Rod Stewart

The magnificent catarrh has a new album, Smiler, and it contains what by now you would
expect: several energetic new examples of the Stewart/Wood world view, a couple of
boozy renditions of classic R&B standards, a sentimental soundalike of Rod's smasheroo
"Maggie May," at least two ho-hum instrumental interludes lasting an average of less than a
minute, plus at least one good old Dylan song and maybe a stray ballad or two. T... More >

Except for an embarrassingly unnatural "Natural Man" (that's right, Aretha's), the failure here is elusive, but that doesn't make it any less real--spiritual tone, energy, horns, something like that. For me, the better part of valor is to give up before the Elton John track wears out the way the Sam Cooke stuff and "Dixie Toot" already have. (Grade: B-)