Rod Stewart – Alternate Atlantic Crossing (Rhino/Warner)

Rod Stewart reinvents himself – through a different lens

In 1975, Rod Stewart literally found himself at a crossroad: his record contact with Mercury had expired.  His beloved Faces had run out of gas.  And, he was looking for an escape from England’s oppressive tax laws.  The answer was to cross the Atlantic – hence the title of his 6th long-player.  He teamed up with studio ace, Tom Dowd, to create a fantastic album, Atlantic Crossing.  Rhino Records assembled Alternate Atlantic Crossing exclusively for Record Store Day 2026.

The “Fast Side” opens with Stewart’s story of thrice getting STD’s in “Three Time Loser” – it sounds like the same take as the LP version, sans the sax solo and slick background vocals – pushing his gritty singing more to the forefront.  “Alright For an Hour” lacks the searing guitar solo, and Stewart’s vocal is more tentative.  “All in the Name of Rock n’ Roll” is more raw, and lacks the horns that turn it into a Mott the Hoople ode.  

The most telling of these “alternates” is “Too Much Noise” – which is actually an early version of “Stone Cold Sober,” with completely different lyrics.  The song stands on its own, but the finished version is ultimately better.  “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” is very different – an odd, wah wah guitar turned out to not be a good idea – it’s kind of annoying.  They swapped it for a twin electric guitar lead that really makes the finished song.  

“It’s Not the Spotlight” lacks the mandolin overdub, but is pretty close to the released version, while “This Old Heart of Mine” omits the strings and there’s more echo on Stewart’s voice.  “Still Love You” is an oddity – Stewart’s singing is really loud and the drums are almost non-existent.  I really like this version of “Sailing,” which strips the gospel choir and harder guitar fills, letting the song breathe more.  

The album is pressed on “Drift Away Blue Vinyl” – it’s marbled and looks great.

Stewart would soon hit pay dirt with ballads like “Tonight’s the Night” and “You’re in My Heart,” and then the disco-embarrassment of “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” so Atlantic Crossing stands as his last great album before the plunge.  The Alternate Atlantic Crossing gives us a chance to see one of Rod Stewart’s great albums under a different light.  —Tony Peters