Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story 1971

It's a classic, and it sat idle in the stacks for years until a few days ago when I gave it a spin and was reminded of how great it is. Like Stewart's previous two solo outings, it is a mix of rock, folk, blues and soul. Those first two, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (The Rod Stewart Album in the US) 1969 and Gasoline Alley 1970 are both solid. The third time was the charm. 

Maggie May was the B side of the cover of Tim Hardin's Reason to Believe, but DJs flipped the record and that B side became a #1 hit on both sides of the pond. Rockers That's All Right, (I Know) I'm Losing You and the title track are all great in that loose Faces way. The folk numbers Seems Like a Long Time, Tomorrow Is a Long Time, Reason to Believe, and Stewart's own Mandolin Wind are a fine song section and are presented in lovely arrangements. Stewart sings everything with as much bravado or sensitivity as the tune requires. As great as the cover songs are, the three from Stewart's pen are all highlights. There isn't a weak track.

There is a lot of good music on Stewart's early solo work; the seven records from 1969-1976 all contain some great songs, and 1976's A Night on the Town closes Stewart's early career on a high note. Remarkably the five Faces records were all released during the same period. That's a whole career for anyone, but Stewart has soldiered on and continues to this day. That voice is a rare gift, and Rod has never let it rest very long.