Few people realize Rod Stewart retired in 1974, at which point he was replaced by a dyed-blonde doppelgänger (much like what happened to Elvis,) but up to that point, Rod had one towering career. As the front man of the quintessential bar band The Faces, they played perfect, rough blues, with occasional hits like “Stay With Me” and “Ooh La La” (which actually features Ronnie Wood on vocals.) Rod Stewart’s gritty, hoarse, and whiskied vocals (along with Jeff Beck’s guitar) powered the heavy metal defining 60s band, The Jeff Beck Group. They were so influential in fact, Led Zeppelin used Beck’s debut Truth as their—ahem—blueprint for Led Zeppelin I, lifting a few riffs as well as Beck’s version of “You Shook Me,” forever causing a rift between Beck and Jimmy Page, who also appeared on Truth. At this same time, Roderick had a solo career with music as hard driving as everything else he did, but with an acoustic, country/folk base, with his classics like Gasoline Alley and Every Picture Tells A Story.

Rod’s box set Storyteller might be the best for seeing the big picture of this guy’s career. But, if you do check it out, be sure to stop after disc two of the four disc set. Like I said, the guy retired in ’74. Look at the mole. I’m telling you; it’s different.