Twenty years ago, Rod Stewart stepped away from The Great American Songbook and went back to rock, choosing 13 songs that connected him with artists including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Seger, The Pretenders, Badfinger, The Eagles and Cat Stevens.
by Paul Cashmere
When Rod Stewart released Still The Same… Great Rock Classics Of Our Time on 10 October 2006, he was following one of the most commercially successful periods of his career with an album that deliberately changed the source material but kept the idea of interpretation. Instead of standards from the pre-rock era, Stewart selected songs from the rock and pop catalogue, with every track written by somebody else.
Produced by John Shanks with Clive Davis as co-producer, the album became Stewart’s 24th studio album and his second US number one debut in three years. It opened at number one on the Billboard 200 with 184,000 copies sold in its first week. It also reached number one in Canada and New Zealand, while peaking at number four in the UK and number 16 in Australia.
The opening choice, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?”, was an obvious bridge between Stewart’s voice and American roots rock. Written by John Fogerty and released by Creedence in 1970, it reached number eight in the US and number one in Canada. Stewart’s version became the album’s first single.
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” came from Elvin Bishop’s 1976 album Struttin’. Written by Bishop and sung on the original recording by Mickey Thomas, it became Bishop’s major crossover hit, reaching number three in the US. In Britain it peaked at number 34.
“I’ll Stand By You” is the newest song on the main album, having been a 1994 hit for The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde co-wrote it with Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and The Pretenders took it to number 10 in the UK and number 16 in the US.
Bob Seger’s “Still The Same” dates from 1978’s Stranger In Town. Seger wrote and recorded the song, which reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. Stewart retained the reflective character of the original rather than turning it into a conventional rock showcase.
Bonnie Tyler’s “It’s A Heartache” was another song closely associated with a distinctive voice. Written by Ronnie Scott and Steve Wolfe, Tyler’s 1977 recording reached number four in Britain, topped the Australian and Canadian charts and became an international hit.
Badfinger’s “Day After Day”, written by Pete Ham, came from the band’s 1971 album Straight Up and gave Stewart another connection to the early 1970s. “Missing You” then moved the timeline forward again. John Waite’s 1984 recording became a US number one, with Waite co-writing it with Mark Leonard and Chas Sandford.
“Father And Son” was written and originally recorded by Cat Stevens for Tea For The Tillerman in 1970. It was not originally a conventional hit single, but became one of Stevens’ best-known songs, built around a conversation between a father and son.
The Eagles supplied “The Best Of My Love”, the band’s first US number one single, written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther. Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You” provides another twist. Dylan wrote and recorded it first, but Olivia Newton-John turned it into a UK Top 10 hit in 1971, reaching number seven.
“Love Hurts” reaches even further back. Written by Boudleaux Bryant, the song was first recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1960, but Nazareth’s 1975 rock version became the defining hit, reaching number eight in the US.
“Everything I Own” was written by David Gates and first recorded by Bread in 1972. The original reached number five in the US, while later recordings, including versions by Ken Boothe and Boy George, gave the song new lives in different genres.
The main album closes with Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love”, originally recorded for 1970’s Moondance. Unlike several selections, it was never a major mainstream hit in Morrison’s original version, making Stewart’s inclusion a deeper catalogue choice rather than simply another familiar single.
The UK edition added “Lay Down Sally”, written and recorded by Eric Clapton with Marcy Levy and George Terry for Slowhand. Clapton’s 1977 version reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100.
That collection is what makes Still The Same interesting two decades later. Stewart was not revisiting his own catalogue, nor was he simply continuing The Great American Songbook. He was constructing another songbook, this time from the rock records that had shaped the era in which he became a star.
Tracklisting
“Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” (John Fogerty)
“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” (Elvin Bishop)
“I’ll Stand By You” (Chrissie Hynde, Thomas Kelly, William Steinberg)
“Still The Same” (Bob Seger)
“It’s A Heartache” (Ronnie Scott, Steve Wolfe)
“Day After Day” (Peter Ham)
“Missing You” (Mark Leonard, Charles Sandford, John Waite)
“Father And Son” (Cat Stevens)
“The Best Of My Love” (Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther)
“If Not For You” (Bob Dylan)
“Love Hurts” (Boudleaux Bryant)
“Everything I Own” (David Gates)
“Crazy Love” (Van Morrison)
“Lay Down Sally” (Eric Clapton, Marcy Levy, George Terry) [UK bonus track]
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