In the spring of 1978, as Rod Stewart watched "Hot Legs" run up the charts, "It's a Heartache" became a worldwide hit for Bonnie Tyler, a Welsh woman whose raspy voice was widely mistaken for Stewart's. Although it took decades, it was with typical nod-and-a-wink charm that Stewart opted to cover the clone on "Still the Same," his new album of "rock classics," and sing it Monday night at the Nokia Theatre to an audience old enough to get the joke. Throughout his long career, Stewart has never been shy about singing other people's music, ignoring the edict that songwriting is fundamental to rock and roll.
With an excellent ear for picking and personalizing, he has successfully wrapped his pipes around the work of everyone from Sam Cooke and Cat Stevens to Jimi Hendrix and Oasis; in recent years, he has devoted himself to pop standards from a previous era. Ironically, he's not an aggressively interpretive singer - once he's got a handle on a tune, that's the way he does it. Stewart spent the first half of the show, which was exhibited (almost) live in movie theaters around the country, giving the songs from his new album their first public airing.
Weaving a theme of aging and romantic reflection, he offered an adult contemporary hit parade - Bob Seger's "Still the Same," Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," Van Morrison's "Crazy Love," Bob Dylan's "If Not for You," The Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You" and a handful of others, all in the same low-impact, well-crafted vein. In this restrained setting, John Waite's "Missing You" was as brisk and impassioned as it got. With three backup singers and a mix that did not push him too far to the front, Stewart set his easy delivery atop a well-rehearsed band which avoided time-wasting embellishments like solos or repetition and rolled out nine songs in 35 efficient minutes.
The onetime peacock of British glam rock likewise toned down his appearance, wearing faded jeans, sneakers and a succession of frilly shirts. Gone are the microphone-stand theatrics and boozy bonhomie of the old days, replaced by a more intimate style that gracefully gives the material center stage. Only in the second half, a collection of Stewart hits (many of them covers as well), did he and the band cut loose in more stadium-friendly fashion.
But while that led to an energetic workout on "Hot Legs," a stirring rendition of "Forever Young" and entertaining audience sing-alongs on "You're in My Heart" and "Maggie May," it yielded an unfathomable drum solo in the midst of "Downtown Train" and a blaring guitar solo that tore the tender beauty of Cat Stevens' "First Cut Is the Deepest." To his credit, Stewart has struck a comfortable and productive accommodation with time (he's 61). He finds songs that he likes and sings them in a suitable style, honoring his own traditions as well as theirs.
If that erases the line between Tin Pan Alley and Gasoline Alley, so be it. To borrow a lyric from the man, he wears it well. ROD STEWART.
They don't write 'em like they used to ...
so he does the old ones. Seen Monday at the Nokia Theatre Times Square.
News RSS