Amazon.co.uk Review
This low-key 1993 live retrospective marked something of a return to form for Rod the Mod, who for many years had more or less abdicated his position as a performer of consequence to pursue a more frivolous pop-star persona. With his former Faces bandmate Ron Wood in tow, Stewart revisits hits like "Hot Legs", "Tonight's the Night", and "Maggie May"--and more adventurous choices like Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and Tom Waits's "Tom Traubert's Blues"--with an effortless grace and a renewed expressiveness that makes
Unplugged ... And Seated a consistent pleasure.
--Scott Schinder
CD Description
By the time MTV got around to taping an Unplugged special with Rod Stewart, the singing soccer fanatic had spent most of the '80s and early '90s churning out albums full of glossypop songs. UNPLUGGED...AND SEATED found Stewart going back to his earlier material where soul, folk and rock blended together into something special. Stewart made these chestnuts more authentic by reuniting with old mate Ronnie Wood. Backed by a string section, vocalists, and a couple of pianos, Stewart dug deep into his catalogue for folk-flavoured favourites such as "Handbags And Gladrags", "Mandolin Wind" and "Cut Across Shorty".
Rod the Mod kept the randiness factor present by including "Hot Legs" and "Tonight's The Night" inthis set, along with covers of some of his favourite songwriters including Cat Stevens ("The First Cut Is The Deepest"), Tim Hardin ("Reason To Believe") and Van Morrison ("Have ITold You Lately"). Playing with Wood, Stewart sounds invigorated, and sturdy warhorses such as "Every Picture Tells A Story" and "Stay With Me" take on new legs.