Ladies and gentlemen, please put aside your prejudices before reading this opinion.
In the seventies, Rod Stewart was a superb r&b singer who collaborated with some greats and wrote great melodies and lyrics ('You Wear it Well', 'Maggie May', 'Mandolin Wind' to name but three)and sang them with pure, raw emotion.
In the eighties, he was an embarrassment to us all, dabbling in disco and electro-pop and dressing like a complete idiot, not to mention those fright wigs (at least I hope they were wigs). He lost all credibility, and his farcical personal life only added to the whole kitsch carnival.
Now, however, he's back at his absolute best. His new album, 'Human', is smooth, contemporary and emotional, combining sublime melodies with a sincere, deeply moving voice that appears to have suffered no ill effects from his recent throat cancer scare. The songs on the album have clearly been picked in the light of his marriage break-up with Rachel Hunter, and what a wonderful collection of love won and lost they are.
Rod has chosen tracks written by brilliant songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield, Macy Gray and John Reid, and his interpretation of them has made them all his own. Most deal with lost love, unrequited love or love from afar, but others celebrate the triumph of the human spirit through dark times and his love of music.
Musically, the album is laid back and slinky, combining old fashioned r'n'b and soul with some very groovy backing tracks. Against this backdrop, Rod's impassioned vocals provide a stunning contrast.
It's rare to find an album where you like every track, but this is the one for me. Stand out tracks for me are the Macy Gray penned song 'Smitten', which is like Macy's slow and funky ditties; the current cool and groovy single 'Don't Come Around Here' with Helicopter Girl; and 'Charlie Parker Loves Me', an uplifting slice of melodic soul.
It is produced by Rob Dickens and includes musical contributions from Mark Knopfler and Slash. It runs for just under 45 minutes so it tapes easily for the car, and it is perfect for driving to late at night or on a lovely sunny day.
If you thought Rod had lost it - well, he's got it back; and if you thought he never had it, get this CD and be very, very pleasantly surprised.
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Yep, he's back on form alright (though 1995's Spanner In The Works had its moments). Cheers, J.
RobinLawrie 17.05.2001 15:20
Well I am one that thought he had lost the plot, but to give him a fair chance I will do as you suggest and listen to a couple of tracks....Robin
belinda9 15.05.2001 23:52
I'm sorry but I loved Rod's Hairdo in the 80's, in fact I get called Rod at work.
I also used to wear leopard skin trousers, but he had a better ass than me.
If Rod Stewart's ongoing sense of musical curiosity was confirmed by his surprising ... more
collection of 1990s rock covers (When We Were the New Boys),Humanseems more bent on career reinforcement. Helmed by executive producer Rob Dickins, a lineup of producti...
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If Rod Stewart's ongoing sense of musical curiosity was confirmed by his surprising ... more
collection of 1990s rock covers (When We Were the New Boys), Human seems more bent on career reinforcement. Helmed by executive producer Rob Dickins, a lineup of produc...
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