Album of the Day

The stripped-down, predominantly acoustic approach of MTV's Unplugged series allowed for a fresh spin on rock classics, and few performers took better advantage of it than Rod Stewart. Released 25 years ago today, UNPLUGGED … AND SEATED features the U.K. singer-songwriter on 17 career-spanning songs ranging from such early favorites as “Stay With Me” and “Maggie May” to more recent hits including “Forever Young” and “Have I Told You Lately.” Former Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood joins in on guitar for many of these tracks, and though they hadn't worked together in nearly two decades, the chemistry is still palpable. A Stewart show is usually pretty animated as Rod plays to the crowd, but even when UNPLUGGED … AND SEATED, he makes thrilling music.