The young amongst us may not know this, but there was a time when Rod Stewart was one of the greatest rock stars on the planet. His albums Gasoline Alley (1970), Every Picture Tells A Story (1971), and Never A Dull Moment (1972) easily rivalled the best rock that England produced in the early 1970s. Since then he has had his highs and lows, but Rod the Mod remains a big name, and entered 2015 in his 70th year… we must, first of all, recognise that this record, Another Country, is a great surprise. On listening, no one will doubt that our man Rod has recorded a work that is easily as powerful as the triptych mentioned above, including compositions that alternate between classic rock, rock’n’roll soul, Celtic folk and Springsteen-esque hymns… Indeed, years and alcohol have weathered the golden voice of Rod Stewart, but he can still deliver a good performance, and very frequently displays his old touch here.