Rod Stewart "Live 1975-1998" 4-CD box set

It was a one-off gig in WA; same with Rod's guest appearance at JB's El Rey gigs. The last time they toured together was in '84.

 

This 4 disc live cd set is absolute perfection, IMO, in every way, and a must buy, even for, and maybe especially for, the most casual Rod Stewart fan.

The casual fan, or one time fan of Rod Stewart may say......"He lost me after Never A Dull Moment." I know a lot of guys, while I've been a fanatic to date, where it's simply been a case of contempt prior to investigation.

This set, proves what is still the case.....Rod Stewart is an absolute king on stage, and one helluva rock and roller with mic in hand.

Disc One is even more phenomenal when you consider the man was verified to be ill and congested to the point that bed rest was the doctors orders, and he went on anyhow to deliver a performance for the ages at that Leicester show.

I can't wait to see the man at his final show, 4th row, of his Vegas residency next month....and then, with Santana, front row center in July! I've seen him over 30 times, throughout the years, and he just never disappoints live.

 

Toured/together.....ok.....but I didn't want someone to think they hadn't been together in any capacity. Glad you fact checked.

And yes, it was El Rey, not Wiltern....and pretty sure Rod showed up at only one show.

 

I've talked about this era in other threads. It is one of my favorite Rod periods. He had gotten a bad rap after he released Blondes Have More Fun and was branded as Disco. He then released two great albums (Foolish Behaviour and Tonight's the Night) that rocked. The band included Tony Brock, late of The Babys. and the shows at that time were incredible. I remember watching a pay per view show around, I believe, Christmas time that was pretty hot and included some guest stars. I believe Tina Turner joined Rod on Hot Legs (of course). The tour was documented on the Absolutely Live release.

In my opinion, this is top shelf Rod at his rocking best.

I've bought this new live anthology, but haven't had time to listen to much. I can't wait to devote the time needed to listen to this.

 

Foolish Behaviour is one that was underrated IMO, I had to get the CD from Japan, it was not issued by WB in North America. Gimme Wings is vintage rockin' Rodney if you ask me.,

 

I like but don't love this set. Disc One is the biggest disappointment, as I don't think the 1976 stuff sounds great. Hearing Rod was sick makes sense - he seems subdued throughout those tracks, and they tend to leave me cold.

Don't get me wrong - I love the existence of this set and I'm glad I have it, but I can't say it knocked me out...

 

I could have swore I once saw "Foolish Behavior" as a Rhino Flashback series budget CD

 

100% agreed!

 

Great record. I love the title track....crazy lyrics, but man it sure does rock. "She Won't Dance" and "Better Off Dead" are my other favorites beside the one you mention.

 

Added Sweet Little Rock and Roller to the happy list. Because of the mood and its length, it makes for a fun and fitting encore, to a fictional single lp track sequence I've been listening too with much satisfaction. Just need to add one or two more, probably Sailing, since it fits best with what's left of the AC/ANOTT stuff. Anyway, it's been fun picking and choosing and listening and enjoying. Sweet Little Rock and Roller sounds to me like it goes on a bit without too much variation for the last three minutes or so, but when I listened with headphones I heard a few subtle changes near the end of the song that I liked. I like how Stewart reprises the chorus one more time with the band after it seems like the song is over. That also made me think of it as am encore. I like hearing the audience singing the one line chorus to You Wear It Well too.

 

It did get released at a later date, I was referring to when the other 80's Rod CD's were first getting CD releases. For some reason they skipped over Foolish Behaviour, I never understood why.

 

Trying to figure out just what are those backing vocals on Sailing from the Leicester gig? Band? At about 2:55 sounds big - like a choir, not the band? Audience? Overdub? The lead vocal almost sounds like it has a faint ghosttrail at times? I don't know. I like the performance, just the recording sounds a little 'strange' to me. I like the guitar arrangement.

 

Finally got my copy, somewhat surprisingly a near-mint used copy from Bull Moose. Can I say I'm happy that this was released a good ol' fatboy clamshell? With mail order being the only way I'm likely to purchase a disc, few of the elaborate fold-out digipaks that seem to be standard for multi-disc sets anymore survive the trip through the Post Office unscathed.

The first concert sounded very good. It isn't as doctored as typical live recording of the era, where the appreciative, enthusiastic audience is flown in on the mixing console, so it sounds a little different from what we're used to from concerts of this vintage. Hard to believe Stewart never issued the requisite live double-LP during his '70s commercial heyday; obviously, it would have worked just fine.

 

You did.

 

I since added Angel to my downloads of the Leicester and Newcastle gigs and I really enjoy the keyboard intro and later guitar solos on that one. A fine arrangement and performance, imo. Up to 9 recordings from that and the Newcastle gig are now in my playlist and the whole of it is one of my favorite 70's concerts. I'd like to add a couple more. Seems kind of silly to me for me not to have Tonight's The Night included, lol.

 

I think this is absolutely essential Rod Stewart.

I remember how great these songs were live....only by being reminded with this set.

It's crazy good! I mean, a song like "Passion" is remembered as top 40 pop hit. In it's live form here, it takes on a new life.....sleazy and rockin'.

 

Right! It has mentioned during the Sessions period that a lot of the time what came out on record was not always best served by the production.
In an interview with the fanclub magazine a few years ago Gary Grainger talked about Foolish Behaviour and how the final album was not a strong sounding as what was laid down.
I think the live versions of songs from that album and the rough cuts from the itunes releases (see other other thread on those) show that he was right.
Even Rod's liner notes in Storyteller imply much more than a shallow top 40 hit being on his mind with this song.

 

Interesting.

I always loved the rocking tunes on Foolish Behavior, and for that matter, "Blondes Have More Fun." Both title tracks rock.

When I was a teenager, I remember guys having contempt for the "disco" Rod Stewart. It was like there was a new audience emerging for Rod Stewart, and guys would be saying "I like the old stuff" and then I'd play them the other cuts.

I mean between those 2 records alone, if you cut out the hits/ballads, many of which I still like, you have:

- Dirty Weekend
- Blondes Have More Fun
- Is That The Thanks I Get
- Standin' In The Shadows Of Love
- Better Off Dead
- Foolish Behavior
- She Won't Dance With Me
- Gi' Me Wings

That mix from those two combined with....the acoustic rock, soulful, softer, but somewhat true to earlier form of:

- Ain't Love A Bitch
- Scarred And Scared
- Say It Ain't True
- Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight

To me, this is some darn good rock and roll, and this live set really makes the ones that are on this list shine....not to mention the ones that aren't here, like "Passion."

 

Review here:
www.rodstewartblog.com

Your list evidences what most people not familer with Rod's post Mercury stuff miss - there is a lot more to Rod than disco, standards and Top 40 fodder..

 

Does this 4cd set make obsolute "Asolutely Live" or are there performances on that CD that aren't part of this?

 

Nothing from Absolutely is on this set.

 

I just played FOOLISH BEHAVIOUR yesterday!

 

Rock, good call! I'm going to play it now. I have the Japan import cd from some years back. Terribly underrated, IMO. I love the title track, Gimme Wings and She Won't Dance especially.

This is the record that has a few tunes (those mentioned) that reminded me of Faces.