Still the Same: Great Rock Classics of Our Time

Audio Mixer: Serban Ghenea.Photographers: Anthony Harvey; Simon Emmett; John Shanks.There's one great, straightfaced joke on Rod Stewart's return to classic rock following his trio of standards: ever since it was a hit in 1978, casual AM radio listeners have mistaken Bonnie Tyler's "It's A Heartache" for a Rod Stewart single, given how much the scratchy-voiced Welsh singer sounded like 1970s-vintage Rod the Mod. On STILL THE SAME: GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME, Stewart does a dead-on impersonation of Tyler's impersonation of himself; it's a great giggle and a good version of a good song. The rest of the set is perhaps less inspired, but equally fine: in arrangements that recall the no-frills, pubby rock-and-roll of his best solo albums, Stewart performs tunes familiar to any fans of '70s and '80s pop, from Badfinger's "Day After Day" to the Pretenders' power ballad "I'll Stand By You." His comfortable take on Bob Seger's title track is particularly well-suited.