cut his version without Chaka Khan and she was added after the fact. I have no evidence of this, it just feels like they do not mesh here.
Skip it.
Grade: D-
481. Long Ago and Far Away (Jerome Kern, Ira Gershwin)
An Academy Award-nominated song from 1944, Long Ago and Far Away is unquestionably an American Standard. Like most songs on Volume IV, it just exists. I wish it were more fun, but it’s not. A kept waiting for Volume IV to gain momentum, it never truly does.
Rod’s vocals do soar when he pleads, “just one look and then I knew…”
Grade: C-
482. Makin’ Whoopee (duet with Elton John) (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn)
The fun that can’t be found on the Chaka Khan duet is on full display with Rod and his friend, Elton John. A cheeky take on married life and what the man in the song will do for *ahem* whoopee.
Rod and Elton really play up the camp, with Elton taking to task Rod’s sex life and the consequences that happen. The banter in song is playful and although it is somewhat of a novelty song here, it is one of the album highlights.
Grade: B
483. My One and Only Love (featuring Roy Hargrove) (Guy Wood, Robert Mellin)
Even the powerhouse of Roy Hargrove can’t save My One and Only Love from being just a boring cover of a song made popular by Frank Sinatra.
Hargrove plays so well on the track that it’s a shame that the song is so safe. Rod sings higher on the track, and there are moments that the song soars, but not enough to make it a song to return to often.
Grade: C-
484. Taking a Chance on Love (Vernon Duke, John Latouche, Ted Fetter)
A jaunty little tune from the 1940 Broadway musical, Cabin in the Sky. A wonderful version can be seen in the movie adaptation of Cabin in the Sky, sung by Ethel Waters.
Stewart finds a groove on the song and delivers a fun a happy cover. On almost every volume of the Great American Songbook, Our Hero is allowed to spread his wings on a couple of songs, and the results make for a much better listening experience. You can hear it in the confidence of his vocals on this track, it’s lighter and fuller.
Grade: A-
485. My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
One of the most well-known and popular songs in the whole Songbook series, Stewart relies heavily on the piano and plays it low-key. Truth be told, I was never the biggest fan of My Funny Valentine, and Stewart’s slow-moving, uninspired cover did not change my mind.
There are some timeless songs everyone loves. I just can’t love My Funny Valentine.
Grade: C
486. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Irving Berlin)
Composed in 1937 by Irving Berlin, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm has become a wintertime favorite for nearly 90 years. Stewart owns this song.
What makes this one of the best on the album is that the music is bouncy and playful, and there are background vocals who add a layer that is missing from some of the other songs.
The music is also on point. When Stewart sings “just watch those icicles fall,” the music follows suit by tinkling as well. A wonderful song that fits right in with Rod’s Christmas album 10 years later.
Grade; A-
487. Nevertheless (I’m In Love with You) (featuring Dave Koz) (Harry Ruby, Bert Kalmar)
Dave Koz lends his saxophone to this mellow cover that is nicely done. Stewart sings wonderfully, Koz is never overbearing he compliments the piano and the other instruments well.
Stewart is also a master at fluctuating his voice from longing to feeling pain. It’s a powerful instrument that is on full display during Nevertheless.
Grade: B+
488. Blue Skies (Irving Berlin)
A really early song from Irving Berlin, Blue Skies, is still being recorded regularly since it was released in 1926. I am certain Stewart became a fan when he heard Al Jolson sing it in “The Jazz Singer,” as Rod has mentioned numerous times that
Jolson vamps his version up nicely; Stewart slows it down and makes it more romantic. It works ok here. It is a fine song, again Stewart plays it safe, making it not have any bite.
Grade: B-
489. Let’s Fall in Love (featuring George Benson) (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)
Volume IV picks up just as it starts coming to an end, as almost the last 4 songs are at least fun and trying to be more than just safe rehashes of songs everyone knows so well.
I like the bouncy-ness of Let’s Fall in Love. It gives the album some life; George Benson plays a distinct and lovely guitar.
Grade: B+
490. Thanks for the Memory (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)
Not a bad cover, just an uninspiring end to an uninspiring album. Rod again sings well, and the music is lively. Thanks for the Memory became a hit when it appeared in the Bob Hope film, The Big Broadcast of 1938. As I listen to Volume IV over and over again for this series I can’t help but think that Stewart was getting bored with the concept and was looking to move on.
Grade: C
The U.K. version of Thanks for the Memory included two bonus tracks; the Japanese release has one extra track, Cheek to Cheek, which also appeared on the U.K. version.
