Tonight I'm Yours, "Young Turks"' home, is rather good.
― Anatomy of a Morbius (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 12:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
Ok, I'll start there. After reading so many bad things over the years about every Stewart album after the first four, I've never ventured further. My loss, or at least that's what I'd like to determine for myself.
― deep olives (Euler), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 12:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
The continuing lie told about Rod Stewart is that he "sold out," but even on those first four albums you can hear how fine the line is between a shambles and greatness. The guy always liked to party; he'll write a song or play with anyone. That approach guarantees erratic albums.
― Anatomy of a Morbius (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 12:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
That's a good point. I hear the thin line you're talking about more when I listen to the Faces; I love those songs but they're falling apart. On his solo records Stewart seems to have picked less ramshackle performances, and strong cover material. In the 1992 Rolling Stone Record Guide, I remember the reviewer lamenting how Stewart had gone from having such sympathy for the characters he sang about, and thus having sympathy for his audience, to patronizing them both. This artistic criticism is then linked with the usual "he's a cynical sell out looking to cash out" line. But the artistic critique was the one that stuck with me.
So far Tonight I'm Yours sounds great, esp. the title song which has the same new-wave-jumpiness of "Young Turks".
― deep olives (Euler), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah the "sold out" meme needs some challenging. more a case of bandwagon-hopping. he's still doing it now, with those execrable "great american songbook vol. 7" albums.
― amateurist, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 19:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
pretty excited for the first two discs of this box set.
― i'm beasting off the riesling (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 4 September 2009 21:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
Whatever happened to mandolins? More people should use mandolins.
Most OTM comment on ILM ever.
― Sundar, Friday, 4 September 2009 21:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
Move to Asheville, NC. You can't walk two blocks without hearing a mandolin!
― QuantumNoise, Friday, 4 September 2009 22:29 (3 years ago) Permalink
bbc version of "maggie mae" on repeat right now.. so wonderful. vocals just shred
― hobbes, Thursday, 18 March 2010 01:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
I'm in a hotel room watching the view because I got fuck-all else to do and Rod Stewart is flogging his American Songbook Vol. 5 yes volume FIVE
how stoked is Satan going to be when he gets to cash the check on this guy? he's more tenacious than a damn cockroach
― guess I'll just sing dream on again (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 15:52 (2 years ago) Permalink
9-piece band bravely forging through "I Get A Kick Out You" as Rod slowly leeches the will to live from the viewing audience
― guess I'll just sing dream on again (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 15:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
Don't worry: Bryan Ferry releases an album next week.
― raging hetero lifechill (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 16:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
Robert Palmer>>>>Rod Stewart>Bryan Ferry
― I've played polar pool for far too long (MintIce), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 16:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
been listening to the rod stewart album a lot lately
so amazing, early rod stewart is my anti-drug
― S Beez Wit the Remedy (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 16:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
just saw a long-form TV interview with the dude (Piers Morgan Presents? i think) and he came off as really mature, funny, humble, and self-deprecating. would definitely kick it with him, and now I need to get those early records cause I bet there are some great deep cuts that I've never heard.
I certainly don't want to actually hear anything after Young Turks though.
― sleeve, Friday, 8 April 2011 02:22 (2 years ago) Permalink
rod's ex-wife lived across the street from my elementary school. true story. haven't listened to this yet, but in terms of early rod ... does it get any earlier than this? http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=745thought for a second i'd finally get a chance to hear him sing "natural woman" but i guess it's just instrumental.
― tylerw, Friday, 8 April 2011 02:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
xp Ha! I started a poll last weekend because of the Piers Morgan interview...and went completely the opposite direction: Rod Stewart in the 1980s poll: Singles (that reached the Top 40)
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 8 April 2011 02:27 (2 years ago) Permalink
Me on <i>Atlantic Crossing</i>: http://nobilliards.blogspot.com/2012/02/rod-stewart-atlantic-crossing.html
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Saturday, 25 February 2012 23:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
D'ya Think I'm Sexy steals a Bobby Womack string riff. That said, The Killing of Sister George is pretty nice.
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 26 February 2012 01:32 (1 year ago) Permalink
For me, classic from the first Faces record up until the 1973 compilation 'Sing It Again Rod', after that I wouldn't touch any of his stuff with a bargepole.
― Turrican, Sunday, 26 February 2012 06:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
My rather muted thoughts on Rod's last non-compilation UK number one album: http://nobilliards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/rod-stewart-night-on-town.html
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Saturday, 19 May 2012 23:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
You're right about the rote concepualization of "Georgie" (i.e. another gay victim) but his singing is empathetic and searching. The song may be about a victim but Stewart's vocal doesn't treat Georgie as such.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 19 May 2012 23:56 (1 year ago) Permalink
I would agree with "searching": the question is whether he actually finds anything. But really; "There ensued a fearful fight" - what is this, Alfred Austin?
