Out of Order
By Rod Stewart
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Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Lost in You 4:59
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writer
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guitar, lead guitar, writer
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guitar
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drums
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bass
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mandolin
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string arrangements
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K.E.vocals
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- A2 The Wild Horse 4:58
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writer
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guitar, lead guitar, writer
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guitar
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drums
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mandolin
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bass
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piano
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organ
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backing vocals
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Rita Johnsonbacking vocals
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Robert Sheenbacking vocals
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- A3 Lethal Dose of Love 4:32
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writer
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guitar, writer
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bass
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drums
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keyboards
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saxophone
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horns
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- A4 Forever Young 4:03
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writer
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guitar, lead guitar
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guitar
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bass
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drums
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keyboards, writer
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acoustic guitar, writer
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- A5 My Heart Can't Tell Me No 5:12
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guitar
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bass
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string arrangements
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drums
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keyboards
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guitar, lead guitar
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writer
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writer
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- B1 Dynamite 4:16
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writer
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guitar, writer
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guitar
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drums
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bass
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piano
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Jimmy Robertssaxophone
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saxophone
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- B2 Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out 3:49
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guitar, lead guitar
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slide guitar
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bass
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drum programming
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keyboards
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saxophone
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horns
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guitar
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writer
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- B3 Crazy About Her 4:53
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writer
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guitar
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bass
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drum programming
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keyboards
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guitar, writer
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Jimmy Robertssaxophone
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saxophone
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keyboards, writer
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percussion
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- B4 Try a Little Tenderness 4:27
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guitar
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drums
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string arrangements, brass arrangements
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bass
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keyboards
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Jimmy Robertssaxophone
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guitar
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writer
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writer
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writer
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- B5 When I Was Your Man 5:14
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writer
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guitar
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drums
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string arrangements
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bass
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keyboards, writer
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Jimmy Robertssaxophone
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saxophone
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- Total length: 46:23
Rate/Catalog
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16 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Out of Order [p] 33 rpm
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order Bonus Tracks
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order Bonus Tracks
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order Promo
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Out of Order Bonus Tracks
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Out of Order 33 rpm
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Out of Order Paper/Cardboard Sleeve
14 Reviews
Not as awful as most reviewers on here have attested to.
Sure, "Lethal Dose Of Love" is dreadful, but some of the other tracks are quite listenable. Ol' Rodders has been around a long time, and certainly has one of the most distinctive voices in music. He has served his apprenticeship in various R&B bands during the sixties and of course famously as the lead singer with The Faces in the seventies. The music he is producing nowadays is definitely not on a par with any of those, but his voice remains undiminished.
Love him or loath him you cannot deny his musical credentials. I would sooner listen to his earlier stuff than most of his solo albums, and although this record isn't up there with his best, it's not the worst I've heard either.
Sure, "Lethal Dose Of Love" is dreadful, but some of the other tracks are quite listenable. Ol' Rodders has been around a long time, and certainly has one of the most distinctive voices in music. He has served his apprenticeship in various R&B bands during the sixties and of course famously as the lead singer with The Faces in the seventies. The music he is producing nowadays is definitely not on a par with any of those, but his voice remains undiminished.
Love him or loath him you cannot deny his musical credentials. I would sooner listen to his earlier stuff than most of his solo albums, and although this record isn't up there with his best, it's not the worst I've heard either.
Published
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Rod's big musical comeback so they say. Such a clear distinction is made from the previous few albums by many you'd think there'd be a real hidden gem here up with his best stuff...and, well, there's really not. This to be fair does commit to more of a rock focus overall, but like the previous album when there were rockers there isn't the sense of fun his rockers also had prior to that, just nominal bravado. "Lethal Dose of Love" and "Dynamite" are positively hard for later Rod standards, but the album is overproduced ("Crazy About Her" with its sax riff and the sound overall makes me think of an 80s television theme) and Rod overdoes the vocal affectations on those so much their potential is spoiled. Ballad-wise it's fairly average. "My Heart Can't Tell You No" apart from its nice acoustic guitar solo is one of his least-memorable singles of the decade - not offensive, just sterile and boring, and closer "When I Was Your Man" basically self-plagiarizes "In My Own Crazy Way" from the previous album.
