The Very Best of Rod Stewart

Import two CD set from Rod Stewart, the definitive collection by this Rock 'N' Roll legend! Rod began his career in the '60s as a Blues singer and session vocalist but achieved wider fame when he fronted The Faces in the early '70s while also dabbling in a solo career. Features a total of 34 tracks beginning with early solo hits like 'Maggie May' and takes in practically every international hit up through the '90s (just prior to his American Songbook series). Includes great tracks like 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?', 'Hot Legs', 'Some Guys Have All The Luck', 'Baby Jane', 'Tonight I'm Yours', 'Sailing', 'The First Cut Is The Deepest', 'Stay With Me' and 'I Was Only Joking'. Warner. 2001.

Rod Stewart's career has been subject to so many twists that a single-disc overview is somehow both appealingly broad and inadequate to the task of tracing all those zigzags. From beloved rocker of the first order to disco dilettante to pop crooner, Stewart's career has presented challenges to fans who may have been charmed by the rollickingly randy "Maggie May" and bemused by the alarmingly narcissistic "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" This 16-song retrospective touches all the bases without delving deeply into any era. The selections aren't arranged sequentially and the booklet is much more generous with vintage photos than album credits. This best-of collection is clearly aimed at the casual fan, but no album that presents Rod the Mod gems "Downtown Train," "You Wear It Well," and "Reason to Believe" one after another is a throwaway. --Steven Stolder