As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Vol. II

( 18 )

Editorial Reviews

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Rod Stewart’s As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II finds the ace vocalist returning to the good old good ones, luminous standards from the golden age of popular songwriting. Taking up where his first foray into the genre, the hit album It Had to Be You, left off, Stewart luxuriates in the durable grandeur of his such gems as "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Smile," "Til' There Was You," and "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." To sweeten the pot, there are duets with Cher on Rodgers and Hart’s "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," and Queen Latifah on "As Time Goes By." He may be a rock icon, but with projects such as this Stewart is laying claim to be considered a...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble
Rod Stewart’s As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II finds the ace vocalist returning to the good old good ones, luminous standards from the golden age of popular songwriting. Taking up where his first foray into the genre, the hit album It Had to Be You, left off, Stewart luxuriates in the durable grandeur of his such gems as "I Only Have Eyes for You," "Smile," "Til' There Was You," and "Until the Real Thing Comes Along." To sweeten the pot, there are duets with Cher on Rodgers and Hart’s "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," and Queen Latifah on "As Time Goes By." He may be a rock icon, but with projects such as this Stewart is laying claim to be considered a classic crooner.
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Thanks to Clive Davis, Rod Stewart found a career revival in 2002 with It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook, the album that refashioned the lovable rogue into a swanky swinger. Davis' gamble paid off -- he figured that the public, already aware of Stewart's status as a great singer, would believe that he could sing classic pop songs as well as he sang rock, soul, and folk, and he was right: the public did buy the record. But just because a record sells doesn't necessarily mean that it's all that good, and It Had to Be You suffered from one simple thing: Stewart's talents and skills are not well-suited for traditional pop. Still, the concept was a good one so the record sold and spawned a sequel, As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2. Released a year later, nearly to the day, As Time Goes By is basically the same album as It Had to Be You, relying on a similar song selection of well-worn warhorses and adhering to the same simple, straight-ahead cocktail-bar arrangements as its predecessor. There are some slight differences, most notably the presence of two duets: a version of "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" with Cher, while Queen Latifah joins in on the title song neither cut is very good, but Latifah is much better than Cher, who is less-suited for this material than Rod. Then, there's the slight upper hand of producer Richard Perry, who helms more tracks this time around than the other two producers, Clive Davis and Phil Ramone, who are also returning from It Had to Be You Overall, the album has a looser feel, but that doesn't mean more relaxed; it means sloppy -- to the point that the producers failed to correct a glaring computerized vocal correction error at 1:20 on the opening track, "Time After Time." Stewart's delivery is lazy and unfocused; his asides and offhand turns of phrase work wonders on rock, pop, and soul, where it's more about being in the moment than being in the song, but on finely crafted songs like these, precision is needed and Stewart's delivery makes it seem like he just doesn't have his heart in it. He never sounds bad; he merely sounds awkward on occasion, but the record is so casual that it doesn't make much of a difference. As Time Goes By just coasts by on its style and concept, which is about as satisfying and pleasant as it was the first time out, but the slight differences -- the duets, the sloppiness -- make the artifice more apparent this time around. It still works as background music, though, for those who buy into the concept.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 10/21/2003
  • Label: J-Records
  • UPC: 828765571029
  • Catalog Number: 55710
  • Sales rank: 906

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Rod Stewart Primary Artist, Human Whistle
Peter Nero Piano
Rob Mounsey Conductor, Keyboards
Arturo Sandoval Trumpet
Elena Barere Violin, Concert Master
Tom Barney Bass
Lawrence Feldman Clarinet
John Ferraro Drums
David Finck Bass
Larry Koonse Guitar
Joe La Barbera Drums
Jeanne LeBlanc Celli
Ann Leathers Violin
Richard Locker Celli
Rob Mathes Piano, Keyboards, Guitar (Nylon String)
Reggie McBride Bass
Jan Mullen Violin
Dean Parks Guitar, Electric Guitar
Shawn Pelton Percussion, Drums
Philippe Saisse Keyboards, Synthesizer Strings
Mark Orrin Shuman Celli
Richard Sortomme Violin
David Spinozza Acoustic Guitar, Guitar
Marti Sweet Violin
Frank Vilardi Drums
Doug Webb Clarinet, Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Woodwind
Cenovia Cummins Violin
Colin Freeman Conductor
Jimmy Rip Guitar
Frank Simes Guitar
Avril Brown Violin
Warren Odze Drums
Carol Webb Violin
Monica Gerard Viola
Maura Giannini Violin
Yuri Vodovoz Violin
Adrian Benjamin Viola
Henry Hey Piano
Ann Kim Celli
Carl Struken Guitar, Piano
Mary Hammann Viola
Vince Lionti Viola
Mike Thompson Clarinet, Piano, Synthesizer Strings
Aaron Kaplan Guitar
Chris Golden Bass
Technical Credits
George Gershwin Composer
Cher Duet
Alan Broadbent String Arrangements
Rob Mounsey String Arrangements, String Conductor
Jimmy McHugh Composer
Richard Rodgers Composer
John Phillips Composer
Evan Rogers Producer
Ray Bardani Engineer
Sammy Cahn Composer
Chris Carroll Engineer
Charlie Chaplin Composer
Saul Chaplin Composer
Clive Davis Producer
Duke Ellington Composer
Dorothy Fields Composer
Frank Filipetti Engineer
Ira Gershwin Composer
Lorenz Hart Composer
Rob Mathes Producer, String Arrangements, rhythm arrangement
Joel Moss Engineer
Matt Noble Engineer
Michael O'Reilly Engineer
Steve Orchard Engineer
Richard Perry Producer, Vocal Arrangements, rhythm arrangement
Phil Ramone Producer
Bob Russell Composer
Philippe Saisse String Arrangements
Doug Sax Mastering
Carl Sigman Composer
Jule Styne Composer
Harry Warren Composer
Meredith Willson Composer
Colin Freeman String Arrangements
Geoff Parsons Composer
Pete Karam Engineer
Arnold Stiefel Vocal Arrangements
J.J. Blair Engineer
Al Dublin Composer
Al Hemberger Engineer
Jason Stasium Digital Editing
Jan Folkson Pro-Tools
Carl Struken Producer
Robert Hadley Mastering
Mann Holiner Composer
Alberta Nichols Composer
Mike Thompson Horn Arrangements, rhythm arrangement, Saxophone Arrangement, Woodwind Arrangement
Mike Glines Engineer
Mark "Speedy" Gonzalez Engineer, Digital Editing
Aaron Kaplan Engineer, Digital Editing
Lauren Wild rhythm arrangement
Bobby Ginsburg Engineer
L.E. Freeman Composer
Pablo Solorzano Engineer, Digital Editing
Eric Schilling Engineer
Herman Hupfeld Composer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 18 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(12)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 18 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    With age come beauty

