Rod the Mod Kinda Comes Back

Rod Stewart
Another Country
(Capitol)
In A Word: Mixed

The conventional wisdom on Rod Stewart – that he betrayed his prodigious talent in exchange for mere celebrity, reducing himself to a cultural punchline in the process – is largely accurate, but it isn’t quite complete. Although he’s spent much of the last dozen years turning out snooze-worthy covers albums that presented him with little creative challenge, the former Rod the Mod made a tentative return to the land of the living with 2013’s Time, an encouraging if not wholly inspired effort that marked his return to songwriting after a dry spell of nearly 20 years.

Another Country continues in a similar vein. Like its predecessor, it’s not the decisive creative comeback for which the artist’s fans long yearned. But it’s a sincere, fitfully compelling effort that offers some shreds of hope for patient Stewart admirers.

With Stewart co-producing and co-writing with longtime sideman Kevin Savigar, Another Country gracefully embraces some gratifyingly grown-up lyrical themes, but the polished, wishy-washy production of “Please,” “Walking in the Sunshine” and the lite-reggae “Love and Be Loved” do no favors for the material or for the artist’s distinctive rasp. He’s on more solid ground on the spare acoustic “Way Back Home,” a poignant memoir of growing up in post-World War II England that descends into unnecessary bombast. “Can We Stay Home Tonight?” and “Batman Superman Spiderman” successfully trade Rod’s old playboy persona for that of a devoted, domesticated dad. While the latter flirts with mawkish ickiness, Stewart’s sincerity wins out. Elsewhere, “Love Is” and “Hold the Line” tap successfully into a Celtic folk vein that recalls Stewart’s early solo work.

Consumers who pop for Another Country’s 15-track expanded edition also get an unexpectedly thrilling remake of “In A Broken Dream,” originally an early-’70s hit for Australian outfit Python Lee Jackson, thanks to Stewart’s guest vocal; and “Every Rock ‘n’ Roll Song To Me,” a silly novelty whose count-the-classic-song-titles gimmick is beneath Stewart’s talent.

Stewart is touring extensively, calling it “From Gasoline Alley to Another Country HITS 2016.” Dates and ticket info are here.

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Scott Schinder

Scott Schinder has written written about music and popular culture for various publications in the U.S. and overseas, including Rolling Stone, Creem, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Time Out New York, Newsday, Stereophile, Musician, Tower Pulse, New Musical Express, Melody Maker and Texas Music. He's also written several music-related books and liner notes for numerous CD reissues and box sets and has contributed essays and other pieces to several other books, including all six editions of The Trouser Press Record Guide.

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