491. Cheek to Cheek (Irving Berlin)
Why is this not on the album? It is so much fun, and Stewart crushes the song. It should have replaced any of the boring songs on the wide-release version of the album. This song would appear a few years later on Volume 5, albeit a different mix and vocals.
Grade: A-
492. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner)
This song appears in the musical and movie My Fair Lady. And also on Rod’s Smiler album, but as an instrumental only. Rod has a lot of fun on this track. It too would be a nice replacement on the album and not regulated to a bonus track.
The guitar work is splendid; Rod’s vocals are wonderful. It is such a nice way to end an uneven album.
Grade: B
My reservations about the fourth volume of The Great American Songbook did not matter. It soared to number 2 on the Billboard Charts and sold over 2 million copies worldwide, with the USA accounting for over a million of those sales. Stewart clearly had an audience for these albums, but he would decide not to return to The Great American Songbook the next October; instead, he would tackle songs that were more of what people expect from Rod.
In June Rod’s friend and old bandmate, Ronnie Wood would release a greatest hits collection called, Anthology: The Essential Crossexion. What made this a must-have on top of Wood’s stellar career is a sneaky great song appeared on it featuring Rod Stewart. Before the song was released, there was news of Stewart and Wood collaborating on a whole new album, which was wonderfully titled You Strum, I’ll Sing. It was recorded in 2001 and it was set to go. But, like many times before, the album never came to be; one song, however, did make it onto Wood’s Anthology.
493. You Strum and I’ll Sing (with Kelly Jones) (Ronnie Wood)
Wood’s guitar starts things off nicely, with Rod sharing vocals with Kelly Jones. The song is wonderful and evokes images of a band traveling together with them telling us, “you strum and I’ll sing baby, you strum and I’ll sing, baby it’s the essence of the whole damn thing.”
I love this song. I would love it more if Rod was the only vocalist on it. Not that Jones is bad, he’s quite good, I just want Rod’s voice and Ronnie’s guitar. In an interview, Wood also said that they recorded other songs and updates of Miss Judy’s Farm. Can I please hear those, too, Mr. Wood?
Grade: A
494. What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me) (2006 with Jerry Lee Lewis) (Glenn Sutton)
Rod lends a hand to Jerry Lee Lewis’ 2006 album, Last Man Standing, by teaming up with Lewis. Rod released his version in 1972, Lewis released his in 1968. Both of those versions feel much like a country song. In this updated version, it is just a piano and the boys. It feels like a saloon where Rod and Jerry had a little too much to drink and decided they should sing this song.
The lyrics change slightly. In one verse they say “has made a fool out of me”
This song will always be a favorite. Add a rough-and-dirty version, and it hits all the right spots.
Grade: A
In the past four years, every October, Rod would release a new Great American Songbook. In October of 2006, he would release something, at least on paper sounded much more exciting. Our Hero would still be covering songs (not writing), but he would tackle rock songs. A return to rock ‘n’ roll was an exciting time for us Stewart fans. We missed the guitar licks with the coolest hair in rock.
Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time October 10, 2006
495. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (John Fogerty)
One of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s most popular songs. It is so well known that there is a risk in covering it. Those worries are put aside as it was chosen as the first single off the album and rose to number 6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts.
There is something to Stewart lending his voice to a well-known song. In these albums of covers, Rod gets picked on for them sounding like karaoke versions of the original hits. I push back a little bit. In Have You Ever Seen the Rain? Rod’s version is more upbeat and lively and he gives a great performance. Which is contrast to the lyrics that invoke someone who is struggling with depression. And his version is incredibly popular, with the official video having been watched on YouTube over 520 million times. It gets the album off to a strong start.
Grade: A-
496. Fooled Around and Fell in Love (Elvin Bishop)
First released in 1975 by Elvin Bishop, he felt that his background singer, Mickey Thomas, should sing the song. Bishop wanted a smoother delivery, so how ironic it must be that Rod would tackle it 30 years later.
Rod is at home and delivers a powerful vocal performance that, in this person’s ears, elevates the lyrics. Stewart inflection on “I must’ve been through about a million girls…” proves that roughing the vocals up makes the song that much more impactful. Another winning cover to start the album with back-to-back bangers.
Grade: A
497. I’ll Stand by You (Chrissie Hynde, Thomas Kelly, William Steinberg)
A hit for The Pretenders in 1994, I’ll Stand by You is a power ballad that invokes images of sticking with the person you love in good times and dark times.
