"Every Picture Tells A Story" was the first LP that I ever owned, being a Christmas present from my parents in 1971. I already had the "Maggie May" single which had "Reason To Believe" as the A-side until the radio stations started playing the B-Side, which went on to become a number 1 in the UK. The single is no longer in my collection so I must have lost it somewhere over the years !
I can still remember every track on the album so there was likely to be few surprises when I played it again. I liked nearly every song on the album but wasn't too keen on the two rock n' roll numbers and I was indifferent over Rod's version of "Amazing Grace". However, I thought the three songs co-written by Rod were fantastic.
The title track "Every Picture Tells A Story" opens the album. It's a rousing rocker but from mostly acoustic instrumentation, driven by the drums and the acoustic guitar, plus screechy backing vocals from Maggie Bell ( formerly of Stone The Crows and who later sung the theme song to Taggart and provided to the voice for the Joanna Lumley character Esme Ford in an episode of Lewis ), plus Long John Baldry is in there for the finale.
There is also a sparse guitar solo, and rock n' roll piano for the ending. The song has some of Rod's best lyrics. "Spent some time feeling inferior, standing in front of my mirror. Combed my hair in a thousand ways but I came out looking just the same", "Got arrested for inciting a peaceful riot, when all I wanted was a cup of tea", "Shanghai Lil never used the pill. She claimed that it just ain't natural" & "I couldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats,'cause it's all been said before. Make the best out of the bad, just laugh it off, ha. You didn't have to come here anyway".
"Seems Like A Long Time" is slow tender piano ballad written by Theodore Anderson with a tasteful guitar solo. Blue Mink singer Madeline Bell ( no relation to Maggie Bell ! ) and some friends provide the backing vocals "War time is only the other side of peacetime. But if you've ever seen how wars are won, you know what it's like to wish peace time would come."
"That's All Right" was first single by Elvis Presley. Rod's version is fairly faithful to the original, played in a Nashville style and with steel guitar. I'm not too sure of the point of it here, apart from to show Rod can rock, but it doesn't add anything to top the Elvis recording.
It surprisingly leads into the traditional hymn "Amazing Grace" a Top 5 hit for Judy Collins in 1970. It is played on an acoustic guitar with Rod singing one verse at the end.
Side one ends with "Tomorrow's Such A Long Time", an up-tempo country song Bob Dylan song, driven by the acoustic guitar but with a striking violin motif, and there's more steel guitar. I have always believed that Rod sang Dylan songs much better than Dylan, and here is more evidence for the argument. "Ah but only if my own true love is waiting. Yes and if I could hear her heart a softly pounding. Only if she were lying by me, would I rest in my bed once again".
The 36 second long medieval plucked acoustic guitar instrumental "Henry" serves as an introduction to "Maggie May", a song which probably doesn't lead any introduction. Like "Every Picture Tells A Story", it's an uptempo rocker led by the acoustic guitar, drums and Hammond Organ. The mandolin solo played by Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne was famously mimed to by John Peel on Top Of The Pops and the deep sounding electric guitar solo appears twice during the song.
There are more great lyrics from Rod as he sings about his affair with a much older women."The morning sun when it's in your face really shows your age. But that don't worry me none, in my eyes, you're everything" & "I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school. Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing pool. Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helping hand. Oh, Maggie, I wished I'd never seen your face"
"Mandolin Wind" is the third and final song co-written by Rod and as the title suggests it heavily features the mandolin but also has a steel guitar for the intro. It's a slow tender country style ballad with a jolly mandolin instrumental break. Probably Rod's best vocal on the album, and there is plenty of competition for that accolade. "Coldest winter in almost 14 years could never, never change your mind".
"( I Know ) I'm Losing You" is a cover of a 1960's hit for The Temptations but is given a heavy rock n' roll treatment rather than Motown, but it is tedious and far too long at over 5 minutes. It's also the only track on which all 5 member of The Faces played.
The album closes with a cover of Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe" which has a piano intro, then the Hammond organ joins after Rod sings the first line. The the tempo increases for the second verse as the drums start and there is a splendid violin break. The song briefly stops then Rod sings two lines a capella before the piano and violin return, and tempo increases for the outro. "Knowing that you lied straight faced while I cried, still I look for a reason to believe".
Overall, "Every Picture Tells A Story" remains a very good album, and is probably the best that Rod ever released.
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Every Picture Tells A Story
2. Seems Like A Long Time
3. That's All Right/Amazing Grace
4. Tomorrow's Such A Long Time
1. Henry
2. Maggie May
3. Mandolin Wind
4. ( I Know ) I'm Losing You
5. Reason To Believe
Released : 1971
UK Chart Position : 1
Singles :
Reason To Believe/Maggie May ( No 1 - 1971 )
