Stewart was once rock & roll's best interpretive singer, as well as an accomplished songwriter, creating a raw combination of folk, rock, blues, and country that sounded like no other folk-rock or country-rock. Instead of finding the folk in rock, he found how folk rocked like hell on its own. After Stewart became successful, he began to lose the rootsier elements of his music, yet he remained a superb singer, even as he abandoned his own artistic path in favor of following pop trends. In 2001, Stewart embarked on a new path with Human, an album that attempted to cross over to contemporary and urban audiences, but it failed with the critical and commercial public alike. His next project may have sounded equally unlikely, but it was much more successful. It Had to Be You..., the first in his series crooning the Great American Songbook, became an adult contemporary favorite and lodged near the top of the album charts after its release in 2002. As Time Goes By... followed it into the charts in 2003, and missed the top spot by only one notch. In late 2004, his third volume in the series (Stardust...) hit number one. Thanks for the Memory became the fourth entry in the series in 2005. By years end, all four volumes were collected in The Great American Songbook Box Set. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Rod Stewart will perform at the Staples Center March 20, 2007. Golden Circle can provide you with excellent service and great seats.