This might be slightly worse than Rod Stewart actually (which is crucially better-produced than this one). None of the rockier songs have a chorus as reasonably anthemic as "Another Heartache", and even though "Every Beat of My Heart" was symptomatic of his impending surrender to adult contemporary musically, he sounded like he was baring his soul on it. Nothing on here feels like that - not even "Forever Young" which works as a single here but gets lost in his overall discography. In terms of the retro covers, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is one of my personal picks from the album not that I've heard many numerous versions to compare it with, while "Try a Little Tenderness" is pretty poor, but none of them are on the level of "In My Life" from Rod Stewart with its simplicity either. So, yeah, big comeback album? Fake news, but at the same time it's rarely outright horrible and could've been a decent rocking album with less overreach and a few better tunes.
This might be slightly worse than Rod Stewart actually (which is crucially better-produced than this one). None of the rockier songs have a chorus as reasonably anthemic as "Another Heartache", and even though "Every Beat of My Heart" was symptomatic of his impending surrender to adult contemporary musically, he sounded like he was baring his soul on it. Nothing on here feels like that - not even "Forever Young" which works as a single here but gets lost in his overall discography. In terms of the retro covers, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is one of my personal picks from the album not that I've heard many numerous versions to compare it with, while "Try a Little Tenderness" is pretty poor, but none of them are on the level of "In My Life" from Rod Stewart with its simplicity either. So, yeah, big comeback album? Fake news, but at the same time it's rarely outright horrible and could've been a decent rocking album with less overreach and a few better tunes.
Published
This is atrocious truly, rod's team up with members of Duran Duran and chic alongside his long term band members ends in disaster. The drum sound alone is criminal but calling the material lacklustre is being kind.
Like the previous album it sounds like Stewart was dialling it in.
Like the previous album it sounds like Stewart was dialling it in.
Published
The bonus track "Almost Illegal" (b-side of "Lost in You") is looser and rocks harder than the rest of the album. A definite case of "if only ...".
Published
7599-25684-2 CD (1988)
"Out of inspiration" is more like it -- Rod even plagiarises Dylan's song "Forever Young' and then has the nerve to give it the same name! Enlisting the guitarist out of Duran Duran as producer isn't exactly an inspiring move, and Bernard Edwards doesn't exactly help either. The originals are lousy, and the cover of "Try a Little Tenderness" comes off more as pandering than anything else -- "hey, guys, remember when I used to be good?" Embarrassing, but still not his worst record.
Published
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Rod gets a little more stripped down, and the arrangements don't wanna make me go to the bathroom. At least.
Published
Rod doesn't start off on a bad foot here with the decent pop of Lost In You, things continue alright including the Bob Dylan lyrical ripper of Forever Young that I actually like a bunch (it's not a melodic rip as some people have accused it of being). But somewhere in the middle Rod forgets that his light happy pop instincts serve him best and he tries to "pump it up"... Ugh. Dynamite and Nobody Knows You When etc. are both misguided "HARD" tracks that are just lifeless and eye rolling. Look Rod, you're sort of inherently lame by this point. You're a pretty fine example of an 80's fop, so give us foppish music. Don't turn around and try to pretend to be ruffff or whatever the hell you imagine those tracks to be. Crazy About Her comes next and is the same deal except it's ten times cheesier, and ten times more fun so I have to give that one a pass (plus it has one of my favorite so bad it's good 80's music videos!). There's not much else to mention here except that it's probably the best album he dropped in the decade, there's generally both a relatively more tasteful sound to it than the earlier stuff, and catchier tracks on average. It's alright by his 80's standards. And the last chronologically of his I'll ever bother with.
Rating: 2.5
Highlights: Lost in You, Forever Young, Crazy About Her
Rating: 2.5
Highlights: Lost in You, Forever Young, Crazy About Her
Published
Do not misconstrue this as a negative statement, because I am a proponent of kicking every spouter or 'the eighties were shit' right in the neck, but the musicians of the eighties definitely did have a regnant, permeating propensity to collude with a certain sound. Is that sound bad? Certainly not. Peter Gabriel's third solo release and Springsteen's Born In the U.S.A. sound like it was from the decade in which they was released, and those are highly praised classics, which I also happen to enjoy a great deal. Rod Stewart's 1988 contribution to the musical world, Out of Order certainly boasts this signature sound of the eighties: implementation of synths, big, booming drums, and also the way these instruments--as well as the guitars, et cetera--were played. Is this sound bad for Rod Stewart? Certainly not.
