Search - Rod Stewart :: Foot Loose & Fancy Free

Rod's best solo album since Never a Dull Moment

Terrence J. Reardon | Lake Worth (a west Palm Beach suburb), FL | 12/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rod Stewart released his eighth solo album entitled Foot Loose and Fancy Free in November of 1977.

The album came hot off the heels of his huge blockbuster, 1976's A Night on the Town. When Rod toured for A Night On the Town, Rod put himself together a dynamic new band for the album which consisted of Jim Cregan and Gary Grainger (all of whom would be in Rod's band for next decade) and Billy Peek, bass player Phil Chen, keyboard player John Jarris and legendary rock drummer Carmine Appice. Rod was so impressed with his new solo band that he and his band plus legendary producer Tom Dowd (Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers), engineer Andy Johns (work with The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and others) plus help from guitarists Steve Cropper and Fred Tackett and keyboard players Nicky Hopkins and David Foster went in the studio to record what was Rod's best solo album since Never a Dull Moment.

The album begins with the classic rocker "Hot Legs" (which was released as a single and was a huge hit) and is still a great rocker today. Next is another stellar rocker "You're Insane" which just plain old rocks out. We slow down for the hit ballad "You're In My Heart" which was an ode to Rod's love of English football (soccer to us Americans) and a great ballad and a huge US hit. Then we end the first side with another rocker out of "Born Loose" which has the legendary John Mayall on some scorching harmonica and sounds like an outtake from Rod's old band The Faces.

Side two starts with Rod's take on The Supremes' hit "You Keep Me Hanging On" which was done in the arrangement that Rod's drummer Carmine Appice did it a decade earlier when Carmine was in his band Vanilla Fudge and a great rocking version. Another ballad is next with "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" and a nice ballad. Then we have another slow ballad on the album with the beautiful "You've Got a Nerve". We close this album with the epic "I Was Only Joking" which was a great mid-tempo number about a person who (for all of his wild ways) is a true romantic and good person. The guitar solos on this track are phenomenal.

Foot Loose and Fancy Free became Rod's biggest solo album since Every Picture Tells a Story as it reached #2 on the Billboard album charts and sold well over the two million copies mark upon release. If one needs to own one Warner Bros era Rod album, Foot Loose is it!

Recommended!"

Rockin" Rod

John Lease | Traralgon, Victoria Australia | 05/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is worth it for one song and thats Born Loose this song takes you back to the days of Rod and the Faces doing what they are good at and thats Rockin out. If you close your eyes you could picture the Faces playing this so its great to hear that Rod still had it in him. The other songs on this CD are all good and I think fairly consistant and like the rest of his 70's albums it has its fast and slow sides. I would recommend this cd highly if you like Rod as I think this is just as good as Atlantic Crossing."

I'm not joking, this IS Rod's best album ever!!

Rykre | Carson City, Nevada | 09/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't tell you how often I've got laid while this (8 track tape at the time) played in my car. This is Rod Stewart's most cherished album ever. Although I've loved all his hits from the sixties "In a Broken Dream" to 1980's "Passion", this album represents the whole concept of late seventies life in america. Although "Hot Legs", "You're In My Heart", and "I Was Only Joking" were the hits from this album, I believe any track on this album would have been a hit single if it were released as such.



I love his take on the (closer to) Vanilla Fudge version of "You Keep Me Hanging On" with the beautiful organ opening, and his raspy voice on the already familiar "(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right". But, his song "Born Loose" was my favorite danceable rocker that got alot of radio play in Detroit and definitely played at the dance clubs and the Friday night dance parties at our High School.



Yes, this album brings up many memories of when life was easier and dating many girls was the norm with me and some of my buddies. We definitely could relate to the song "I Was Only Joking". Rod really pegged the era of the late seventies with this fabulous album."