Youth’s innocence is a force to be reckoned with. At least, Rod Stewart makes it so. His voice is raw and honest right from the title track, a sweeping ballad of a young world traveler. The covers (over half the album) are not filler: Stewart channels Bob Dylan and Tim Hardin without corruption, the string arrangements pairing effortlessly with their lyrics. He shines equally bright with his own songwriting: “Maggie May” is a worthy centerpiece, but the gorgeous “Mandolin Wind” is most memorable.
[“Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” “Maggie May,” “Mandolin Wind,” “Reason to Believe”]
10
1971, Mercury