Customer Reviews

Downtown Train

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very good compilation, even if incomplete. No one disc can contain all of Rod Stewart's hits, so you may want to get another of his greatest hit CDs, to supplement some songs that aren't on this CD. Strictly speaking, though, this CD has many great songs and I highly recommend it.

This hits collection may have first been considered only a way to get Rod Stewart's then-newest hits ("Downtown Train" and "This Old Heart of Mine") to those unable or unwilling to buy the 4CD "Storyteller" box. But its value lies in better songs, not necessarily biggest hits, from Stewart's previous 15 years.

Starting with Faces' rollicking "Stay With Me," the songs here reflect Stewart's roots and influences over cash-ins like "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Love Touch." They emphasize story songs ("Young Turks," "Killing of Georgie") and sensual, heartfelt rock ballads ("My Heart Can't Tell You No," "Tonight's The Night"). These show more conviction and passion than, say, "Passion" or certainly anything on "Blondes Have More Fun."

Stewart goes from whisper to shout on Tom Waits' "Downtown Train," giving a fine performance. But his duet with Ronald Isley on "This Old Heart of Mine" is touching. Both sang it before (Ronald w/the Isley Brothers) yet as they harmonize and trade lines -- Stewart with someone he no doubt admired and emulated as a young singer, Isley with a thoughtful, sometimes prodigal, soul disciple --you're comforted and saddened not just over the girl who gave "half a kiss," but the wistful joy in soul, especially 60s Motown that remind us, Rod Stewart here especially, of what we miss. Recommended.

Though it's only 12 songs this is a nice collection by Rod Stewart. For more of his work, though, you're better off with the Storyteller set. If you only need one cd to keep in the car or stereo cd player, this one is highly recommended.

Rod Stewart recorded most of his best music in the late 60s and early 70s. By the middle of the Me Decade, his work was already beginning to show the signs of fatigue that would eventually lead to his artistic irrelevance. That said, "Downtown Train," makes a nice companion piece to "The Mercury Anthology," the double disc collection that contains all of his best early stuff. The two together are easily a better value than the "Storyteller" anthology itself.

The best inclusion is "Stay With Me," the nasty little pop gem Stewart recorded with The Faces that is left off of most of his anthology albums. Also strong are his mid-70s ballad "Tonight's the Night," the disco era hit "Passion," the new wavish "Young Turks" and his fine Jeff Beck 80s collaboration "People Get Ready." On the downside is an inferior updated version of "I Don't Want to Talk About it" and the exclusion of the hits "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Hot Legs." Also on the downside is a flimsy CD booklet that contains no lyrics.

Overall, a passable collection of Rod Stewart tunes that was originally put together to highlight the title track.

Maybe it's just me, but I never get tired of hearing Rod sing... this album for me
comprises some of his best work.... musically, lyrically and vocally. There are some
songs that are timeless, but for me, ANYTHING Rod Stewart always works for me!

I used to always think how fabulous a live performer Rod was, but as I get older and
now just have the music to listen to as opposed to going to his concerts since his start
with Faces, I realize why I loved him so much then and still love his soulful and sexy
voice now more than ever.

His trademark voice and distinctive shock of sandy hair make Stewart one of the more recognizable rock stars from the '60's--and also one of the longest-lived, having recently reinvented himself as a pop concert singer. This compilation of a dozen tunes from his "Storyteller" anthology showcases him in various identities: a rock bad boy with his early "Stay With Me" ("Just don't be here in the morning when I wake up"), an activist with "The Killing of Georgie," a father with the supportive "Forever Young" (presumably written for daughter Kimberly), a lover with "My Heart Can't Tell You No" ("I don't want you to come 'round here no more sayin' you love me...") and "I Don't Want to Talk About It." There's also a great version of the Motown hit "This Old Heart of Mine" (sung with Ronald Isley, whose group first recorded it, and impossible to listen to without wanting to get up and dance) and two of my favorite Stewart tunes, the rock ballad "Young Turks" (about Billy and Patty, who ran away together because "there's nobody list'nin'") and "Downtown Train," along with a surprising go at the gospel-influenced Curtis Mayfield song "People Get Ready." I bought it on a venture because it was used and inexpensive, but I'm glad I did.

I really liked this cd. I have always liked Rod Stewart and this is definitely a great cd. He has style all his own. This is some of his best ever!!

