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Rod
Stewart
It Had To Be You: The Great American Songbook
label: j-records
released: 10.15.02
our score: 2.0 out of 5.0
buy
it: here
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After Robbie
Williams wowed fans and critics with his number one crooning album
last Christmas, it was inevitable that somebody would take a leaf
out of that book this year.
And so step
forward Rod Stewart, ageing rocker with an emphatic history and
a longing to claw back some of his former glories. The marketing
gurus have so blatantly tried to match the Williams formula that
probably the only different between the two projects is that Stewart
will sell only a fraction of the albums that Williams managed
to. Even the sleeves of the CDs are remarkably similar. Stewart
wears a cheeky smile to give a relaxed and informal impression
with the top buttons of his shirt undone and his tie hanging untied
around his neck. Inside, other shots show Stewart hanging around
old-fashioned microphones in the same way that Williams did 12
months earlier. But make no mistake, this is no Swing When You’re
Winning. Firstly, the choice of songs is not as impressive and
embrace the pre-war musical classics of America rather than the
crooning classics Williams favoured. But despite the differing
musical styles, the basic theme is still the same and simply begs
the comparison.
It Had
To Be You features some glorious music and the piano,
cello and clarinet stand out in a different dimension to Stewart’s
gravelly voice. And this is really the heart of this album’s
failing. Stewart, who has a reputation built on his passion for
rock and his love life, is just not suited to this gentile, reflective
and explorative album. Songs such as "It Had To Be You,"
"That Old Feeling," "Every Time We Say Goodbye"
and "We’ll Be Together Again" all get this unusual
treatment from the Lifetime Achievement Ivor Novello winner.
The Scottish
football fan needs to be in the foreground if he is to be fully
appreciated but this is a full CD of background music. Lovers
of this style of music may be able to stomach it, and Rod’s
fans might be interested in it. But this idea really shouldn’t
have been conceived in the first place. It’s wrong.
14-Nov-2002 3:00 PM
If you
liked The Great American Songbook...
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Tracklist:
1. You Go To My Head
2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
3. The Way You Look Tonight
4. It Had To Be You
5. That Old Feeling
6. These Foolish Things
7. The Very Thought Of You
8. Moonglow
9. I'll Be Seeing You
10. Every Time We Say Goodbye
11. The Nearness Of You
12. For All We Know
13. We'll Be Together Again
14. That's All
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