It’s ok. It’s a safe cover, which, if there is a theme in Rod’s J Records period, is lots of great covers and too many that are too safe. The song soars, however, when Rod pleads, “and when, when the night falls on you, baby!” Too bad the rest of the song is just ok.
Grade: C
498. Still the Same (Bob Seger)
The boring album title is also a not-too-thrilling cover of Bob Seger’s 1978 hit about a gambler. Stewart plays this one straight not adding really anything from the original. Our Hero does deliver his typical standout reading.
I wonder how Seger felt that Rod covered this after he claimed Stewart got the idea to record Downtown Train from him?
I also have a clipping from a local newspaper that interviewed Stewart for this and his upcoming tour, where Stewart said he did not like his version, but then the album wouldn’t have a title…yikes.
Grade: C-
499. It’s a Heartache (Ronnie Scott, Steve Wolfe)
Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler scored a huge hit in 1977 with It’s a Heartache with music critics saying she sounded like Rod Stewart. Tyler’s voice does captivate in the 1977 hit, so Rod slips right into this song and absolutely crushes it.
Rod obviously changes the gender of whom is being sung to, but he also holds his notes slightly longer than Tyler. Rod’s band is also slightly livelier on his record. But they are both great.
I have heard him sing this a couple of times in concert, and I can tell you this is a big sing-along. A perfect song for Rod to cover.
Grade: A
500. Day After Day (Pete Ham)
Released by Badfinger in 1971, Day After Day rocketed up to number 4 on the Billboard Charts. It might just be me, but the song is boring, and Rod doesn’t push himself at all on the record. Like the slide guitar in the song, it just coasts on by, not pushing Rod or the record into anything great.
Grade: D+
501. Missing You (Mark Leonard, Charles Sandford, John Waite)
I find it interesting on what was popular when Rod released his albums and in 1984, Missing You was one of the biggest hits of the year. And the contrast between Missing You and Infatuation is very big.
Rod sticks pretty close to the original by John Waite. But, once again, Rod’s voice makes the song sound just different. Stewart’s voice has just so much emotion that it gives the song more umph. The original video is money.
Grade: B+
502. Father and Son (Cat Stevens)
Stewart tackles Cat Stevens again, his first since The First Cut is the Deepest became a Rod Stewart signature hit. Here, the song is told by both the father and the son, with the son explaining that he needs to be on his own.
While Father and Son is more low-key, it is just as emotionally touching. By the third verse, with a call and answer between the father and son, it pulls at the heartstrings both in how Stewart sings and with the gentle guitar play throughout.
Grade: B+
503. The Best of My Love (Dan Henley, Glenn Frey, JD Souther)
Released in 1974, The Best of My Love became The Eagles’ first number 1 hit. It is a beautiful rock ‘n’ roll song that has tinges of country. Rod doesn’t mess with a good song.
It’s mellow, well sung, and Stewart doesn’t overplay his hand. He lets the lyrics do the heavy lifting. Stewart doesn’t have The Eagles as a backing band, but he does have a group of people that harmonize well.
Grade: B+
504. If Not for You (Bob Dylan)
Nothing is better than Rod covering Bob Dylan. Our Hero knows how to take Dylan’s words and transform them into his own. Released in 1970, Dylan included it on his album, New Morning.
Stewart’s mix is much brighter and livelier. Stewart is also a master at phrasing and singing. Dylan’s talent is the ability to craft wonderful lyrics into folky or, in this case, country. Where Dylan knows exactly how to craft a song, Stewart knows how to sing it as if it were his own.
If Not for You is just another example of Stewart crushing a Dylan song. I’ve mentioned this before, but Stewart could easily do a whole country album, and it would be great.
Grade: A
505. Love Hurts (Boudleaux Bryant)
First recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1960, the most famous version is the Nazareth one in 1974. Rod ditches the mellow Everly Brothers version and lands somewhere near the Nazareth version.
Rod is built to sing songs like this. His emotion, his inflection, is amazing. I don’t know if his version is necessary, though. It is not bad, it’s good, just slightly unnecessary.
Grade: C
506. Everything I Own (David Gates)
Bread released Everything I Own in 1972, and it’s the definition of soft rock. Rod’s version is identical except that he sings with more power. I like Rod’s ballads, but I struggle with his really soft, no bite songs. This isn’t written by him but it feels like a song that the record company wanted him to sing, it is too safe and boring.
For the record, the Boy George version is the best version of this song. It has a reggae vibe to it.
Grade: D+
507. Crazy Love (Van Morrison)
“I can hear her heartbeat from a thousand miles, and the heavens open, every time she smiles.” Rod goes back to Van Morrison, who wrote Stewart’s mega hit, Have I Told You Lately. Crazy Love is bouncier and, in my opinion, more fun. It’s a nice way to end the album.
