Album of the Day

Rod Stewart's star had risen steadily on the British music scene since the mid-1960s, his raspy voice belting out rock and roll for the Jeff Beck Group by the decade's end, and for Faces shortly thereafter. Stewart launched his own career while still fronting that beloved band, and by the time he'd left Faces in 1975, he was a bona fide superstar. He's clearly enjoying his freedom on A NIGHT ON THE TOWN, cut with seasoned record men Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin behind the boards and talent like Joe Walsh, the Tower Of Power horn section and most of Booker T.'s MG's joining him in the studio. The primarily original “slow” side has the best-known songs - like “Tonight’s The Night,” which topped the U.S. singles chart on this day in 1976 - but the “fast” side (including inspired covers of “The Wild Side Of Life” and “Pretty Flamingo”) is equally strong. The Deluxe Edition of A NIGHT ON THE TOWN adds a bonus disc with early versions of every song on the original album along with takes of “Share” and “Get Back.”