    I love the Rod Stewart of today. This is truely aging with grace and beauty. Not all can do this. Not everyone can pull off singing another's song and do it just as well. Keep up the great work Rod.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Ditto...Mega Dittos!!!

    Ditto to the idea of a third volume likes this...This music commands that you get up and dance with the one you love, and get lost in the moment!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Too Bad

    Really good selection from the Great American Songbook. Too bad he can neither sing nor interpret them.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Duets great

    Liked the Sinatra concept of Duets on this album. Perhaps another album with all duets is in the future? Rod sings better than ever on this album.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    It doesn't get any better.

    Wow!! Not only does Rod keep making relevant hits for todays here today, gone tomorrow society, he revamps old standards in that ol Rod way. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I saw this album, but after my first listen, I was hooked! His duet with Cher was to die for. If you enjoy vintage standards with a touch of new style vocals, you will certainly enjoy this album.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Timeless

    This is a "sit by the fire with the one you love" type of music. Soooo romantic. I hope there is a volume III.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Absolutely Fabulous!!!!

    Please do yourself a favor and run (don't walk) and purchase Rod's latest CD - It is Absolutely Fabulous!!! This CD is loaded with such great Jazz favorites as "I'm In The Mood For Love", "Crazy She Calls Me", "Smile", "Time After Time", - all sung by Rod in his smoky, raspy, sensual voice which adds a new dimension to old favorites. I am in love with this CD. Rod's two duets on the cd (one with Cher and Queen Latifah) are well done particularly the one with Cher. Their husky voices blend perfectly in "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered". This will be the Album of the Year!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Sexy and casual

    I thought this title, although not vintage Rod Stewart, wonderful for background music. It would be great for any of lifes extra-special moments! Plus, I am a huge Cher fan, so the addition of the duet with Cher is a hit with me. I wish they would do more together...I liked the combination. This title is on my Christmas list.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    As Time Goes By The Great American Songbook, Part II

    I'm not certain what the critics hear, but for my wife and me, Rod Stewart is masterful in his interpretation of these classic numbers. If volume two falls a little short of his first effort(four stars vs five), it's only that duets with Cher and Queen Latifah are a waste of time. I bought the cd to hear Rod Stewart. Otherwise, the arrangements and orchestration are delightful. This truly is music for the ages presented by an artist for the ages.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The New Frank Sinatra

    Wow...Rod made my heart melt...Im calling him the new Frank Sinatra. Very romantic.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Super

    I love it. It revives songs that are classics. It is time!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Rod Stewart's Other Side

    I think this side of Mr. Stewart is the best of yet to come. He was not my favorite artist but, this side of him has made me take another look and he is on my top 5 artist list with his Great American Song Book Vol 1 can't wait to get Vol 2. Will be getting Vol 2 in just a few minutes now that I know it is on sale NOW. Good Luck Mr. Stewart, you have a new fan.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A must have

    I love Rod Stewart's rock music and wasn't sure about this CD when I bought it. But it is the best. It's wonderful to hear the transition that Rod has made into a different genre. It's so smooth and beautiful. I'm definitely getting part 1.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    As Time Goes By The Great American Songbook, Part II

    Once again Rod stewart strikes gold with his second effort singing great American classics. These are wonderful songs, and his delivery is as smooth as one would expect from this prodigious talent. The orchestration was predictable but clean and very complimentary. Four stars instead of five because of the duets with Cher and Q.Latifah. Rod stewart doesn't need the help. I hope he does another.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    You Gotta Get This CD!

    We wore out the first Great American Songbook and now we are working on doing the same to this one. Just bought this last night and can't stop listening to it. PLEASE make more! Lots of great song are out there so record them for us. You know we'll stand in line to buy them.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    disappointed

    I enjoyed it as much as vol.1 except if I wanted to listen to cher or queen I would have bought there c d's! Bogey will turn over in his grave when he hears that version.Ruined it for me & i'm sure many others!the only one who could do a duet was ole blue eyes!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 29, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 18 Customer Reviews