Rod Stewart

Rod's potent combination of Sam Cooke, Folk-Rock, and plain old rock 'n' roll was never more perfectly realized than on this, his third record. "Maggie May" became his signature tune, and the title cut rocks with the indefinable spirit that makes all of Stewart's work from this period not just essential, but vital.

He has it in him, has Rod Stewart, to save a lot of souls, to rescue those of us who are too
old for Grand Funk but not old enough for those adorable McCartneys from being nearly
consummately bored with the current rock and roll scene. It's not inconceivable that he
could do it without even opening his mouth: He's physically sensational, the idol of perhaps
three continents' heavy trendies, the most profound influence on rock and roll... More >

Because he's tawdry enough to revel in stellar pop-and-flash, Stewart can refine the rock sensibility without processing the life out of it. His gimmick is nuance. Rod the Wordslinger is a lot more literate than the typical English bloozeman, Rod the Singer can make words flesh, and though Rod the Bandleader's music is literally electric it's the mandolin and pedal steel that come through sharpest. A smash as huge as "Maggie May" must satisfy Rod the Mod the way a classic as undeniable as "Maggie May" does Rod the Artist. But it's "Mandolin Wind" leading into Motown leading into Tim Hardin that does justice to everything he is. (Grade - A+)