Rod Stewart

As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II

Too much of a mediocre thing

Review Score:

(4/10)
It is one thing to hear one of these tunes occasionally on an adult contemporary radio station. Whenever I did my reaction was usually "Well, isn't that interesting!" It is quite another thing to listen to an entire album of this stuff. Given the dismal vocal performances on this one I'm afraid I would have to classify this latest offering from Rod Stewart to be just short of awful. Whose idea was this anyway? When I see heavy hitters like Richard Perry, Clive Davis and Phil Ramone producing this album I would certainly expect better. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these arrangements. The raspy and at times annoying voice of Rod Stewart simply does not cut it. Why in the world would anyone want to listen to Rod Stewart mess around with "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" when you could just as easily enjoy the great Al Hibbler belting this one out with the Duke Ellington Orchestra? And Stewart's rendition of "Smile" certainly makes one yearn for the soothing tones of the late Nat King Cole. This CD proves that new is not always necessarily better. I also found Rod's version of the Flamingos classic "I Only Have Eyes For You" to be just plain atrocious!! If there is a highlight on this disc it would have to be the duet with Queen Latifah. It is clearly Stewart's best vocal performance on this disc and Queen Latifah proves that she is more than capable of singing this kind of material. At the end of the day if you are in the mood to hear some classics from "The Great American Songbook" go find yourself some of the originals. And as for Rod Stewart what's next? Classic country?

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