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Sunday, 20 May 2012 06:22 (11 months ago) Permalink
I bought the 4 cd "Storyteller" set this week (seven quid from HMV) and worked my way through it in a day. Dear me, it all goes wrong half way through disc three (which is whereabouts you are on "TPL") and there's hardly anything worth talking about on disc four, but the first two discs have some incredible moments. I know Rod has said he finds songwriting hard but the evidence shows that when he applies himself (and has someone else to work with who inspires him) he can write heartfelt touching songs. More than anything it feels like he has been wasting his talent for decades by being this interpretive singer. But why should he try? People still buy his records, still go to his shows. That's enough for him, but is it enough for us?
― Rob M Revisited, Sunday, 20 May 2012 07:06 (11 months ago) Permalink
Dave Marsh refers to him as having turned into a "jaded middle-aged cad" at around this time and I'd find it hard to disagree. I don't doubt that the sentiments of "Georgie" are heartfelt and I see what he's getting at but sadly I don't think he quite gets there. It's like he's trying to hang on to a fragment of what/who he once was and it's too fragile for him to grasp.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Sunday, 20 May 2012 08:54 (11 months ago) Permalink
I submit there's still enough going on in the eighties and nineties: "Oh God I Wish I Was Home Tonight," "Young Turks," of course, "People Get Ready," "This Old Heart of Mine" (genuine warmth b/w him and Isley), "Broken Arrow."
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 20 May 2012 11:11 (11 months ago) Permalink
Sadly none of it's going to get written about on TPL.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Sunday, 20 May 2012 16:24 (11 months ago) Permalink
what are your thoughts on the singles I named?
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 20 May 2012 20:32 (11 months ago) Permalink
Only two of these were singles in the UK.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 13:03 (11 months ago) Permalink
A month after "Georgie" entered the UK Top 40, it was joined by another gay death disc, namely the extraordinary "Under One Roof" from The Rubettes. As a troubled gay 14-year old, I was desperately grateful for any crumbs of comfort that could possibly be snatched from mainstream media, so - as Alfred suggests above - it was Rod's empathy rather than Georgie's tragedy which grabbed me the most. In fact, I could scarcely believe that a star of his standing was making such a bold statement of support - even if it was couched in the standard "victim" narrative of the time.
― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 22 May 2012 14:54 (11 months ago) Permalink
and you guys got "Baby Jane" at #1.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 14:55 (11 months ago) Permalink
And it's on Now That's What I Call Music Volume 1 so I have to write about it. There's no justice, I tell you.
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 18:13 (11 months ago) Permalink
He's got a new album coming...and as you let the horrifying awfulness wash over you, remember that this is what the label thinks are the highlights:
― 誤訳侮辱, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 19:51 (2 months ago) Permalink
TS: Old Sock vs. Old Rod
― your fretless ways (Eazy), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 19:56 (2 months ago) Permalink
a Pink Floyd cover?
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 19:56 (2 months ago) Permalink
wow, Sexual Religion is pretty edgy!
― brio, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 20:04 (2 months ago) Permalink
i'll take this over "the Great American Songbook, vol. 9"
weird how his voice sound younger now than it did 40 years ago. Where did that gravelly-ness go?
― Lee626, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:05 (1 month ago) Permalink
he wrote songs!
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:12 (1 month ago) Permalink
Interview.
It’s not only his songwriting that made a return for Stewart on Time — he also produced the album, with Savigar engineering and mixing.
“People forget I am also a producer, as I’d even forgotten,” he laughs. “There were a lot of those early Seventies albums I did on my own. Even when I hired producers like Lou Reizner and Tom Dowd, I was really at the helm then.
“They were just like the conduit for me to get the band and me out of the pub and get us working.
“Tommy Dowd was always like a big schoolteacher with us. I did all the production really — it was all more or less my idea.”
Time includes one cover — Picture In A Frame by Tom Waits, from his 1999 record Mule Variations.
“I don’t know what it is about Tom Waits that suits me,” says Stewart. “Downtown Train was a hit for me in 1989 and that was one of his too. I’ve never ever met him either! And I’ve loved Picture In A Frame for a long time. So does Penny.
“And I’ve always done and am known for my covers. It’s very gratifying and satisfying to do them.”
― A deeper shade of lol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 3 May 2013 19:27 (2 weeks ago) Permalink