Grade: A-
The U.K. fans were treated to a bonus track.
508. Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, George Terry)
Stewart made the right decision in covering Lay Down Sally. It’s amazing that it only shows up on the U.K. version of the album. Stewart gets in a groove and the song is just fun. Stewart doesn’t reinvent Clapton’s version; he honors it.
Grade: A
Stewart scored back-to-back number one albums on the Billboard Chart as Still the Same... debuted there. Stewart’s dive into The Great American Songbook reinvigorated his career. Before he released his next album, he repaid Steve Tyrell for producing Volume III of the Songbook series by appearing on Tyrell’s album, Back to Bacharach in 2008.
509. What the World Needs Now (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) (with Burt Bacharach, Martina McBride, Rod Stewart, James Taylor and Dionne Warwick)
Sappy, over-produced, and over-long, this star-studded cover of a Bacharach classic is snooze-inducing. Why is the song nearly 5 minutes long? Skip it.
Grade: D
Stewart took a year off and returned to the studio for yet another album of covers. This time, he would visit Motown. Which, if you know anything about Rod Stewart, is where some of his favorite songs were produced.
Soulbook, October 17, 2009
510. It’s the Same Old Song (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland)
“A sentimental fool am I” Soulbook starts with just the Voice. A stirring, beautiful update on the soul classic made famous by The Four Tops in 1965.
Rod owns this song. While Stewart’s version eventually settles into the groove of the original, his cold opening signals a more confident album than his previous. I love this song. I have a dream that Rod would open his concerts with his version. Just him. Center stage. Armed only with his voice and the spotlight.
Grade: A+
511. My Cherie Amour (featuring Stevie Wonder) (Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder)
A winning update on Stevie Wonder’s 1969 hit. Wonder appears for the second time on a Stewart album, playing harmonica. Stewart, for his part, vocally is in a zone. His voice is strong and full of emotion.
Everything works on this song. It is toe-tapping great and is right up there with the original.
Grade: A
512. You Make Me Feel Brand New (duet with Mary J. Blige) (Thom Bell, Linda Epstein)
Mary J. Blige returns to help Rod again. On a duet first made a hit in 1974, Blige and Stewart make a formidable team. Blige, for her part, over-sings at points. Every song she sings with Rod, she is just extra. I would love for her to let her incredible vocals just do their part, but it seems like she can’t help herself.
It hurts the enjoyment of the song.
Grade: C
513. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (Gary Jackson, Jordan Raynard Miner, Carl Smith)
Jackie Wilson gave life to (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher in 1967. Its infectious blend of heartfelt lyrics accompanied by Wilson’s unmistakable voice made it a smash hit.
Our Hero does this song right. It’s one of my favorites on the album and one of my favorite covers he’s ever released. Stewart sings the hell out of this song. His delivery of “I say your love, keep on, lifting me higher!” is awe-inspiring; the high notes he hits are incredible. The joy permeates throughout the runtime.
Grade: A+
514. Tracks of My Tears (featuring Smokey Robinson) (Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Carl Smith)
Released by The Miracles in 1965, The Tracks of My Tears is one of the greatest songs of all time. It is in the Grammy Hall of Fame, number 50 on Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
Stewart loses some of the doo-wop of the classic. He also slows it down the verses slightly, before bringing it all together during the chorus. Stewart sings the hell out of this song. Not intimidated by its status, Stewart makes it his own. Rod is much more comfortable on this record than he was on Still the Same, which you can hear in Tracks of My Tears and several other songs. The ending is goose-bump inducing with the band dropping out and Our Hero just singing, “if you look closer it’s easy to trace, the tracks of my tears…” Smokey Robinson adds depth and power to the song by singing with Rod during the chorus and adding beautiful “ooh’s” throughout.
Grade: A+
515. Let It Be Me (duet with Jennifer Hudson) (Gilbert Becaud, Manny Curtis, Pierre Delanoe)
First released by The Everly Brothers in 1960, then by Betty Everett and Jerry Butler in 1964, in 2009 Rod Stewart and Jennifer Hudson’s version is very close to the Everett and Butler version.
A beautiful song, with Hudson lending her considerable pipes to the affair. It isn’t as fun as the first bit of the album, but it is a sweet and lovely song.
Grade: B
516. Rainy Night in Georgia (Tony Joe White)
Written by Tony Joe White in 1967, the song became a hit for Brook Benton in 1970. Stewart’s version is closer to Benton’s Atlantic Records hit.
