At least Rod Stewart is consistent. Long accused by critics of selling his considerable interpretative talents short and playing it safe for the trappings of fame, Stewart revisits the font of his latest career revival here. But while 2002's It Had To Be You at least turned on the novelty of hearing raspy Rod the Mod tackle a slate of American pop standards with a boozy, world-weary tone that sometimes reinforced the originals' intent with trans-generational flair, the British rock icon unfortunately reverted to form a year later on this 14-track sequel. Set against the laconic, cocktail-friendly productions of vets Richard Perry and Phil Ramone, Stewart's performances seem strangely detached throughout. Even when offered the chance at some real human interaction on a pair of ill-conceived duets with Cher (who at least attempts to bring some dramatic flair to "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered") and Queen Latifah (whose recent turn in Chicago informs the title track), Stewart seems almost blissfully unaware of their presence. These are songs that virtually demand to be acted out, not phoned in. Brilliant vocal performances often reinforce the notion of "the singer, not the song;" here that old adage sounds more like a suggestion of where to place the blame for this album's disappointments. --Jerry McCulley
Rod Stewart's career has been subject to so many twists that a single-disc overview is somehow both appealingly broad and inadequate to the task of tracing all those zigzags. From beloved rocker of the first order to disco dilettante to pop crooner, Stewart's career has presented challenges to fans who may have been charmed by the rollickingly randy "Maggie May" and bemused by the alarmingly narcissistic "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" This 16-song retrospective touches all the bases without delving deeply into any era. The selections aren't arranged sequentially and the booklet is much more generous with vintage photos than album credits. This best-of collection is clearly aimed at the casual fan, but no album that presents Rod the Mod gems "Downtown Train," "You Wear It Well," and "Reason to Believe" one after another is a throwaway. --Steven Stolder
