Without greatly altering his approach,
Rod Stewart perfected his blend of
hard rock,
folk, and
blues on his masterpiece,
Every Picture Tells a Story. Marginally a harder-rocking album than
Gasoline Alley -- the
Faces blister on the
Temptations cover
"(I Know I'm) Losing You," and the acoustic title track goes into hyper-drive with
Mick Waller's primitive drumming -- the great triumph of
Every Picture Tells a Story lies in its content. Every song on the album, whether it's a cover or original, is a gem, combining to form a romantic, earthy portrait of a young man joyously celebrating his young life. Of course,
"Maggie May" -- the ornate, ringing ode about a seduction from an older woman -- is the centerpiece, but each song, whether it's the devilishly witty title track or the unbearably poignant
"Mandolin Wind," has the same appeal. And the covers, including definitive readings of
Bob Dylan's
"Tomorrow Is Such a Long Time" and
Tim Hardin's
"Reason to Believe," as well as a rollicking
"That's All Right," are equally terrific, bringing new dimension to the songs. It's a beautiful album, one that has the timeless qualities of the best
folk, yet one that rocks harder than most
pop music -- few
rock albums are quite this powerful or this rich. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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