Rod Stewart returns to rock with new album in October

By Patrick Luce Sep 21, 2006, 14:23 GMT

Unquestionably one of rock’s greatest vocalists, Rod Stewart should have titled this album Great Rock Classics of My Time. Most of these Top 40 tunes and others like Dylan\'s "If Not for You" were popularized in the early to mid-\'70s, when Stewart was entering his rock prime. He\'s perfect to croon Elvin Bishop\'s "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," soulfully pained on Bonnie Tyler\'s "It\'s a Heartache," and right in ...more

Rod Stewart returns to his roots with the release of ‘Still the Same … Great Rock Classics of our Time’ - a landmark recording of great rock songs and Stewart's first rock album in over 8 years. The album is scheduled for release October 10th on J Records.

‘Still the Same … Great Rock Classics of our Time’ comes on the heels of the unprecedented success of the four volumes that comprise his Grammy-award winning “Great American Songbook” series, the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history, with a total of almost fifteen million copies worldwide.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart has been lauded as having one of the greatest and most distinctive rock voices in history. ‘Still the Same … Great Rock Classics of our Time’ is an incredibly strong and passionate return to form. Stewart takes ownership of these thoughtfully selected tracks crafted by some of the best songwriters of our time, including Bob Dylan (“If Not For You”), Van Morrison (“Crazy Love”), Bob Seger (“Still the Same”) and John Fogerty (“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” which is the first radio single from the album).

Several of Stewart’s other selections sound like they were written for his signature, inimitable rasp in the first place, like Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s a Heartache” and “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” a 1976 hit for Elvin Bishop.

Produced by John Shanks (winner of the 2005 “Producer of the Year” Grammy award, who has worked with such artists as Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge) and Clive Davis, ‘Still the Same … Great Rock Classics of our Time’ features a lean band of top notch session musicians including Kenny Aronoff and Dean Parks.

The versatility of its production is displayed in sounds ranging from the soaring Badfinger hit “Day After Day” to the most contemporary song included, the Pretenders’s 1994 ballad “I’ll Stand By You.”

Rod Stewart became a household name in 1971 with the release of Every Picture Tells a Story and the smash hit "Maggie May." The album and the single held the Number 1 spot in both the U.S. and the U.K. simultaneously, a chart first. 

His discography includes numerous other hits such as “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “You’re In My Heart,” and “The First Cut is the Deepest.” Stewart is currently one of the top grossing musical artists in the world, according to both Forbes and Rolling Stone; his "From ‘Maggie May’ to the Great American Songbook” tour was completely sold out for three years in a row.

‘Still the Same … Great Rock Classics of our Time’ is now available for pre-order at Amazon. Visit the music database for more information.