Track Listing

1. It's The Same Old Song
2. My Cherie Amour Featuring Stevie Wonder
3. You Make Me Feel Brand New Duet with Mary J. Blige
4. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
5. Tracks Of My Tears Featuring Smokey Robinson
6. Let It Be Me Duet with Jennifer Hudson
7. Rainy Night In Georgia
8. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
9. Love Train
10. You've Really Got A Hold On Me
11. Wonderful World
12. If You Don't Know Me By Now
13. Just My Imagination
14. Only The Strong Survive
15. Never Give You Up

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20 in Music
• Released on: 2009-11-09
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
With an estimated 250 million in album and single sales, Rod Stewart is one of the most successful performers of all time. Grammy Award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart releases Soulbook, a collection of classic sixties/seventies-era soul favourites, all newly recorded by the quintessential “blue eyed soul” singer of our generation. Rod’s Grammy-Award winning recordings of the Great American Songbook have sold over 19 million albums and is the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history. With the same passion, Rod approaches some of the greatest soul songs ever written. The album features two stunning superstar duets, one with Mary J. Blige joining Rod on the Stylistics’ 70s hit “You Make Me Feel Brand New” and the other with Jennifer Hudson on “Let It Be Me,” inspired by the Jerry Butler/Betty Everett duet. In addition, soul great Smokey Robinson guests on “Tracks of My Tears” which he made famous as a member of the Miracles who recorded that track in 1965, and musical giant Stevie Wonder accompanies Rod on harmonica on his massive 1969 hit “My Cherie Amour.”

Customer Reviews

Sing It Again Rod
Rod Stewart is no stranger to soul music. Over the years he has successfully covered, and laid claim to some definitive versions of classics such as "Twisting The Night Away", "You Send Me", "I Know I`m Losing You" and "This Old Heart Of Mine" to name but a few. Indeed, his own interpretation of "You Keep Me Hanging On" is one of the greatest things he`s ever recorded.
So it is with much anticipation that this, a complete album of soul classics, is received.
This is not a good album, but it`s not a bad album either. Like it`s predecessor, the highly enjoyable "Songbook", this is another `music by numbers` affair in which every track is meticulously arranged and produced and never strays too far from the originals.
Die-hard fans will buy it for their collection and this continuous trend towards `shopping-mall friendly` music will endear him to many new listeners too.
Vintage fans will be rueing a missed opportunity at what might have been.
Another safe album from Rod to enjoy but greater risks would have reaped greater rewards.

One of the best Rod Stewart albums
This is a well produced album with Rod sounding quite smooth and adding his own individual touch to all these well known soul hits.
What I really like about this album is that he hasn't strayed away from the original sound of the songs, he has just added his voice
to more or less the same music as it sounded back in the last few decades. For me this is a rare touch of genius because I love Rod's voice, and also the original music by Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder etc.,so there no hanky panky with the arrangements and this means I can sing along knowing what to expect. Sometimes when singers add their own arrangements to well known songs, they make a complete mess of it.
I know I will be able play this album in the future without wanting to skip a song, an album filled to the brim with quality..

A Labour Of Love
Did you watch 'Rod Stewart : One Night Only' on TV tonight ?
I did and it was a strangely emotional experience; I found
myself moist-eyed on more than one occasion (SOPPY OLD WOLF!!).
What is it about the guy ? The easy bonhomie? The self-deprecating charm?
The laddish (at 63!) larking around? The sweet-soul voice?
All this and more goes into making him the legend that he is.

There is a little history here for me and some good memories.

I bought his solo debut 'An Old Raincoat Will Never Let You Down'
in 1969 and played Mike D'Abo's 'Handbags and Gladrags' until I
wore the track out; saw him for the first time at the Weeley festival
near Clacton-On-Sea in 1971 ( 3 days in the middle of a very smelly field!)
and was waiting outside my local record store before it opened one
morning in the summer of the same year to buy 'Every Picture Tells A Story'.
He is an unerasable and precious part of the soundtrack to my adolescent years.
(I think that - along with a good few of my peers - I even
shared an approximate version of his haircut for a while!)

'Soul Book' no-longer finds Mr Stewart at the top of his game.
To expect more than he is able to give us, however, would be unreasonable.

The voice is still in pretty good shape none-the-less.
The magic is in the phrasing and the interpretation of this wonderful
bunch of songs. What he lacks in power he more than makes up for in
emotional delivery. Peerless performances despite his limitations.


Mr Stewart has gone back in time to re-consider some of the classic
songs which fueled and fired his musical imagination.
The thirteen tracks in this collection represent a true labour of love.

'It's The Same Old Song' kicks the show off in fine fettle;
the slow beginning a beguilingly deceptive introduction
to the fabulously faithful full-on production which follows.

Guess who's playing harmonica on 'My Cherie Amour' ?
(You only get one go !)

The duet with Mary J Blige on 'You Make Me Feel Brand New' is
absolutely stunning. Pure chemistry. Pure magic.
So too the sentimental but uplifting take on 'Let It Be Me'
with the redoubtable Jennifer Hudson.

Mr Stewart's account of 'Rainy Night In Georgia' demonstrates
his innate understanding of the genre. Understated, perfectly paced
and simply beautiful to listen to. Pure class.

'Love Train' is a hoot and how could it not be ?
"People all over the world join in. Start a love train - love train"
Why not indeed ? We could all use one for sure !

A favorite track ? Hmmm ... tricky!
OK ... it's got to be 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?'
An affectionate tribute to Mr Ruffin's great, great song.

The album appears to have attracted a few negative reviews.
In a very long career there will always be highs and lows.
From my point of view I can only applaud and give thanks
that Rod Stewart is still among the living and on this
evidence doing just fine. Very fine indeed in fact!

Highly Recommended.