My personal preference is to invest more time in listening to an album before committing to an opinion but this time around Iâm giving a âfirst impressionsâ view of Another Country. Iâm a little nervous about what I,and others, will think of my own words in a few monthsâŠbut letâs goâŠ.!
I know Rod is fit and of sound mental ability, but the time will come when a new album will be the final album. With that in mind we should cherish each one and enjoy it for what it is. Thatâs not to the point of saying its great if itâs not…but not judging it in an unnecessarily harsh fashion either. It canât be Every Picture tells a story. It wonât have been recorded in the Record Plant by a tight band who may be drunk and the lyrics are more likely to have been written on the porch with tea rather than in the pub with beerâŠbut itâs Rodâs voice, his melodies and his lyrics, all produced by the master himself. Itâs as authentic as it can be.In fact, since writing his autobiography Rod has had an âhonesty and open-nessâ attack â and weâre benefiting as he channels that into his new songs. In the corporate world people are most comfortable presenting on a topic they know well, itâs hard to speak confidently and sincerely about someone elseâs area of expertise. Maybe itâs the same for songwriting and singing â there is a depth and sincerity about these new songs, and those on Time, that would not always have been as evident when he was singing covers or writing about things not so close to home.
Time was welcomed with open arms, the return of a prodigal sonâŠthis one is different. There is some expectation now. Will it be too like Time or not enough like itâŠwill Rod have used the best of what inspiration he had left for Time and now give us leftovers? Kevin Savigar did say in 2013 that a lot of good ideas were left off Time due to, ahem, time pressures and might
be used on a future album. Iâm happy to report that he was right…read on!
Throughout Rodâs career there have been âpartnerâ albums. Every Pic and Never a dull moment, Atlantic Crossing and A Night on the town, even Songbooks I,II,III,IV and, yes, VâŠ. Time and Another Country fall into that bracket now. Both comprise mostly original, uplifting and positive lyrics,sound fresh and are well produced, have generous helpings of nostalgia &
sentimentality and personal themes abound. In many respects the new album picks up where the last one ended. If you liked Time it is hard not to like Another Country. That is not to say itâs a clone. Things have moved on. The lyrics are generally stronger, Rod is clearly more confident with some unexpected twists here and there (the Churchill sample on âWay back homeâ
being the most noteworthy), there is an even more Celtic feel to it and with few exceptions, there is a more real or organic sound â whilst no doubt the credits will show plenty of programming and drum machines, they are less obvious on most tracks than they would have been on Time. The themes of the songs are similarly personal but more varied. One minute heâs
recalling post-war London, the next calling in superheroes to get his son to sleep and then shifting to âraise hell when hell didnât need no raisinââ.
And so to the songsâŠ
âLove Isâ is an airy and lively opener and itâs certainly not a departure from the Rod style we know so well, and thatâs ok. Familiarity is a comfort. Up-tempo and melodic is always a winner for me and I like that Rod has enough lyric-generating juice left to support writing different wordsfor each chorus, as he did with âItâs Overâ a couple of years ago.
The boy has come a long way in how he speaks to the women in his life â from âStay with meâ to âTonightâs the nightâ and now âPleaseâ. The Faces hit was brash, confident and lacking in any empathy for the lady in question; she was instructed to be gone before breakfast. A few years later, on âTonightâs the nightâ, he was a bit more seductive and said all the right things, but still the verse about the following morningâs breakfast together was dropped from the final version (hear the outtake on Rhinoâs deluxe release) and we all still knew what he really wantedâŠbut roll on to 2015 and heâs a bit less cocksure of himself. He likes this woman and wants her but lacks the confidence to tell her to stay. And this time the promise of breakfast is made. How time changes things. There is a genuine emotional element to it all. Itâs not just lust this time. He
pleads lyrically and vocally. And the latter makes it a plea like few others could achieve. I wondered in 2013 whether the yelp on âSexual Religionâ was better left in the vault â but he has answered in no uncertain terms on âPleaseâ. He can still do it…and not just on a pro-tools-aided basis either. He has managed it live. A superb groove,excellent vocal performance and a cool intro. This song has grit and substance. In the days of hit singles, this would have been huge. Itâs the highlight of the album for me by some distance…and thatâs not to
denigrate the other songs in any way. It may be his best uptempo original since his collaborations with Andy Taylor on Out of Order. He has said it was the hardest track on the album to write..it was well worth the effort Rod.
Rod said he tried three different approaches to âWalking in the sunshineâ.The pre-release blurb described it as guitar-driven â maybe one of the other versions was as this one isnât really. Drum machine is front and centre in way that it was on the Savigar mix of âBeautiful Morningâ. Thing is, like much of both Time and the rest of Another Country, the uplifting mood and vibe is hard to resist. Is Rod Stewart the happiest man alive? He may well be. Lyrically, the balding guy in âLeglessâ is now prematurely grey and I like the line about how the weather âsuits his clothes…get it?