"Rod Stewart" has numerous collections out, but of them all I got this one. Obviously it's missing alot of hits, but it just happens to include most of my favorites. It also seems to have a few songs from each decade of his popularity, the 70's thru the 90's, which is nice. "Stay With Me" and "Tonight's The Night (gonna be alright)" are old hits. "Passion" and "Young Turks" are good disco/80's era tunes. Plus some recent stuff with "Forever Young" and "I Don't Want To Talk About It". It's only 12 tracks long, but that's two more than the old "Greatest Hits" album. Of course other collections have other songs, but for me, I'll catch the "Downtown Train".

This CD would make an excellent companion to The Story So
Far: The Very Best of Rod Stewart, which is a deluxe edition
limited series two CD set that was released in 2001. The
reason is the two CD set doesn't include tracks that are
essentials to any Stewart collection, namely Passion,
Infatuation, People Get Ready, Forever Young, My Heart Can't
Tell You No. and Downtown Train. This CD also includes a different version of I Don't Want To Talk About It and
This Old Heart of Mine than the The Story So Far. Do yourself
a favor and buy the limited deluxe edition pressing of The
Very Best of Rod Stewart if you buy this CD, because even
though both CDs contain six common tracks, two of the common
tracks are different versions, so duplication is a case in
only four of the twelve tracks.
Rod Stewart's raspy soulful voice carries this album from
beginning to end. If you buy this CD, which is basically a
stripped-down version of his Storytellers Boxed Set release,
and The Story So Far, you will get probably every essential
Stewart track you need. I can only rate this four stars,
because even though the track selection is excellent, it's
a fairly limited scope of his solo career. Many significant
tracks are missing on this collection. The CD itself runs
~58 minutes. This CD is basically an cross-section of his
work from the early years to about 1989. Neither CD title
I mentioned is really complete without the other. I would
recommend purchasing this if you're a new Stewart fan as
an introduction, or if you're an older Stewart fan who must
have every title released by Stewart. I wouldn't recommend
it for those who are looking for a comprehensive overview
of Stewart's career, the Storytellers Boxed Set is probably
more to your liking in that case.

I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THIS IS THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO A ARTIST OF SUCH CALIBRE(EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY OR NEVER A DULL MOMENT WOULD TAKE THAT SLOT)BUT IT IS STILL A DETAILED PICTURE OF WHO ROD STEWART IS. ROD STEWART IS AN ARTIST WHO CAN TAKE AN ESTABLISHED SONG AND RECREATE IT TO THE POINT THAT IT FEELS AS IF YOU ARE HEARING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME THEN HE CAN TURN AROUND AND CREATE A MASTER COMPOSITION FROM HIS OWN PEN. PERFECT EXAMPLES OF HIS INTERPRETIVE POWERS ARE THE CURTIS MAYFIELD GOSPEL PLEA OF "PEOPLE GET READY" WHICH SOARS WITH A NEW SOULFUL ROCK EDGE COMPLEMENTED BY THE INSPIRED RIFF MASTERY OF ROD'S OLD MATE JEFF BECK. ROD THEN TAKES TOM WAITS "DOWNTOWN TRAIN" AND BOOSTS THE MELODIC POTENTIAL RESULTING IN A CONTAGIOUS POP GEM BRIMMING WITH AN ECSTATIC ENTHUSIASM. "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT"(A ROD ORIGINAL)IS A LAID BACK SLICE OF LYRICAL AND MUSICAL SEDUCTION("THE SECRET IS ABOUT TO UNFOLD...UPSTAIRS BEFORE THE NIGHTS TOO OLD CAUSE' TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!)THAT WILL HAVE YOU SINGING ALONG TO ITS INFECTIOUS CHARM. ROD THEN TACKLES A KALEIDOSCOPE OF EMOTIONS FROM THE BALLAD HEARTBREAK DENIAL OF "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT" TO THE DON'T GIVE UP COURAGEOUS VISION OF "YOUNG TURKS"("DON'T LET THEM PUT YOU DOWN DON'T LET THEM PUSH YOU AROUND"). DOWNTOWN TRAIN ALSO FEATURES THE SUNNY AND UPLIFTING "THIS OL' HEART OF MINE" WITH RON ISLEY AND THE DISCO POP FLAVORED YEARNINGS OF "PASSION". SO KICK OFF THOSE SHOES AND DISCONNECT THE TELEPHONE LINE... JUST RELAX BABY (TO QUOTE THE ROD MEISTER) AND ENJOY A TRIP ON THAT DOWNTOWN TRAIN. YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!

O.F.