Still the Same (Great Rock Classics)--Rod Stewart

I have a general rule of sorts about cover songs, and it proves that I’ve spent far too long thinking about them. For the most part, I find cover songs unnecessary. I see no purpose in covering Joe Jackson’s “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” nearly note for note, for instance (yes, I’m looking at you, Sugar Ray). If you like the original so much, why not just listen to that? Otherwise, it’s just a recording of a karaoke performance. It’s not bad, necessarily, it’s just unnecessary.

 There are, of course, exceptions, and this is where my so-called “rule” comes into play. I think a band should only attempt a cover if they have something new to bring to the song. This is why I find The White Stripes’ cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” (one of the most breathtaking pieces of live performance I’ve ever seen) far superior to Mindy Smith’s, for instance. It’s why I appreciate Tori Amos’s version of almost any song she’s covered, even if the original might be preferable. A good cover can let you hear something in a song that you might’ve missed before.

 Rod Stewart’s Still the Same—Great Rock Classics of Our Time violates my cover song rule on every track—and yet, it still manages to be entertaining. This contradiction perplexes me.

 On one hand, there are enough problems with the album to fill an entire review. The layout and design make it look like a castoff from K-Tel Records in 1984, something you might find in the $4.99 bin. Stewart himself looks like he could barely be bothered to show up for the photo shoot.  

 Then there’s the title. The majority of the “Great Rock Classics” that he covers were all originally released in the 1970s (the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You” is the major outlier, with an original release in 1994). Moreover, they all stem from the same subgenre of rock ‘n roll, the singer-songwriter sound.

 So why does it work at all? Because Stewart plays to his strengths.  Stewart’s career has spanned decades but the heyday of his solo career was arguably in the same era that these songs come from, making this almost a tribute to his contemporaries. Instead of trying too hard to change the songs up arbitrarily, just for the sake of proving that he can, he approaches each song with respect. The album is clean and consistent. And the lineup is solid:

 Have You Ever Seen the Rain— originally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970

Fooled Around and Fell In Love—Elvin Bishop (f/ Mickey Thomas), 1975

I’ll Stand by You—The Pretenders, 1994

Still the Same—Bob Seger, 1978

It’s a Heartache—Bonnie Tyler, 1978

Day After Day—Badfinger, 1971

Missing You—John Waite, 1984

Father & Son—Cat Stevens, 1970

The Best of My Love—The Eagles, 1974

If Not For You—Bob Dylan, 1970

Love Hurts—Nazareth, 1972 (originally done by The Everly Brothers, 1961)

Everything I Own—Bread, 1972

Crazy Love—Van Morrison—1970

 I could detail each song on its own, but there’s no need. If you’ve ever heard the original versions listed above—and chances are, you have—just imagine them with Stewart’s voice instead. He is painfully faithful to each.

 The greatest surprise on the album is his cover of “Love Hurts,” which is far sweeter and more melancholy than the Nazareth version that shot to fame. I was really taken with the difference until I learned that the Everly Brothers were the writers and original performers of the song, making Rod Stewart’s version more of a copy than I had originally realized.

Looking over this review, I realize that it might sound dreadful, and there are many who will think so. I can’t argue them out of their position with logic. This isn’t the best that Rod Stewart has ever sounded, nor are these the definitive versions of the songs. Perhaps I am too biased. He did, after all, sing some of my favorite soft rock classics—my irrational love for all things Cat Stevens and Van Morrison may in fact know no bounds. All I can say is, if you like Stewart’s voice, and you’re looking for a CD you can sing along with while you’re painting your kitchen (as I did), this collection might be surprisingly satisfying.

Sarah Erlewine, Music Correspondent:

Sarah’s column, Single of the Week, published every Wednesday to Gather Essentials: Music (http://music.gather.com), is a look at the latest up-and-coming singles highlighted on iTunes and available for free download.

Sarah Erlewine has previously written for the All Music Guide. In her daily life, she is a technical writer for Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI.

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