Review #177: Every Picture Tells A Story, Rod Stewart
#177: Every Picture Tells A Story, Rod Stewart
Wow, I didn’t realize that Rod Stewart was in the Jeff Beck Group AND the Faces. Success just chases some people around.
This is a very acousticky album, which kind of gave me whiplash after hearing two great rap albums back to back. I had some issues coming to terms with that, but quickly came around after hearing the Elvis cover.
Every member of the Faces played on this album, and it also had backing vocals from Maggie Bell, who I was so sure was Janis Joplin. Rod Stewart’s voice sounds like sandpaper, so it makes sense that his backing vocalist sounds like sandpaper too. (Note that “Maggie May” is NOT about Maggie Bell.)
FAVORITE SONGS:
“Seems Like A Long Time” — War time is only/The other side of peace time.
“That’s All Right” — A cover of Elvis Presley’s first single, with a lovely rendition of “Amazing Grace” at the end. I don’t know what this is doing here, but I love it.
“Tomorrow Is A Long Time” — And this is a Bob Dylan cover!
“Maggie May” — I had to stop taking notes at this point because I needed to sing along, and listen to that guitar intro that I despair of ever getting right. Rod Stewart said that this song “was more or less a true story, about the first woman I had sex with, at the 1961 Beaulieu Jazz Festival.” So there you go.
“Mandolin Wind” — The mandolin is such a gorgeous instrument. I went to a guitar shop to buy one once and they didn’t have any in stock.
“(I Know) I’m Losing You” — This sounds like a movie soundtrack song. It’s also (believe it or not) a cover of a Temptations song!
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“Every Picture Tells A Story” — The RS blurb called this song a “hilarious goof,” and I know there’s some questions about whether or not it’s sexist and racist or not, but mostly I just didn’t like it. Rod Stewart, why does your voice sound like so much chalk scraping against so much blackboard?
“(Find A) Reason To Believe” — I’m sorry but I’m bored.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
In the original RS review of this song, they call this album “boring”! And honestly? I kind of agree. Sue me.
I pretty much could take or leave most of these songs, but I love “Maggie May” so much that I’ll call it a wash.