From what I've heard of Mr. Stewart, he's the kind of musician that can make anything he does work. Whether whatever he's making work is good or not, well, that's up to us to decide, and I've decided that there's a slim minority of his work that I enjoy. This album was a mainstay in my mother's car from its release until about 1992, and during those years, I, as a three-to-seven-year-old, enjoyed the shit out of 'Lost In You,' 'Lethal Does of Love,' and 'Forever Young.' Since Mom didn't make the re-purchase of the album on CD, the tape withered in a box somewhere, or was sold, and I didn't hear this album again until just a couple days ago. And I have to say, it might be sentimental value, but two of those three songs are easily the best on the album, and the rest is just, well, kind of standard Rod Stewart AOR/adult contemporary.
First, I'll break down those three songs in hopes of finding something beyond sentimental value. 'Lost In You' is unarguably catchy, and it's not just the mandolins in the melodic hook that recalls the same kind of feel as 'Maggie May.' There's this bittersweetness in the hopeless romanticism in 'Lost In You' that echoes that of the iconic song of Stewart's past, and has the appeal of a man facing the bleakness of his trials. That may be a little deep considering the apparent depth of the lyrics in 'Lost In You,' but you get the idea. My present assessment of the song is different only in that I now have paid more attention to those lyrics, and I will say that that last verse--
I miss your laughing eyes.
I miss our baby crying.
I wanna lay you out and kiss you all over.
I'm coming home real soon.
Get ready 'cause when I do,
I'm gonna make love to you like fifteen men.
--is indescribably annoying. I understand the song is about being out on tour and wanting to be back banging his wife, but this verse almost leans into the realm of steamy, smutty TMI. While I'm big on not being shy about what you say in public, the way this song is worded just makes me uncomfortable, as if I've stumbled on the lyrics of this song on their nightstand while babysitting and playing hide-and-seek with their kid. I'm actually kind of embarrassed by it. Should that happen? From something so innocent as a love song about missing your wife? From the eighties? By Rod Stewart? I don't know. It's slightly unsettling. But it's a good song, nevertheless.
I'm not going to delve so deeply into the other songs. In fact, my present-day assessment of 'Lethal Dose of Love' is that it's overly cheesy and annoying and written in tribute to a substandard high-energy eighties rock tune. For third place, I'll supplant it with 'The Wild Horse,' which is still a pretty standard Seger-esque rock'n'roll song, but is definitely catchy and enjoyable as a standalone. 'Forever Young' is probably my favorite, and of what I've heard, my second favorite Rod Stewart Song that I've heard. You know, despite all that plagiarism of Bob Dylan, and everything (to be honest, I enjoy Rod Stewart's 'version' better than Bob's; this will not likely happen again). Moving and infectious melody, well-composed arrangement, and a positive message behind not-bad lyrics. Having the good parents that I've been blessed with, songs about a parent's love for their child pluck at the ol' heart-strings. Whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you, win or lose. /tear
As I said, all of the other songs on this album are merely passable offerings from an aging performer in a new age. 'Crazy About Her' might come fourth in the running for best songs on the album, and 'My Heart Can't Tell You No' has a certain cloying appeal to it, but the rest of Out of Order is mediocre. If you're into Rod Stewart more than I am, which is pretty minimally at this point, then it wouldn't hurt for you to pick this up and add it to your growing collection that hopefully has Every Picture Tells a Story and An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down and a few others in it already. Do whatever you feel comfortable with to get 'Lost In You' and 'Forever Young,' though, if you're not willing to purchase the whole album, because they're of value.
From what I've heard of Mr. Stewart, he's the kind of musician that can make anything he does work. Whether whatever he's making work is good or not, well, that's up to us to decide, and I've decided that there's a slim minority of his work that I enjoy. This album was a mainstay in my mother's car from its release until about 1992, and during those years, I, as a three-to-seven-year-old, enjoyed the shit out of 'Lost In You,' 'Lethal Does of Love,' and 'Forever Young.' Since Mom didn't make the re-purchase of the album on CD, the tape withered in a box somewhere, or was sold, and I didn't hear this album again until just a couple days ago. And I have to say, it might be sentimental value, but two of those three songs are easily the best on the album, and the rest is just, well, kind of standard Rod Stewart AOR/adult contemporary.
