Like its companion
It Ain't Easy, the second half of
Long John Baldry's early-'70s comeback
Everything Stops for Tea initially attracted the most attention via its producers, former
Baldry sidemen
Elton John and
Rod Stewart. The two superstars each handled one side apiece and, though neither shines with the same generous idiosyncrasies that saw the earlier LP sparkle, still they power
Baldry to some marvelous heights -- most notably the should-have-been-a-hit cover of "Iko Iko," and a glorious "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover." With
Baldry's musical tastes now drawing folkier textures into his blues (and eschewing the big ballad pop altogether), it's a varied and oft-times eclectic collection. But the strength of
Baldry's performance smooths over any rough edges that might have tripped other singers and, though
It Ain't Easy remains the superior of these two albums, this one really isn't that far behind it. ~ Dave Thompson