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I was never really a fan of his during his early days until a few years ago when the Great American Songbook series started. I bought all of them and I thoroughly enjoy them. Then along came Time and Another Country. Both are great albums. Now I eagerly await the next treat. Are you Rod fan?
I was until 1975, when Stewart moved to the USA and sold his soul to Warner Bros .....
I first saw him perform, with Steampacket, in 1965 and I last saw him perform, at the NEC, in 1991. In between, I attended other performances and, on a couple of occasions, met and spoke to him but, after 1972, I was increasingly unimpressed .....
Not a fan sorry.
But every time I hear Maggie May it takes me back to Christmas Eve and my first ever Christmas works do in the Strand Hotel in Liverpool and getting pleasantly drunk and dancing with the office girls. After work my mates and I got the ferry back over to the Wirral and home. Freezing cold evening but the alcohol drove away the cold. Happy days.
Yes, Rod is one of Rock Royalty. Just a good guy and a great songwriter.
EZ Rider, those two newest albums you mentioned were a return to songwriting after so many years of rehashing old songs as cover versions and Stewart id better than that as those albums proved.
However I do prefer his early music, the first few albums up to and including the work he did with The Faces. The "Songbook" albums didn't do it for me, everybody is taking the easy way way out and rehashing those 50's songs and Rod made far too many of them. Easy money.
His voice is still in fine fettle too, unlike Elton's and Macca's who now need to go lower in their vocal range.
This is my favourite Road Stewart song. Mandolin Wind from 1970: