The Definitive Rod Stewart (Warner Bros. Records DVD/CD Set)

 

Picture: C     Sound: B-     Extras: B-     Music: B-

 

 

At one time, Rod Stewart was one of the greatest voices in Rock Music, but by the Disco era, he decided to try and be Linda Ronstadt, switching genres for the best commercial effect, but following trends instead of bucking them as she did.  The Definitive Rod Stewart is now available as a three-disc set that shows his slow decline more than anything, from his early peak at Mercury Records with classics like Maggie Mae, to riotous classics like Hot Legs and other hits that were not as strong, but wildly successful.  Unfortunately, the set never lives up to its name.

 

The CDs have 31 songs, including a new, forgettable song called Two Shades Of Blue.  The idea of him doing lounge music never worked for this critic and many others.  Like the overrated Storyteller CD set, you get a very uneven portrait of the man, albeit shorter.  So the thing that really should set this apart is the DVD and though most of his great Videos are here, some are conspicuously missing.  Those present include:

 

1)     Sailing

2)     I Don’t Want To Talk About It

3)     The Killing Of George (Part I & II)

4)     The First Cut is The Deepest

5)     You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)

6)     Hot Legs

7)     Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?

8)     Ain’t Love A Bitch

9)     She Won’t Dance With Me Tonight

10)  Young Turks

11)  Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)

12)  Baby Jane

13)  If We Fall In Love Tonight

14)  Ohh La La

 

 

So what is not here?  The notoriously shallow, silly Love Touch from the bad 1980s film Legal Eagles is missing, but we could caulk that up to rights at a different company.  People Get Ready with Jeff Beck from one of Beck’s albums is at another record label, so we understand that, but how can this set be definitive when Infatuation and Some Guys Have All The Luck (both on the CD) are not on the DVD?  Did MTV have the only copies and wear them out?  We doubt it, though I would love to ask the directors of those clips.  Plus, the directors of each clip are not even listed!

 

For the record, Bruce Gowers (Queen, 10CC) helmed the first eight clips, Mike Mansfield (Adam Ant, Art Of Noise) took on #9, Russell Mulcahy (The Motels, Duran Duran, Billy Joel, Elton John) did #s 10 & 11, Steve Barron (Human League, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson) did #12, Rocky Schenck (Alice In Chains) pulled off #13 and Randee St. Nicholas (Whitney Houston’s remake of I’m Every Woman) made the last one.  Stewart even made many others, which deserve their own set.

 

The other problem with the Videos are that they do not look as good as they could, especially the later filmed ones that were obviously finished on analog video.  The older videos actually look better with more consistent color.  Hot Legs is my favorite of the older clips and Baby Jane was one of the most expensive Videos in its time and was an attempt to maybe catch the Bette Davis Eyes wave.  It also reminds us of the first-rate treatment Warner was giving to Stewart, who was selling a bunch of records, though that song ironically was not a big hit.  All are 1.33 X 1, though some clips are letterboxed 1.85 X 1 or the like.  PCM 16/48 2.0 Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD are the audio options and I liked the PCM better, including better than the disappointing PCM 16/44.1 2.0 Stereo CD sound on the CDs, which sound compressed and limited.  What were they thinking?

 

Extras include the DVD, which we count as such since versions without the DVD have been issued.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo