Rod Stewart - SPANNER IN THE WORKS |

Personnel includes: Rod Stewart, Aleisha Irving (vocals); Guy Pratt (acoustic guitar, bass); Davey Johnstone (guitar, mandolin); Steve Lipson (guitar, bass); Robin LeMesurier, Michael Landau (guitar); Donal Lunny (bouzouki); Don Teschner (fiddle, mandolin); Ni Chathasaigh (Irish fiddle); John McSherry (bagpipes); Leslie Butler (harmonica); Kevin Savigar (accordion, keyboards, bass); Martin O'Conner (accordion); The Kick Horns (horns); Jamie Muhoberac (piano, keyboards, percussion); Anne Dudley (piano); Mike Higham (keyboards, bass, programming); James Newton-Howard (keyboards); Leland Sklar, Carmine Rojas (bass); Paul Robinson, Kenny Aronoff, David Palmer (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Eric Caudieux (programming); Joe Turano, Joey Diggs (background vocals); Lol Creme, Andy Taylor, David Lindley Billy Preston, Bernard Edwards, Trevor Horn, Jeff Golub, Tim Pierce.
Producers include: Trevor Horn, James Newton-Howard, Michael Ostin, Lenny Waronker, Rod Stewart.
Engineers: Tim Weidner, Steve MacMillan, Charlie Bouis.
Recorded at Woodstock House, Co. Wicklow, Ireland; Herschel House, Hollywood, California; A&M Studios and Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles, California.
Personnel: Rod Stewart (vocals); Aleisha Irving (vocals); Davey Johnstone (guitar, mandolin); Robin LeMesurier, Jeff Golub, Jim Cregan , Lol Creme, Michael Landau, Andy Taylor, Tim Pierce (guitar); Guy Pratt (acoustic guitar); David Lindley, D?nal Lunny (bouzouki); Don Teschner (mandolin, fiddle); Maire Ni Chathasaigh (fiddle); Anne Dudley (strings, piano); Kevin Savigar (strings, keyboards); John McSherry (pipe); Leslie Butler (harmonica); M?irt?n O'Connor (accordion); J. Neil Sidwell, Lenny Pickett , Nick Lane, Rick Braun, Roddy Lorimer, David Woodford, Simon Clarke, Tim Sanders (horns); Billy Preston (organ); Mike Higham, James Newton Howard, Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards); Dee Palmer, Frank Ricotti, Paul Robinson, Kenny Aronoff (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Joe Turano, Fred White , Joey Diggs, Joseph Powell, Lamont VanHook, Oren Waters, Terry Young, Trevor Horn (background vocals).
Recording information: A & M Studios, L.A., CA; Herschel House, Hollywood, CA; Ocean Way Studios, L.A; Woodstock House Co., Wicklow, Ireland.
Arrangers: J. Neil Sidwell; Kevin Savigar; Lenny Pickett ; Nick Lane; Anne Dudley; Rick Braun; Roddy Lorimer; David Woodford; Simon Clarke; Tim Sanders.
Rod Stewart is one of the great singers of the rock era. His interpretive acuity, sweet rasp, blues influences and sharp phrasing have afforded him the ability to make a few lapses in song selection--which is to say that in his ragged engagingly individual way, even a lesser song like "Muddy, Sam And Otis" works.
Give him a great song, though, and Stewart shines as brightly as any vocalist in the rock firmament. Here he takes on Tom Waits' insolent "Hang On St. Christopher"; the liltingly romantic "The Downtown Lights"; the traditional Celtic song "Purple Heather" (sorry, Rod, but the typo must have slipped by your eyes when you were credited with writing this song); and Sam Cooke's soul-dripping "Soothe Me." His version of Bob Dylan's early-'80s nugget "Sweetheart Like You" is breathtakingly original.
A patchwork of styles and temperments, A SPANNER IN THE WORKS is more sedate than Stewart's previous records. But at 50 years of age and with four years having passed since his last studio album, VAGABOND HEART, it's a good bet Stewart himself has lived these mood changes.

• Released: 2011-03-21
• Genre: Rock
• Format: CD