Thursday, January 21, 2010

Today's cd/It Had To Be You - Rod Stewart


Oh, do I love this album! I've been a fan of Mr. Stewart's for as long as he's been singing. One of my earliest favorites was Drinkin' Again which he did with the Jeff Beck group. I just recently learned that the lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer. So, in a way, Rod Stewart is coming full circle here with the standards; 'the great American songbook.' He does, as they say, make the songs his own, as do all the best singers. Some of the titles are: They Can't Take That Away From Me, Every Time We Say Goodbye, That's All, and a song I've raved about in my letters here and here and here, You Go To My Head. I want to buy the other volumes in this collection.

When I use the words, 'today's cd,' that's actually the truth. I put a cd into my Bose on repeat, and it plays all day long. I love to immerse myself in one album this way.

Here's a video of Rod Stewart singing one of the songs, The Way You Look Tonight.

18 comments:

  1. Hi Nan just dropping by to say hi and thank you for your lovely comment on Random. Been a generally emotional week all round and I feel exhausted at the moment so no posting today. Already planning my trip to Australia though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Planning a trip is always a fun thing, Elaine!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I enjoy Rod Stewart too...sounds like a great way to get acquainted with the music!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Nan: Stewart has really re-invented himself with these new recordings, hasn't he? Such fun to listen to and re-learn the words to all those great old songs.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Something we have in common - Rod Stewart is one of my favourites too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this one too. I think he has gotten better as he has gotten older.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this song so much. Thanks for sharing this. I needed to hear it. Was a hard day. I'll send an email later. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have two of his CD's in the American Songbook series. I love, love, love them! Who would have thought when he was singing Maggie May that he would one day be singing the classics. Not me! Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh yes, I love the way he reinvented himself, but also liked his back in the day music a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yet another thing we have in common! I love that voice and when he sings 'I Don't Want to Talk About It' I just want to turn the sound up as loud as possible and wallow! Yesterday on the radio somebody played Sailing and said, 'It's one of those songs small children know even though they've never heard it.' Of course I like the good old days in the Faces...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I just love the songs and have done for years! When I was a teenager in England, I actually danced next to Rod Stewart!!! Yes I did. It was in a club in Bradford, he was there with his friend singer Long John Baldry, I wonder if you have heard of him?He made his career in Canada but was never as successful as Stewart
    Talk about 'long ago and far away'

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ditto, Nan. This is one fabulous album of ditties by one of my favorite hunks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm so glad the Great American Songbooks are still around, reaching a new audience with more beautiful interpretations.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm just thrilled so many of you wrote, and like Rod S. as much as I do.

    Staci, the thing I loved about the video (besides him of course!) was the youngish people in the audience. I love that 1. they went to see him and 2. they either care for or are learning to love the old standards. They are my constant companions sung and played by a lot of different people.

    Bookish, he really did an excellent job with these songs, and now I see he has a soul cd out. I've got a 2006 cd where he does the 'rock classics' - Still the Same, Fooled Around and Fell in Love, Crazy Love, - it's a great album. I should offer it as a 'today's cd' sometime.

    Booksplease, that's great!

    Yolanda, I feel that way about several artists. I suppose when one is a singer, the experiences of life make the voice and the depth of expression that much better.

    Kay, I'm sorry it wasn't a good day. It's a wonder to me how music can change the feeling of a day or a situation. Waiting to hear from you.

    Debbie, which ones do you have? I do love Maggie May - two of my favorite names in one song. :<)

    Susan, me too. I love it all. Have you ever heard Drinkin' Again with Jeff Beck? Oh, what a song. I should try and find it on youtube.

    Callmemadam, I tear up just thinking of that song. I love all his love songs. Tonight's the Night, The First Cut is the Deepest, You're in My Heart (which may be my most favorite of all), Some Guys Have All the Luck, on and on and on. I just love him.

    K, I can't believe it!!!! What a great memory! Lucky you. I haven't heard of Baldry, but went to amazon and read this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Long-John-Baldry/e/B000AR8ME4/
    ref=ac_dpt_sa_bio

    He played with EVERYBODY, including Rod S. Those blues guys over there at that time were just amazing. Korner, Mayall, etc. Whew. Tom was way into all of them and brought me along. Thank you for mentioning him, and for your star story. :<)

    Mytwocentsworth, so true!

    ReplyDelete
  15. WONDERFUL AND THANKS, NAN!

    Have you ever heard of Pandora.com? Go there and type Rod Stewart and you will hear Rod et al all day long!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. So glad you liked it, Gigi! I can't do Pandora because my satellite connection is too slow for it, and it would take up all my download time. (if that makes a bit of sense to you lucky ones with high high high speed internet!)

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is one of my all-time favorite songs! I like Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, James Taylor and Tony Bennett's versions, but my favorite is Frank's. I just came back from watching a bunch of You Tube clips and thoroughly enjoyed the clip of Fred & Ginger here in Swing Town.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Les, a few years ago I gave Margaret a 5-dvd set of Fred and Ginger, and Swing Time is one of them. I recently borrowed the movies and plan to watch them soon. I LOVE Fred A. who also does a pretty nice version of The Way You Look Tonight on a cd called 'Steppin' Out - Astaire Sings' -great album.

    ReplyDelete

I'll answer your comments as soon as I possibly can. Please do come back if you've asked a question.
Also, you may comment on any post, no matter how old, and I will see it.