After a pacey opening trio Rod slows it down a bit with âLove and be lovedâ so we can catch our breath. Let me be frank for a moment: I donât particularly like reggae. That Rodâs back catalogue rarely crossed paths with the genre was fine by me. A small toe-dip with âSo soon we changeâ was enough to convince me that his talents were best used away from the all-sound-the-same-to-me genre. âLove and be lovedâ does little to change
that view. Itâs short which is a good thing and itâs different from the rest of the album, also a good thing. It is encouraging to see Rod still trying different things. And it is, of course, a positive song. What is not great about this song is the somewhat clichĂ©d lyric and the faintest hint of Rod actually trying a Jamacian accent at timesâŠoh dear. Oh yeah,and the old Joe with his reggae band down at the market in 1984âs âTroubleâ is now young Jimmy at the barâŠ
Many years ago when Rod released âYouâre in my heartâ some discussion ensued with regard to who or what the âyouâ actually was. A woman, a country, a soccer team or all three? There is no such doubt with âWe Can Winâ which lacks the subtlety of his 1977 hit. Itâs almost as barefaced as âOle Olaâ. By using a Glasgow Celtic chant as part of the track Rod has made this a very specific rather than universal anthem â had Scotland
qualified for next years European Championship (sorry on behalf of the Irish Rod) this track could have been considered as part of thatcelebration – but expecting Scottish Rangers fans to sing the Celtic-tinged song might have been be tricky. The pounding sound of 100 drums used on âHang on St Christopherâ has met its match on this one as Rod sings about one of his passions in life and whether everyone can identify with it or not, you canât deny itâs honesty and energy. And, yet again…itâs upbeat,happy and positive. Digressing a little: in some respects Rodâs newest albums are akin to self-help books on positivity. They could lift the mood of the nation.
When researching a blog about songs written for Rod by other artists a few years ago I read about Elton John offering âJust like Belgiumâ. It was said that Rod rejected it because he felt the words and music were not compatible. On first listen, this albumâs title track could face the same criticism. Itâs a serious topic but the feel is a bit Rod-lite. This is no
âGoodnight Saigonâ or Long Walk Home”. The instrumental break in the middle particularly grates in that context. A jig and pipes?! The guy is up a mountain thousands of miles from home. A reviewer once wrote that Rod Stewart writes lovely songs about love. He does. But this one strays a little into enemy territory and might be best left to Springsteen and Joel.
To top it all, the track is more than a little like âWhen we were the new boysââŠ.
It was when listening to this song I started wondering whether working almost exclusively with Kevin Savigar (he co-wrote more on this album than on Time) is the best thing for Rod. These songs have a âsoundâ and there is risk of sameness creeping in. Itâs a hard one to crack because Rod needs a collaborator with whom he is comfortable and Savigar clearly fits the bill,and has done since the eighties. By my count Kevin has co-writing credits on about fifty songs with Rod now (depending on the credits of the bonus tracks).
But for all that, Rod does sentimental and nostalgia really well and itâs hard to dislike this tune. Getting over the initial misgivings I realised Rod is not trying to make a statement about the politics of war or the grim reality of life on the front â he has written about the feelings of a man who just happens to be at war. Itâs another setting for the story of love.And to repeat, Rod writes lovely songs about love, so he does it well here too. Itâs well intentioned and, in not being autobiographical, brings some variety to proceedings. In an idle moment I wondered whether the use of this as the title track was part of the plan to win back the American market, half expecting management to start a phony war somewhere like that movie Wag the Dog so that Rod would get some airplay…
âWay Back homeâ is this albums âBrighton Beachâ in the sense that it travels way back in time for its source material. But itâs about the love of family and country as opposed to the love of a woman. Although it starts as a tender song about the love of his sister, patriotism kicks in and gets quite heavy as the song progresses – itâs a very British track. This is his
Knighthood songâŠif the Royals get a listen heâs surely on the next list..but I am not sure how this will go down in Germany, one of the biggest music markets in the world. Maybe they will edit Winston out for their version.
Itâs been a long time since Rod has written a love ballad like âCan we stay home tonightâ (âBrighton Beachâ is a different beast)…not since âNo holding backâ and âIf onlyâ, neither of which set the world alight. Whilst this new one is of a similar pace to those average songs, it has more substance. Itâs a mature love song with a hummable melody. The backing vocals remind me of Paul Youngâs 80âs singles, in a good way (which given that Mr. Young was usually covering soul classics means that it really gets its inspiration from those that inspired Paul which Rod might be more comfortable with me suggesting). Yet again Rod has foregone the standard chorus in favour of a single phrase hook. It is indicative of more effort in his writing this time around. Listening to this song, empathising with the emotion being expressed, I had a âhow the hell does he still do it?â moment…still churning out songs that will trigger emotions across the full spectrum. Itâs quite amazing really.