First, I'll break down those three songs in hopes of finding something beyond sentimental value. 'Lost In You' is unarguably catchy, and it's not just the mandolins in the melodic hook that recalls the same kind of feel as 'Maggie May.' There's this bittersweetness in the hopeless romanticism in 'Lost In You' that echoes that of the iconic song of Stewart's past, and has the appeal of a man facing the bleakness of his trials. That may be a little deep considering the apparent depth of the lyrics in 'Lost In You,' but you get the idea. My present assessment of the song is different only in that I now have paid more attention to those lyrics, and I will say that that last verse--
I miss your laughing eyes.
I miss our baby crying.
I wanna lay you out and kiss you all over.
I'm coming home real soon.
Get ready 'cause when I do,
I'm gonna make love to you like fifteen men.
--is indescribably annoying. I understand the song is about being out on tour and wanting to be back banging his wife, but this verse almost leans into the realm of steamy, smutty TMI. While I'm big on not being shy about what you say in public, the way this song is worded just makes me uncomfortable, as if I've stumbled on the lyrics of this song on their nightstand while babysitting and playing hide-and-seek with their kid. I'm actually kind of embarrassed by it. Should that happen? From something so innocent as a love song about missing your wife? From the eighties? By Rod Stewart? I don't know. It's slightly unsettling. But it's a good song, nevertheless.
I'm not going to delve so deeply into the other songs. In fact, my present-day assessment of 'Lethal Dose of Love' is that it's overly cheesy and annoying and written in tribute to a substandard high-energy eighties rock tune. For third place, I'll supplant it with 'The Wild Horse,' which is still a pretty standard Seger-esque rock'n'roll song, but is definitely catchy and enjoyable as a standalone. 'Forever Young' is probably my favorite, and of what I've heard, my second favorite Rod Stewart Song that I've heard. You know, despite all that plagiarism of Bob Dylan, and everything (to be honest, I enjoy Rod Stewart's 'version' better than Bob's; this will not likely happen again). Moving and infectious melody, well-composed arrangement, and a positive message behind not-bad lyrics. Having the good parents that I've been blessed with, songs about a parent's love for their child pluck at the ol' heart-strings. Whatever road you choose, I'm right behind you, win or lose. /tear
As I said, all of the other songs on this album are merely passable offerings from an aging performer in a new age. 'Crazy About Her' might come fourth in the running for best songs on the album, and 'My Heart Can't Tell You No' has a certain cloying appeal to it, but the rest of Out of Order is mediocre. If you're into Rod Stewart more than I am, which is pretty minimally at this point, then it wouldn't hurt for you to pick this up and add it to your growing collection that hopefully has Every Picture Tells a Story and An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down and a few others in it already. Do whatever you feel comfortable with to get 'Lost In You' and 'Forever Young,' though, if you're not willing to purchase the whole album, because they're of value.
Published
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Catalog
25 May 2024
22 May 2024
1 May 2024
14 Apr 2024
10 Apr 2024
4 Apr 2024
27 Mar 2024
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A1 Lost in You
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A2 The Wild Horse
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A3 Lethal Dose of Love
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A4
Forever Young
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A5 My Heart Can't Tell Me No
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B1
Dynamite
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B2 Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
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B3 Crazy About Her
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B4 Try a Little Tenderness
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B5 When I Was Your Man
25 Mar 2024
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A1
Lost in You
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A2
The Wild Horse
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A3
Lethal Dose of Love
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A4
Forever Young
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A5
My Heart Can't Tell Me No
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B1
Dynamite
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B2
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
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B3
Crazy About Her
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B4
Try a Little Tenderness
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B5 When I Was Your Man
20 Mar 2024
13 Mar 2024
21 Feb 2024
6 Feb 2024
1 Feb 2024
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A1
Lost in You
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A2
The Wild Horse
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A3
Lethal Dose of Love
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A4
Forever Young
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A5
My Heart Can't Tell Me No
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B1
Dynamite
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B2
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
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B3
Crazy About Her
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B4
Try a Little Tenderness
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B5
When I Was Your Man
10 Jan 2024
5 Jan 2024