A(nother) forgotten classic

Before entering the realm of spiky, bottle-blonde hair and pink jumpsuits, Rod Stewart turned out a handful of magnificent folk-rock records, beginning with "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down" (titled "The Rod Stewart Album" in the US), and ending with 1972's "Never A Dull Moment".



Essentially a reprise of "Every Picture Tells A Story"'s eclectic mix of rock, folk, blues and country, this fine album may contain fewer recognized classics, but song for song it is almost as sublime as its predecessor.

It opens with the tough electric "True Blue", before moving on to the driving, acoustic folk-rock of "Lost Paraguayos" and a superb, soulful cover of Dylan's "Mama You Been On My Mind".



"Never A Dull Moment" is Stewart's hardest-rocking album up to that point, featuring the Stonesy "Italian Girls", a swaggering, bluesy take on Hendrix's "Angel", and the "Maggie May"-follow-up "You Wear It Well".

"I'd Rather Go Blind" is a sublime interpretation of the Etta James-tune, and the album finally winds down with a great, swinging cover of one of Sam Cooke's best songs, "Twisting The Night Away".



The originals and the covers are equally effective, making "Never A Dull Moment" a masterful record.

4 1/2 stars. Rod Stewart never got quite this good ever again.

my personal favorite

Many people under the age of 45 are unaware that until the mid-70's, Rod Stewart was taken quite seriously. He rather lost his way after that (as did most everyone else), but his first four albums were remarkably original and enduring syntheses of folk, rock, soul and R&B. "Every Picture" and "Never A Dull Moment" stand as his peak achievements. Because "Every Picture" was such a watershed, "Never" tends to get overlooked, but it offers similar rewards and is my personal favorite. Stewart's sublime cover of "I'd Rather Go Blind" alone is worth the price of admission. If you're a Rod Stewart fan, you shouldn't miss it. Enjoy.

Rod Stewart's Last Great One For A Few Years

NEVER A DULL MOMENT is the equal of his first three albums, and is the last album where he really seemed to care about the album as a whole for a few years. Songs like "True Blue" express the feelings of having succeeded at anything but having a secret pining for "good old days"; thus, for me this song sums up my 1993 decision to reject newer rock music in favor of the older stuff. "You Wear It Well" is about lost love and/or a blown friendship, and it also describes how I feel now about having refused to go on a trip that would have given me a chance for physical exercise. There are also the requisite Dylan and Sam Cooke covers here. Stewart didn't really sing his heart out again for an entire album until 1975's ATLANTIC CROSSING, 1976's A NIGHT ON THE TOWN, 1977's FOOTLOOSE & FANCY FREE, 1981's TONIGHT I'M YOURS and his 90s albums VAGABOND HEART, UNPLUGGED...AND SEATED, SPANNER IN THE WORKS, and WHEN WE WERE THE NEW BOYS. However, it seemed here that he would always remain true to his roots in the Memphis-Chicago-Texas-St. Louis-Muscle Shoals-Detroit blues/R&B/soul axis, old-time country music, and American and British Isles folk styles.