Rod Stewart recorded most of his best work for Mercury records in the early 1970s before he turned his back on his folk-rock roots and unfortunately became a sex symbol. This album contains all of the great material from his first half dozen or so albums. Plenty of gems abound, including "Maggie May," "Handbags and Gladrags," "Gasoline Alley," "Mandolin Wind," "Reason to Believe" and many more. I would give this disc the nod over the box set "Downtown Train," if only because I find Stewart's later material so maddeningly inconsistent.

Rod in the beginning. Classic songs from one of the best voices in music. The Faces backed Rod on many of these songs. What a great band.(Too bad they were not the hit that they should have been in the states) Great songs, great voice, this is Rod Stewart at his best.

If the listener is a new Rod Stewart fan, this CD is a wonderful compilation of his talent. If you are a fan from the beginning, as I am, this CD fills the soul and brings a tear to the eye. This is soulful, heart felt music and Rod at his best!

I found this album somewhat of a disappointment. Since I am not a die-hard fan I find myself skipping over many songs that I have not heard to get to the "gems". I probably would actually be happier with a stripped down version of this cd that included a few of his later hits.

For anyone who wants to hear Rod Stewart as he was in the beginning. A wonderful cross section of rock, ballad and what Stewart does best - blues! A must for anyone who would like to hear the early Rod Stewart as those of us over 35 know him.