Track Listing

1. Embraceable You
2. For Sentimental Reasons (feat Dave Koz)
3. Blue Moon (feat Eric Clapton)
4. What A Wonderful World (feat Stevie Wonder)
5. Stardust
6. Manhattan (duet with Bette Midler)
7. S'Wonderful (feat Dave Grusin)
8. Isn't It Romantic (feat Dave Koz)
9. I Can't Get Started
10. But Not For Me
11. Kiss To Build A Dream On (feat Arturo Sandoval)
12. Baby, It's Cold Outside (duet with Dolly Parton)
13. Night And Day
14. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1334 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-19
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
It's a little hard to take Rod Stewart seriously when, on the first track of this third installment in his Great American Songbook series, he sings ruefully about his love life being "lean" ("Embraceable You"). But otherwise, Stardust...Volume III is as note-for-note solid as its predecessors--a cozy-up-to-the-fire treat that's also a pleasant reminder of these songs' staying power. "S'Wonderful" settles on the ears winningly, and Stewart's scratchathon voice scalpels the cobwebs off of "Isn't It Romantic" in a way that compels the average listener to reconsider thinking it dopey. In addition, the parade of high-wattage pals recruited to pitch in continues here, resulting in a couple of must-hear combinations. Eric Clapton delivers a rather un-Clapton-like guitar solo on "Blue Moon" and Stevie Wonder blows harp like he means it on "What a Wonderful World," but it is the duets--"Baby It's Cold Outside" with the unsinkable Dolly Parton and "Manhattan" with the indomitable Bette Midler--that the dazzle most. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Third Time Is Charm as Rocking Rod Delivers The Standards
Having thoroughly enjoyed volumes 1 and 2 in the Great American Songbook, I was eagerly waiting for this one. And I was not disappointed. Rod continues to put his trademark voice on these classic standards and gives them a new romantic feeling with his unique interpretations.

Favorite songs like "For Sentimental Reasons, "Blue Moon," and "Isn't It Romantic" make this a cd I play continuously. The title song, "Stardust," has never been so richly done and the one special UK song which I had never heard before, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is a worthy addition to an otherwise all-American collection.

There are more guest performers on this one than in the two previous releases. Eric Clapton on "Blue Moon" and Stevie Wonder on "What A Wonderful World" are remarkable, but it is Bette Midler's easy style on "Manhattan" that steals the show. Her voice and spirit blend effortlessly with Rod's for a real showstopper performance. Only the duet with Dolly Parton seemed a bit off-key and weak to me as it's hard to imagine their two styles combining, and in my opinion they didn't.

Still, it's a wonderful work filled with highlights such as Cole Porter's unforgettable "Night and Day" and the newly-revised lyrics Rod improvises on "I Can't Get Started."

If you loved the first two and can appreciate what Rod Stewart has done for the most beautiful songs of all time, this one is a must.

This CD is a musical treat
Rod Stewart sounds superb on this third installment of the Great American song book. This is a perfect CD to listen and forget all your troubles to. My favorite song is Isn't It Romantic. I think this is the perfect song to dance the night away to with your sweetheart. Rod puts his own unique spin on a classic song from the 50's entitled Blue Moon. Eric Clapton's smooth guitar playing paired with Rod Stewart dreamy vocals make this song a delight. I also enjoyed his rendition of the song For Sentimental Reasons. It is a very romantic song and one of my favorites. Rod sings some excellent duets on this album. My favorite duet is the duet he sings with Bette Midler entitled Manhattan. Bette has such a smooth voice. Rod's classic raspy sexy voice compliments her so well on this track.

Baby It's Cold Outside is another excellent duet. It is interesting to hear a country star like Dolly Parton and a pop star like Rod Stewart perform this great jazz standard. I really liked it. Rod sounds very warm and engaging especially on the song Night and Day. The piano playing sounds so good on this track. What a Wonderful World is a very a pretty song with an excellent mini harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder. I really enjoyed listening this album. This CD is a musical treat as were the first two.

Whatever happened to good taste?
Listening to Rod Stewart sing standards is pure torture. The one good thing is that the writers of these songs or their families are getting some nice royalties as a result of Mr. Stewart's success selling these three volumes of CDs.

Mr. Stewart has always been best as a rock and roll screamer. It takes talent to be a rock front man, and in the 60s to mid-70s he had that talent in spades. What he did from the mid-70s through the 90s seemed to be mostly about obsessing over his hair and the less said of his music from that time the better.

While Mr. Stewart was a first rate rock singer when he was young, it takes a completely different kind of talent to be a singer of standards. Mr. Stewart is not capable of convincingly singing these songs. He lacks the artistry and subtlety to do them justice.

I congratulate Mr. Stewart on promoting these songs successfully. I wish that the marketplace would be interested in other recordings of these songs because they've been done much better elsewhere.