Stewart has an incredible ability to make it seem like he is singing just to you. His phrasing, his emotion, is never more apparent than in Rainy Night in Georgia. It’s mellow and beautiful. Stewart knows exactly how to sing a heartfelt blues song, and he does here with great success.
Grade: A
517. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted (James Dean, Paul RIser, William Weatherspoon)
Jimmy Ruffin scored a massive hit with What Becomes of the Broken Hearted in 1966. Stewart sticks exactly to what worked for Ruffin. Rod doesn’t change much, and that’s ok. The song works as it is.
Nothing earth shattering here, just a cover of a popular song.
Grade: B-
518. Love Train (Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff)
For most of Soulbook, Stewart tackles Motown songs. Not here. In what is considered the first disco song, Stewart joyously tackles the O’Jays 1972 hit, Love Train.
Stewart really loves this song, as it has been a consistent part of his live shows since 2009. Stewart does not mess with what works. It is nearly identical to the O’Jays’ hit. Stewart is having a ball singing Love Train that makes it an infectious blend of pop and disco.
Grade: B
519. You Really Got a Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson)
Unbeknownst to me, and maybe some other Rod Stewart fans, this is actually the second time Rod has covered You Really Got a Hold on Me. He originally covered it in 1977, but was left of the album Footloose and Fancy Free. A big hit for the Miracles in 1962, it became a soul classic.
Stewart’s version on Soulbook is much closer to the original version, which makes it not as good as his 1977 one. Of course, I have the benefit of hindsight and comparing the two, but in my eyes, there is no comparison. Rod’s 1977 version is far superior. Listen to that one, and this one, it’s not a bad cover, just a more bland one.
Grade: B
520. Wonderful World (Lou Adler, Herb Alpert, Sam Cooke)
One of my favorite Sam Cooke songs gets a funky update from Stewart. He recovers brilliantly after the shockingly awful You Send Me with Chaka Khan. When Rod allows himself to be free and have fun with the music and the song, wonderful things happen.
Even the not so familiar Rod Stewart listener will notice how Stewart is so much more at ease when he isn’t shackled to keeping the song as close to the original as possible. I am totally speculating here, but maybe the record company asked him to sing/cover some of the songs as they were originally intended, and then he could play around with other songs on the album.
But I digress, here Our Hero owns this song, makes it his own and brings a smile to anyone who listens to it.
Grade: A+
521. If You Don’t Know Me by Now (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff)
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes scored a hit in 1972 with If You Don’t Know Me by Now, so too did Simply Red, whose lead singer, Mick Hucknall, would later front The Faces for Rod on several occasions.
Rod has started adding this song to his setlist at live shows. Stewart nails the vocals, and it is a sing-along, great song.
Grade: B+
522. Just My Imagination (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield)
A Temptations standard, Just My Imagination, is a wonderful song and a stone-cold classic. The smoothness of The Temptations can never be duplicated, so you just try make it a good version. Stewart does this by honoring the original and streamlining some of the verses.
It’s a beautiful cover.
Grade: A-
This list would not be as complete if it were not for some of the best friends a person could have. A few years ago, my friend Danielle was going to England. I asked her if she had time to look in a record shop for the U.K. version of Soulbook due to there being two bonus tracks on it. During her vacation, she took time to find Soulbook, making my Rod Stewart collection more complete.
523. Never Give You Up (Jerry Butler, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff)
A top 20 hit for Jerry Butler in 1968, Stewart keeps the funk and the soul. A breezy, fun song that tells the story of a woman who treats him badly, but he will never give her up.
Butler brings a little more soul, Stewart a little more bite. Make of that what you will.
Grade: B
524. Only the Strong Survive (Jerry Butler, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff)
Stewart takes on Jerry Butler again with a song dripping with uplifting lyrics. Butler’s version is awesome. So too is Stewart’s version. This song just puts a smile on my face. Stewart adds a little to the beginning of the song and changes some of the lyrics ever so slightly.
I love the tempo. The verses mellow, telling the story of how you need to persevere before launching “only the strong survive, you gotta be a man, you gotta take a stand.”
So much joy, with uplifting lyrics.
Grade: A
Stewart would score yet another top 10 hit with Soulbook landing at number 4 on the Billboard Charts. All of Rod’s last 6 albums reached the top 10. Stewart was back with a vengeance. And he wasn’t even close to being done. Stay tuned for Part 13: In Which Our Hero Spreads Yuletide Joy by Returning to Songwriting.
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