Rarities

Before Rod Stewart became known as a global rock superstar and master interpreter of the Great American Songbook, the albums he made for the Mercury label between 1969 and 1974 established him as one of rock's most distinctive and expressive singers and gifted songwriters. The five solo albums that Stewart released during that period feature a rootsy, folk-blues-leaning style, steeped in traditional soul and R&B.

On Rarities, Stewart's blend of playful swagger and modest introspection provide a complementary contrast to the raw, boozy rock 'n' roll that he was recording in his parallel career as frontman of the seminal U.K. quintet Faces.

The brand-new, two-CD, 24-track Rarities, offers a comprehensive selection of alternate versions, non-LP singles, B-sides, studio outtakes and BBC Radio One performances and covers of songs by The Who, Bob Dylan, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jimi Hendrix, Cole Porter, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brewer & Shipley and Stealer's Wheel.

The collection also spotlights alternative takes on such Stewart classics as "Maggie May" and Elton John/Bernie Taupin's "Country Comfort," recorded with the Faces'' guitarist Ron Wood, bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones, live for BBC Radio One, both of which are previously unreleased.