Rod Stewart - The Definitive Rod Stewart

"Definitive" may be a touch too strong of a word for this double-disc 2008 set, as it doesn't quite cover all aspects of Rod Stewart's career in its 31 tracks. Opening with the star-making "Maggie May," it bypasses any '60s work (including his time fronting the Jeff Beck Group), skimps on the Faces, enters the '80s by the end of disc one, spends a good chunk of disc two in the latter part of that decade, and then stops around 1993's Unplugged, thereby not including such pretty strong latter-day Warner albums as When We Were the New Boys and also his crooner comeback with the Great American Songbook albums in the new millennium. Given the size of the set, such shorthand is inevitable, and while there are some dodgy inclusions and questionable omissions -- sure, "Gasoline Alley" should be here and "Love Touch" sounds sillier with each passing year -- this is nevertheless a very good hit-heavy overview of Rod's prime years as a pop star, containing every one of his big hits. It's enough to make it worthwhile for most casual fans even if it's not quite enough to make it "definitive." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alessandra Quaranta Project Assistant Andy Taylor Producer Andy Zax Compilation Producer Barry Rudolph Engineer Ben Edmonds Liner Notes Bernard Edwards Producer Brian Kehew Mixing Cheryl Pawelski Compilation Producer Chris Walter Photography Cory Frye Project Assistant Dan Brescoll Project Assistant Dan Hersch Remastering Dave Schultz Remastering David Ponak Project Assistant Diego Uchitel Photography Ebet Roberts Photography Faces Producer George Tutko Producer Glyn Johns Producer Herb Ritts Photography Ian Dickson Photography Jackie Oberhauser Project Assistant Jeremy Andrew Johns Producer Jeri Heiden Design, Art Direction Jim Cregan Producer Kate Simon Photography Ken Regan Photography Kenny Nemes Product Manager Kris Ahrend Project Assistant Lisa Jane Persky Project Assistant Lotus Donovan Project Manager Michael Omartian Producer Mike "Palm Tree" Johnson Project Assistant Mike Chapman Producer Neal Preston Photography Nigel Parry Cover Photo Norman Seeff Photography Patrick Leonard Producer Paul "Scooby" Smith Assistant Engineer Randee Saint Nicholas Photography Reggie Collins Discographical Annotation Richard Aaron Photography Richard Perry Producer Rob Ondarza Project Assistant Rod Stewart Producer Rod Stewart Band Producer Sheryl Farber Editorial Supervision Sophia T. Fields Project Assistant Steve Lang Project Assistant Steve Woolard Project Assistant Steven P. Gorman Project Assistant Tom Dowd Producer Trevor Horn Producer Zach Cowie Project Assistant Zoe Karatzaferis Project Assistant