Storyteller – The Complete Anthology 1964-1990 Warner Bros***

We may despairingly shake our heads at the way in which Rod Stewart has latterly chosen to lazily flick through the pages of the American Songbook rather than write original material, because there was a time (a long time ago) when he was the best white soul singer around. This four-disc package features many tracks that set Stewart up as not just a contender for the title but the clear winner: bruised, basic soul cuts such as I've Been Drinking, In a Broken Dream, Handbags & Gladrags, Gasoline Alleyand Stone Cold Soberhighlight his way with a rough'n'ready tune, but by the late 1970s you could see he was about to go über-mainstream with awful songs such as Hot Legs, D'ya Think I'm Sexyand Young Turks. Pity – but for all the flaws Stewart remains something of a once-off. Cracking self-penned liner notes here, by the way. See rodstewart.com

Download tracks: Handbags & Gladrags, Stone Cold Sober