Before diving into pop music, the British singer was part of the relevant Jeff Beck Group and Faces, as well as developing good solo albums
Rod Stewart remember Roberto Carlos in certain aspects. Both were close to rock at the beginning of their careers, but abandoned the genre in search of a more popular — and, of course, more profitable — approach.
The Englishman, born on January 10, 1945, built a fascinating career until the mid-1970s. From then on, his career was marked by a series of questionable works — and some slightly cheesy moments that curiously have some quality.
Beginnings with the Jeff Beck Group
Still in the 1960s, Stewart appeared in the Jeff Beck Groupwith the talented and now deceased guitarist who gave the project its name. The albums Truth (1968) and Beck-Ola (1969) make a very concrete link between blues rock and psychedelic. It is less lysergic than Jimi Hendrix Experience and less bluesy than Cream.
Gene Simmonsverbose vocalist and bassist of Kissgoes so far as to say that the Jeff Beck Group was superior to the contemporary Led Zeppelin when they both emerged. THE Guitar Worldstated:
“Ronnie Wood is very little appreciated. He’s better at bass than guitar [instrumento que assumiria no Faces e Rolling Stones]. For those who want to improve (on bass), I recommend listening to the first albums by the Jeff Beck Group – Truth and Beck-Ola. In my opinion, they kill anything Led Zeppelin and other bands released in the same period.”
Faces and solo career
Both works by the Jeff Beck Group were more successful in the United States than in the United Kingdom, the homeland of the musicians involved. The good image outside Europe served satisfactorily for the creation of Facesproject formed after the end of Small Faces and with Rod Stewart on vocals, in addition to Ronnie Wood now on guitars.
More blues-oriented, Faces existed for only six years, but it was enough to produce four good studio albums. The highlight is A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse (1971).
At the same time, Stewart had been working on a solo career since 1969. He took even more intelligent advantage of the good reputation he had gained in the United States to launch there.
The sound of his solo career contained elements of the bands he was part of. However, it added an American flavor based on both folk and country, in addition to the hard/blues rock that it practiced conventionally.
The result could not be different: from the excellent album Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), Stewart achieved success once and for all in America and, consequently, in the world. And he achieved this without compromising on quality, as there are many excellent songs on these early records.
All albums involving English until A Night on the Town (1976) are worth noting. Even his occasional dips into pop during this period yielded pleasant listening results.
From the second half of the 1970s, Rod was seduced by disco music and, in the long term, by pop. Over time, he shaped his image to become, finally, a crooner — not exactly of jazz, but of popular songs. He has remained active in recent times more with reinterpretations than original songs, even those signed by other collaborators.
The merits of Rod Stewart
It’s worth emphasizing that Rod Stewart was never the composer type — so much so that most of his solo work, especially in the early years, brings together covers and external collaborations. But he had (and continues to have) an above-average interpretation capacity, in addition to being a good producer and knowing how to adapt existing songs into his own versions.
He is not only the singer that rock lost, but also the crooner that Elvis Presley would become had he not died in 1977. However, it is not possible to criticize his transition to more popular and not so memorable sounds: the bank account was grateful, as he became one of the best-selling artists in the history of music, with 100 million copies marketed.
Even in pop, Stewart proved himself to be different. Still, curiosity strikes: what if he had continued in the same vein as he did between 1968 and 1976?
Recommended albums:
- Jeff Beck Group: Truth (1968) and Beck-Ola (1969)
- Faces: A Nod Is as Good as a Wink… to a Blind Horse (1971) and Ooh La La (1973)
- Solo career: Gasoline Alley (1970), Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), Never a Dull Moment (1972) and Atlantic Crossing (1975)
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
