Rod Stewart

Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time - 2006

After spending the past couple of years exploring the nuances of the Great American Songbook, Rod Stewart returns to his

roots on Still the Same, which finds him applying his interpretive skills to tunes that shared chart space with his own hits

back in the 1970s and '80s. He holds fast to his oft-stated goal of aging gracefully here, choosing slightly mellower,

somewhat more wizened material than he might have a couple of decades back -- and that proves to be a wise angle, given the

brilliance with which he inhabits songs like Bob Seger's "Still the Same" and Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in

Love." Stewart's ragged-but-right rasp brings out the bluer-than-blue tones of the latter track and adds a definite poignancy

to his rendition of the Creedence Clearwater Revival favorite "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" -- a song that takes on a more

wistful, less angry tenor when sung by a man on the far side of middle age. More often than not, Stewart chooses to make the

songs fit his voice, as borne out by the inclusion of "It's a Heartache," which was originally sung by Stewart's distaff

doppelganger, Bonnie Tyler. When he takes the opposite approach, tweaking his pipes for the sake of a song, as he does on a

burnished version of the Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You," he's every bit as successful -- making this collection a classic in

its own right.

Personnel include: Rod Stewart (vocals); Dean Parks, John Shanks, Tim Pierce (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Greg

Leisz (pedal steel guitar); Jamie Muhoberac (piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Patrick Warren (keyboards); David Stone (bass

instrument); Paul Bushnell, Leland Sklar (bass guitar); Kenny Aronoff (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); James Grundler,

Julia Waters, Maxine Waters (background vocals).

Track List

Have You Ever Seen The Rain

Fooled Around And Fell In Love

I'll Stand By You

Still The Same

It's A Heartache

Day After Day

Missing You

Father & Son

The Best Of My Love

If Not For You

Love Hurts

Everything I Own

Crazy Love