Jonmc defends the indefensible, Part IV. →[More:] I'd like to call your attention to the rooster haired Scotsman who's name has become (somewhat justifiably) synonymous with 'carrerist hack,' Rod Stewart Yeah, he's married himself a ton of starlets and cranked out some dreck, but none of that negates the fact that he has one of the great rock and roll voices and the astronomical heights his best work reaches. he sang some of the best British Blooze with Jeff beck, laid the groundwork for the Replacements with the Faces (Paul westerberg, among otherts has cited them as a major influence) and did some startlingly good work on his own. So whatever you think of what he's up to now, you can't front on his previous work. respect must be paid.

Jeff Beck Group - You Shook Me. This shows both Beck and Stewart (to say nothing of Ronnie Wood and Mick Waller) at the peak of their powers. If you think of Rod as a balladeer, this shows that he knows what to do with nasty blues rock as well.

Faces - Stay With Me. The gleeful drunken abandon with which the boys approach this song (especially Rod's vocals) make this number still the best boy's-night-out-on-the-prowl song of all time.

Rod Stewart - Every Picturer Tells A Story. This is the song that proves that there was more to his solo career than glitz and starlets. This number shows an incredibly eye for detail, and a vulnerability missing from much of his later work, not to mention a tremendous vocal performance.

So no matter what else he ever does, Rod The Mod's place in my personal pantheon is secure.