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Editorial Reviews

Encore: The Very Best of, Vol. 2 collects the Warner Brothers hits that didn't make its 2001 predecessor, The Very Best of Rod Stewart. Sifting through the pop singer's more obscure hits from 1975 through 2001, this 18-track anthology delivers both original tunes and inspired cover versions. Songs from classic albums like Atlantic Crossing (a heartfelt reading of Danny Whitten's "I Don't Want to Talk About It") and A Night on the Town (a similarly stunning cover of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest") rub shoulders with guilty pleasures like the thumping "Lost in You" and the slightly cheesy but no less catchy "Love Touch," originally recorded as the theme for the flop film Legal Eagles. Even Rod the Mod's better-known chestnuts are given radical reinterpretations, such as the lush orchestral accompaniment on a live version of Curtis Mayfield's classic "People Get Ready" and a string-tinged run through Sam Cooke's "Having a Party," featuring accompaniment by former Faces band mate Ronnie Wood. Other guest appearances include Jeff Beck, whose screaming guitar solo kicks the '80s hit "Infatuation" up a notch, and female vocalist Helicopter Girl, whose Macy Gray–reminiscent vocals on the 2001 ballad "Don't Come Around Here" are the perfect complement to Stewart's raspy pipes. Despite the many stylistic twists and turns that might have derailed a lesser artist, Stewart has remained a crooner on top of his game. And Encore will leave fans marveling at his staying power. Dave Gil de Rubio, Barnes & Noble

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