Music Review: Stewart mines Four Tops, Sam Cooke and more on latest cover album ‘Soulbook’

Music Review: Rod Stewart bares soul on ‘Soulbook’

Rod Stewart, “Soulbook” (J Records)

Rod Stewart reinvented himself in the new millennium by exercising his distinctly soulful pipes on classic standards with his “Great American Songbook” collection. Now he returns to his soul roots on “Soulbook,” a thirteen-song collection that represents the soul sounds of Philadelphia, Memphis, and Motown.

Stewart kicks things off with a dramatic rendition of the Four Tops classic, “It’s the Same Old Song” and between that and the last song, he honors soul music’s greats, including The O’Jays, the Temptations, and Sam Cooke. And while it’s a pretty good record, it does have a few minor bumps.

Whenever an artist covers somebody else’s material, it’s important that they offer something fresh in return, and for the most part Stewart delivers. But some of the arrangements are too close to the originals. No one will ever confuse Stewart with Jimmy Ruffin on “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted,” or Brook Benton on “Rainy Night in Georgia,” but he breaks no new ground on either song.

Stewart gets some help on the record from the top echelons of the R&B community. Mary J. Blige joins him on The Stylistics classic, “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” while Jennifer Hudson shares the mic on “Let It Be Me.” Smokey Robinson even makes an appearance as Stewart remakes his Miracles’ classic, “The Tracks of My Tears.”

Such high profile guest artists sometimes leave the listener wanting more, especially on “My Cherie Amour.” Here, Stevie Wonder joins Stewart, and the only thing that the duet accomplished for me was making me want to hear Wonder sing it himself.

On the production side, Steve Tyrell is back at the helm (he did Stewart’s American Songbook collections). Adding to the soul vibe is Grammy-winning engineer Al Schmitt. Along with Tyrell, he works the boards to lend an authentic feel without losing the sound of Stewart’s velvety touch. No surprise since the legendary Schmitt was Sam Cooke’s original producer, and has won dozens of honors. He’s the right guy to pull this kind of soul project, especially when it’s of the blue-eyed variety.

With that said, the album will no doubt please the Rod Stewart fan, as well as those seeking quality easy-listening. But will the appreciation of the traditional soul music fan be a bit more fickle?

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The minimalist opening of “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” ahead of its rich arrangement offers the perfect blend of dramatic flair on the record.