Working in what was not then called an "unplugged" format, Stewart mixed acoustic guitars, mandolin, and piano with a hard-rock attitude to create a distinctive sound that seems as fresh today as ever. Building on the success and innovations of The Rod Stewart Album, Gasoline Alley contains unfettered, laddish takes on Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now" and the bluesy "Cut Across Shorty," plus a definitive version of Bob Dylan's "Only a Hobo" and the brilliant, nostalgic title track, a Stewart original. The singer is very near the top of his game here. --Daniel Durchholz