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Rod Stewart - Soulbook
| Boston |
| Hey, isn’t it time to revisit classic soul? Rod Stewart thinks so, and who would argue with him? He has found the formula for eternal life in the music business. He recycled the jazz-pop hits of his parents’ generation in his “Great American Songbook’’ series, which sold a mind-boggling 19 million copies. And now he offers an album of soul hits from his own youth. The results are mixed and too dependent on slick ballads, with only a couple of uptempo tunes in Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher’’ and the O’Jays’ “Love Train.’’ Rod slows too many other songs down, from the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination’’ to Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World.’’ But he sings them from the heart and the respect is genuine. The guest cameos are very strong - Jennifer Hudson enlivens “Let It Be Me,’’ Stevie Wonder adds tasty harmonica fills to “My Cherie Amour,’’ and Mary J. Blige is spectacular on the Stylistics’ “You Make Me Feel Brand New,’’ as her passion overshadows Rod’s more tight-lipped effort. Rod could have stepped out more energetically on this album, but his gentlemanly approach still has its merits. Plus, it’s great to hear these songs again. (Out tomorrow)...full text |
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| Ew |
| After putting out five albums in five years between 2002 and 2006, Rod Stewart took a relative eternity to craft his latest set of hit-tune covers. Listening to Soulbook, you may wonder where all that time went. Though he's in fine, satisfyingly scratchy voice throughout, Stewart rarely brings anything new to these indelible R&B gems, especially when he duets with the original artists, as in a too-faithful rendition of ''Tracks of My Tears'' with Smokey Robinson. There's no doubting the love in that old heart of his, but Soulbook could've cut much deeper. C+...full text |
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| Nytimes |
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The British long ago made themselves curators of American R&B and soul as record collectors, disc jockeys and remake performers. Rod Stewart has been one of those remakers for decades. Since 2002 he has been releasing albums of tried-and-true songs: four “American Songbook” albums of Tin Pan Alley standards, a collection of rock oldies and now “Soulbook”: 1960s and ’70s hits from Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Motown and Philadelphia International Records. His new versions are respectful and careful, with his voice recorded in close-up. Compared to the originals, they are just about joyless. The songs get the elite treatment for “Soulbook.” Mr. Stewart worked with American producers and musicians — among them ’70s soul architects like Willie Mitchell, Al Green’s producer, who did some string arrangements — and guests including Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson....full text |
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