Storyteller: The Complete Anthology, 1964-1990

Contains 65 tracks including 3 new songs. It also includes a 24 page book with a running commentary on each track by Rod Stewart plus 8 pages direct from his own scrapbook.
Personnel includes: Rod Stewart (vocals); Brian Auger & The Trinity, Jeff Beck, The Faces, Elton John, Booker T. & The MG's, Ronald Isley.
Photographers: David Gahr; Michael Putland; David Steen; Randee St. Nicholas; Mark Sennett; Bonnie Schiffman; Stephen Morley.
This appropriately named 4-CD box set follows all the highs and lows of Rod Stewart's career, featuring song-by-song annotations provided by the man himself. Starting back in 1964 with a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," Stewart spent most of the '60s looking for a break in the music business. With his raspy voice and emotional delivery, it made perfect sense that some of his earliest songs were soul covers ("Shake," "Can I Get A Witness."). After singing with former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck and sowing the seeds of heavy metal, Stewart fronted the Faces, all the while forging a distinctive sound thanks to his melding of soul, country, blues & rock and roll.
In the late '70s, Stewart's music slowly gravitated towards disco, leading to "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?," the song many point to as his nadir. For all the gripes, Stewart continued pouring his all into whatever he sang, whether it was a great cover (Tom Waits' "Downtown Train") or a storytelling original ("Young Turks"). STORYTELLER offers all this and a number of previously unreleased songs that include a session featuring Stewart fronting Booker T. & The MG s right before drummer Al Jackson's tragic death ("To Love Somebody").