Thoughts on the historical figure that is Rod Stewart.

As a youngster, I didn't appreciate Rod Stewart's raspy vocal style and how he bounced around through musical genres and different bands. Stints with Python Lee Jackson, Jeff Beck, Faces, and songs like Mandolin Wind did not resonate. Now, it is the complete opposite for me. Your thoughts on this historical figure?

 

He was great until 1972........then falls off the map for me.

 

Love him up to Never A Dull Moment. I will say he's unique in that the older he gets the smoother his voice sounds. What's up with that?

 

My Mum had Atlantic Crossing and I would have been 12 at the time and just thought of it as another one of my Mum's "soft" records (Donovon, Joni Mitchell, Bread, Stylistics), but in my teens I got into The Small Faces and through that into The Faces and Jeff Beck Group and Rod solo stuff. I still haven't got Atlantic Crossing or anything after that though.

 

Most folks seem to drop Rod when Faces split ... that isn't my experience. I'll take All the albums (with a small couple of minor exceptions) from The Jeff Beck Group days, right into the eighties somewhere.
I have no problem with his couple of stylistic changes, and I consider Atlantic Crossing to Blondes Have More Fun, to be equal in value to the first four solo albums

 

His 10 album run, Truth to Ooh La La is hard to match

 

I can't wait to hear everyone telling us about their narrow tastes as they report their Rod Stewart cut-off date/album yet again.

 

BINGO. I won't get into what is essential Rod or where Rod jumped the shark instead I'll just say this-Rod Stewart is unquestionably one of the greatest rock stars and vocalists that ever strutted across the stage. He did what he wanted to do, not we wanted him to do, sold a ton of records, landed a lot of beautiful women and has a boatload of money. The guy was married to Rachel Hunter. I doubt her cares what I thought about "Love Touch."

 

I like some of the later stuff. If it's good it's good. But I don't own copies. There are many records that I like that I do not own copies of. Indeed, it's because my tastes are wide and varied that I am not insistent on buying albums that are perhaps lesser (imo) in an artist's catalogue, in some sort of brand loyalty thing. I'd rather be broadening my tastes elsewhere.

 

I have a Lester Bang view of him: he had the talent to be something special but traded that possibility to churn out mediocre but lucrative pap. He's a shambolic figure of fun now.

 

Anyone here see The Stones and Faces between say 1969 and 1972? I’d be curious to hear who put on a better show. Love him through Tonight I’m Yours

 

I think he's great. I was born in '73 so I wasn't old enough to appreciate him in his prime. My dad got me into him around the Out Of Order album. Was shocked at how many old songs I had known from the radio over the years. Storyteller is my all time favorite box set by anyone. Love the Faces and Beck stuff, even his poppier and mellow stuff too. Saw him live in early 2000's and just thought about how many people he's played to, how many stages he's been on... One of the true legends in my book. Up there with Jagger and Bowie to me.

 

Every 6 months or so, like clockwork

 

I saw Rod Stewart live in 1975 and he didn’t seem to know about the cut-off date or that he’d fallen off the map and was mediocre but lucrative pap. It was an absolutely *great* show, and huge fun.

 

I Was Only Joking is the greatest song ever....nah, I was only joking

 

Amen to that,

 

I like his train set!

 

every picture tells a story. donut?

 

"Smiler" was the end, " Atlantic Crossing" was the beginning of , well, something else....New age, new fans, alienating many of the fans who helped to put him where he was.

 

Hey, I resemble that remark!

 

I don’t think I had ever noticed Rod Stewart until A Night on the Town. Too young for those first four that are highly regarded. His mid-70s music was good its context. When I realized later that he had a history of music before that, it was a bonus. Like any of the artists who moved on from what might be better early production, I see Rod’s legendary status still intact, even if he wore leopard-print spandex.

 

Lester Bangs wrote that in 1975, pissed because Rod left the Faces. 45 years and 100 million albums later, that observation sound a bit silly.

 

So, according to you, we must like every album Rod has ever done? The last 20 years his stuff has been mainly for middle aged housewives.

 

As I said: mediocre but lucrative.

 

Historical?

Hysterical, more like.