Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells A Story CD

Personnel includes: Rod Stewart (vocals, acoustic guitar); Martin Quittenton (acoustic guitar); Ron Wood (guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass); Sam Mitchell (slide guitar); Dick Powell (violin); Pete Sears (piano); Ian McClagan (organ); Danny Thompson, Andy Pyle (bass); Mick Waller (drums); Madeline Bell, Mateus Rose, John Baldry (background vocals).
Personnel: Rod Stewart (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Rod Stewart; Ron Wood (guitar, steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, bass instrument); Danny Thompson , Andy Pyle (bass instrument); John Baldry, Maggie Bell (background vocals); Madeline Bell (vocals, background vocals); Martin Quittenton (guitar, acoustic guitar); Sam Mitchell (guitar, slide guitar); Dick Powell (violin); Pete Sears (piano); Ian McLagan (organ); Mickey Waller (drums).
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
The aesthetic Rod Stewart had been honing over his first three solo albums--an aesthetic that combined folk, hard rock, and R&B swagger--was perfected on EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY. The album's combination of strong, original songs and plum cover versions reveal the artist's range and versatility as he simultaneously paid tribute to mentors and declared his own craft. Members of Stewart's regular group, the Faces, provide intuitive support, making nearly every track shine with passion and edge.
Stewart's take-no-prisoners interpretation of the Temptations' "(I Know I'm) Losing You" brought new dimensions to a Tamla/Motown classic. "Maggie May," one of the great pop anthems, is the obvious standout, but the remaining selections, such as "Mandolin Wind" and Tim Hardin's beautiful "Reason To Believe," have a similar sense of purpose. Through it all, of course, is Stewart's soulful, beautifully textured singing, which reaches its pinnacle on these performances, ensuring the artist's standing as one of rock's all-time greatest vocalists. If you buy only one Rod Stewart album, EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY should be it.

Remastered

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.136) - Ranked #172 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time"
Rolling Stone (7/8/71, p.42) - "...he's got soul to spare...He's eloquent, literate, and moving: a superb writer...no better backing band in the biz at the moment..."
Rolling Stone (9/30/71, p.42) - "...the best thing he has...done on record..."
Goldmine (7/90) - "...stunning in every way, its release on high quality Ultradisc makes perfect sense..."