Yet another landmark album from the legendary rocker… and this time it’s all about the new songs written by Rod and his colleagues for the first time in 20 years. Inspired by the tales being told in his book “ROD – The AUTOBIOGRAPHY” in 2012, Rod decided he could turn some of the feelings evoked in those writing sessions into newly-penned songs, and what a job he has done on them. The album oozes quality in many places whilst remaining a little ordinary at times in others, but nothing can detract from the overall performances on this album, not only from Rod who is magnificent throughout, but from the band who have suddenly come into their own groove with their leader’s new found resurgence.
1. She Makes Me Happy –
The album opens with a great driving folk rhythm reminding us immediately of Rod’s roots and he then handles the song with a flourish of enthusiasm that belies his 68 years. The lyrics flow beautifully as he tells his story, making us all as happy as the lady in question is obviously making him feel.
2. Can’t Stop Me Now –
A tribute to his Dad, Robert Stewart, the Edinburgh plumber who headed south with his family, taking all the Tartan Pride with him and passing it on to young Roddy. The story tells of Rod’s early attempts to get signed by a major record label, and of the support he got, especially from his Dad. The song itself is another great piece of music with pace and structure to it that stands up on it’s own, and again the band seem to be enjoying the experience all the more for the freshness of Rod’s new offerings.
3. It’s Over –
A look at the sadness of divorce from his own experiences on the subject, Rod’s amazing vocal once again sits nicely on the music with some lovely lyrics and an excellent piece of orchestration conducted by co-writer Kevin Savigar.
4 – Brighton Beach –
Strong lyrics tell the story of Rod’s frequent visits to the south coast resort, and centre on his early relationship with Susanne Boffey and all their friends. It’s a simple song that lends itself more to the sentiment than to any strong compositional quality, but when the vocal performance and production are so well done, it’s easy to overlook that one little thing.
5. Beautiful Morning –
They’re off again with another big-hitter of a song that’s going to be on everyone’s lips for a while. The only slight criticism of this excellent song might be the slightly over-processed vocals, but that’s what you get if you hang around with Michael Buble too long. Lively saxophone and strong drums are the stand-out parts on this one with the team vocals even outshining Rod for the first time. A great track all round.
6. Live The Life –
Another slightly folky feel to this pleasant pop tune that grows with every listen. With Janna to the fore, and Chuck Kentis on a delightful harmonica solo, these really nice chords supply the base for Rod’s vocal to sit proudly on top and chant out another welcome self-penned beauty. Production is perfection, with every instrument blending with the others around it, and the live feel of all the songs is never so obvious as in this one.
7. Finest Woman –
Wonder who this song is about? The fabulous Penny of course. The song is a strong groover as close to the style of The Faces or The Stones as you can get without having Ron Wood around… but with Emerson Swinford rocking it up here, that’s for another day. The punchy brass section works wonders before the girls show off some of their vocal talents with fine backing and lead lines throughout. Rod just seems to cruise through it before finishing off with a raucous YEAH YEAH that hasn’t been heard since Ronald Isley did This Old Heart with him all those years ago. A top song that will be played and played again.
8. Time –
The title track is a light and soulful bluesy song that is amazing in its appeal to probably everyone except Jeff Beck, and might explain why that project is really two separate souls at odds with each other more than a little. This is yet another beautifully crafted song with strong instrumentation and a vocal performance that Rod just coasts through. Kevin Savigar’s keyboard and Emerson Swinford’s guitar are smooth as well, making the whole piece gel wonderfully.
9. Picture In A Frame –
The only cover version on the main album was written by the Waits/Brennan collaboration, and Tom Waits is familiar to Rod’s fans as the man behind Downtown Train and Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda). At first it seems slightly out of place on this album of Rod’s own songs, but once again the vocal, the music and the strength of the song itself make for yet another very listenable piece from the maestro.
10. Sexual Religion –
Not only the biggest song on the album, but probably the biggest song of the year as this monster tune announces itself delicately, only to burst into life as a masterpiece of lyrical and musical pulses. The keyboard programme itself ticks away nicely and sets the pace for the rhythms that seem to appear out of nowhere from saxophone, backing vocals, drums and percussion, but all pale into less significance with the drive of the bass being the dominant feature once the song kicks in fully. This track will be a huge summer hit in the clubs across Europe and the rest of the world as several remixes have appeared in the first few days of the song being released, and that’s always the sign of a great song. It feels as if the chords are familiar, and a listen to “If Loving You Is Wrong” might explain why, and when that is coupled with the drive of “Passion” (which included Kevin Savigar who co-wrote this) you can see those pedigree connections with the past.
11. Make Love To Me Tonight –
That early folky sound that made Rod famous is the key element in this tale, sounding more like a New England pioneer tune than a modern pop song at times. Another of those songs that Rod sings so well and grows more appealing with every listen.
12. Pure Love –
A song that was ignored on the first runs through all the strong pop songs on the album in the excitement to get the wrapper off Rod’s new self-penned bar of gold. This is the song that will last forever. It’s a tear-jerker of a production with Rod’s vocal drawing on every ounce of passion in his soul. Surprises like this are great because they reinforce the quality of Rod’s voice, his writing and the team he has around him right now.
EXTRA TRACKS UK
13. Corrina Corrina –
A classic Southern blues song with it’s roots set in the early 1900’s, this ticks along at a leisurely pace inviting a handclap or toe-tap to carry it along, and it shows that Rod prefers lighter blues songs than his guitar-toting buddy, Jeff Beck, making his own mark on a generation of bluesmen with a trademark vocal that is never pushed too hard and seems the better for it. A lovely smooth rendition from Rod that I am sure would make Bo Carter and Papa Charlie McCoy proud to be associated with him.
14. Legless –
If Minder meets The Faces, and tightens up the band a bit, then you get this fabulous groove of a pop song with a good-time storyline of a lottery winner having fun. Slightly confusing references to Uncle Sam on such an English-sounding track, but that’s as much to do with Rod being multi-national as anything else. This could easily have made the main album as it sits alongside the other tracks Rod has written, and with good songs like this not quite making it, it’s easy to see just how high a level this album has achieved.
15. Love Has No Pride –
Almost feels like this cover song is just an extra filler, but then you listen to Rod delivering the vocal with a nice colouring of harmony from Angela Michael in the chorus, and the song’s position on this fine album is justified.
SUMMARY
The album that everyone has been waiting for with baited breath is finally upon us, and to say it is well worth the wait would be a gross under-statement. The magnitude of this album may not yet be obvious, but in TIME it will be clear that in “TIME” we have one of Rod Stewart’s best EVER albums.
TIME review by Bob Wyper. 14th May 2013.
Check out Bob’s brilliant site https://www.rodstewartshow.co.uk/