Vol. 2-Encore: Very Best of Rod Stewart (CD) (Remaster)

Rod Stewart made a triumphant return to the charts last year, with the multi-million selling It Had To Be You. . . The Great American Songbook. The album of standards was the perfect vehicle for the singer's raspy voice. J Records will reportedly drop The Great American Songbook Volume II in October. Until then, fans of the hall of fame artist can get their fix with the Warner Brothers collection, Encore: The Very Best Of - Vol. 2.

The Very Best Of - Vol. 2 is, for the most part, Rod Stewart at the top of his game. Featuring songs released between 1975 and 2001, the album offers a glimpse of the many moods of the singer. There's romantic Rod crooning Sir Elton John's emotive "Your Song," there's heartsore Rod squeezing his vocal cords for all they're worth on "I Was Only Joking," and there's forgettable hip '80s Rod strutting his way through the heavily-processed "Crazy About Her." The latter track, a synthesized cut with cheesy production, sounds like it was recorded for an episode of Miami Vice.

The buoyant "Having A Party," taken from Stewart's Unplugged. . . And Seated album (1993), is a hand-clapping cut that makes you want to get up and dance. Stewart, with guest and former band mate, and now Rolling Stone, Ron Wood, tears it up and has a little bit of fun with the Sam Cooke classic. Wood pops up again on Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," injecting his tasty acoustic guitar licks between smooth piano fills and a sweeping string section. Stewart does a bang-up job of Robbie Robertson's brilliant "Broken Arrow." An early '90s hit, the song made (and stills makes) female hearts around the world flutter.

Helicopter Girl (Jackie Joyce) duets with Stewart on the percussive "Don't Come Around Here," taken from his 2001 album, Human. The Temptations add their vocals to "The Motown Song," a throbbing number with enough soul to win Rod the keys to rock and roll heaven. "Lost In You," co-written by Stewart and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, was a popular cut at a time when the synthetic sounds of the '80s were being pummeled by hard rock acts like Guns N' Roses and Metallica. Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is The Deepest" ends the album the same way it began, on a high note with a terrific cover of a classic song.

Encore: The Very Best Of - Vol. 2 is a must for those fans who want to expand their Rod Stewart collection. It would've been nice to see a couple of new songs or at least a few B sides or rarities on the album. Still, it's hard to complain when you get this much good music on one disc.

By Todd Sterling