As a father of eight, itâs no surprise that Rod has again dipped into the well of parenting experience for another song. The likes of âMy Girlâ,âForever Youngâ and âPure Loveâ are now accompanied by…âBatman Superman SpidermanââŠAnd you know what, itâs not bad at all. My own three year old already loves it. [Who would have thought that by 2015 Rod would have two songs containing the word Superman in their titles added to his catalogue].The refrain of the title strays a little toward âGhetto Blasterâ cringe-territory, but just about works. It rambles along very nicely indeed and anyone who has or had young kids will probably have a wistful moment.But itâs also great ammunition for the critics. Rod can at times be accused
of being corny, cheesy or overly sentimental. On this album,for the first time in his career, I think Rod risked parodying himself in trying to give the fans what they want. The mid-section of the album with patriotic anthem, soccer chant and lullaby strays close to the self-parody threshold. It is a fine line. He stretches a toe over that line on occasion…but when
the lyrics are heartfelt and honest and the vocal delivery of such high quality, itâs not a sackable offence and he pulls it off. Most fans will love it, some critics may not. As it ever was and ever will be.
âThe Drinking Songâ is not enough to have Bob Dylanâs lawyer reaching for Arnold Stiefelâs number to suggest an arrangement like the one they had to reach for âForever Youngâ, but this chugs and rambles along in a way that recalls, for me, âThings have changedâ, a superb Dylan song from the nineties. This song might have a trite title and on first seeing it I was thinking it may be a filler track like âWhoâs gonna take me homeâ, not a
particularly exciting prospect. But Rod continues to surprise…this has a gritty groove and impressive guitar by, presumably, Emerson. The guitar playing, particularly the solo, sounds like blues-era Chris Rea (of âWindy Townâ fame)…very accomplished. Seeing Mr Swinfordâs name on the co-write credits did not inspire confidence I must admit (his two contributions to Time were on the weakest songs IMO), but boy was I wrong. I had felt sorry for Paul Warren being let go just when Rod was back to the real stuff, but this song really shows why Rod had to make that call. Just the simple playing during the verse about the tattooâs makes me want to laugh out loud itâs so good. Itâs worth mentioning here the crisp and clear production on this album too. Rod has so much space for his vocal, nothing cluttered.Great job. Rodâs lyrics on The Drinking Song are good (even the âtea and cakesâ reference which survived to the final cut unlike âburgers and friesâ which was dropped from âShe Makes Me happyâ). Itâs a short track and just begs for the repeat button. The guitar playing and general feel on this and on âPleaseâ give a tantalising hint at what a blues album might sound like with Emerson on the six-string. Maybe we wonât need to wait for Jeffâs mood to improve at allâŠ
If you can sit still and not smile during âHold the lineâ (not the Toto song), itâs too late to call the paramedics for you. It is even more upbeat and infectious than âLove isâ. Not sure how much of this, if any, Rod wrote, but it fits right in to the vibe and sound of the album. Any more fiddles and the album would have to be credited to âRod Stewart featuring JâAnna JacobyââŠshe clearly remains a core part of his sound now, as she did on Time. Similarly, the female backing vocalists feature heavily, as they do in concert.
On the albums closer, âA Friend for Liveâ, Rodâs vocal is clearly better than Steve Harleyâs. The lyrics are a bit off centre and not easily sungâŠsomewhat like âDowntown Lightsâ in that respect. Itâs another example of Rod picking something obscure and bringing it to a wider audience. Harley tried more than once to have a hit with this song but failed. Maybe Rod will make third time lucky for this gem. The words and melody have a quirkiness that Rodâs originals donât usually have. But thatâs why itâs nice to have him try covers like this. He does a fine job. But we knew he would didnât we?
Overall? Time hit me harder on first listen than Another Country did, but then I loved Vagabond Heart more, initially, than I did Out of Order and that preference changed over time…and I think that Time was so long coming that it was bound to have that immediate impact. There are many similarities between the two albums but what has moved on are the strength of the lyric writing, a confidence in trying new things and a generally less programmed sound. The weaker songs- relatively speaking, there is no filler here – are better than the weaker songs on Time and there are probably enough radio-friendly hits for BBC Radio Two to match the five singles they gave airplay to in 2013. The songs donât overstay their welcome and Iâve found myself replaying them over and over already.
In short, for me, Another Country has built nicely on Time, taking many of the best elements of its predecessor. I think most fans will love it and Rod should be very proud of it. He has yet again provided us with an honest and mood-enhancing collection of songs. It has been a great couple of years. Thirty-four new songs on two albums, with most of them written by Rod. Never saw that coming when looking at Songbook V on the shelf!
The timing of release is just right too…he has a week or two to hit the top before Adele takes overâŠand I think he will deservedly make it consecutive chart toppers.
He may have thanked Muddy, Sam and Otis, but I think we can just sincerely thank Rod.So, thank you Rod. Already looking forward to Volume III !!
Review By Pat Brett
Poster By Tommy Kevitt