| The Tears of Hercules | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 November 2021 | |||
| Length | 44:31 | |||
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| Producer | ||||
| Rod Stewart chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Tears of Hercules | ||||
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The Tears of Hercules is the thirty-second studio album by British singer-songwriter Rod Stewart. It was released on 12 November 2021 through Warner and Rhino. It was produced by Stewart and Kevin Savigar.
Stewart began a songwriting and production partnership with Kevin Savigar in the early 2010s, and they experienced widespread commercial success with Time (2013), Another Country (2015) and Blood Red Roses (2018). [2] Stewart then released a series of compilation albums, including You're in My Heart , Cupid and a box set of material recorded between 1975 and 1978. [3]
Stewart co-wrote nine of the album's tracks with Kevin Savigar and Emerson Swinford. "I Can't Imagine" is dedicated to Stewart's wife Penny Lancaster. "Hold On" addresses topical issues including bigotry and racism, with a reference to civil rights activist John Lewis. "Born to Boogie" is dedicated to Marc Bolan.
The title track was written by Canadian singer-songwriter Marc Jordan and composer Stephan Moccio, and originally released on Jordan's album Make Believe Ballroom (2004). [4] Jordan had previously co-written "Rhythm of My Heart" with John Capek, a major hit for Stewart in 1991. The album also includes covers of "Some Kind of Wonderful" and the Johnny Cash song "These Are My People".
The Tears of Hercules was released on 12 November 2021. [1] "One More Time" was released as the lead single on 16 September 2021 with an accompanying music video filmed in London on 21 August 2021. "Hold On" was released as the second single on 15 October 2021. "I Can't Imagine" followed as the third single on 5 November 2021, with an accompanying music video.
On the day of release, Stewart promoted the album on television shows including The Kelly Clarkson Show , The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Graham Norton Show . [5] [6]
The photograph used for the cover artwork of The Tears of Hercules was taken by Penny Lancaster during the video shoot for "One More Time". It depicts Stewart wearing an embroidered military-style jacket and a necklace that reads "Celtic", in support of Celtic Football Club.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 57/100 [7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| American Songwriter |  [9] |
| Classic Rock | [10] |
| The Independent | [11] |
The Tears of Hercules was met with mixed reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a weighted mean score of 57 based on 5 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [7]
Referencing Stewart's songwriting, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Stewart is "in a decidedly looser frame of mind" than he was on Time (2013). He described the album as "alternately baffling, absurd, sweet, and endearing". [8] Writing for Classic Rock magazine, Paul Moody stated that Stewart has "always been a master interpreter of other people’s material", describing the title track as an "atmospheric ballad". [10] In American Songwriter , Hal Horowitz was critical of the album's songwriting and production, but stated that "a few moments almost save this from moving into the “better luck next time” pile." [9] In a wholly negative review for The Independent , Roisin O'Connor described the album as a "12-track cringefest" where "Stewart celebrates carnal love in between songs about his late father". [11]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One More Time" | 3:58 | |
| 2. | "Gabriella" |
| 3:33 |
| 3. | "All My Days" |
| 3:37 |
| 4. | "Some Kind of Wonderful" | John Ellison | 3:02 |
| 5. | "Born to Boogie (A Tribute to Marc Bolan)" |
| 3:43 |
| 6. | "Kookooaramabama" |
| 3:43 |
| 7. | "I Can't Imagine" |
| 3:35 |
| 8. | "The Tears of Hercules" | 4:10 | |
| 9. | "Hold On" |
| 4:19 |
| 10. | "Precious Memories" |
| 3:59 |
| 11. | "These Are My People" | Johnny Cash | 2:57 |
| 12. | "Touchline" |
| 3:55 |
| Total length: | 44:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Up All Night" | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 48:05 | |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [13]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) [31] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook is the first album of American pop standards recorded by British musician Rod Stewart, and his 20th album overall. It was released on 22 October 2002, and became the first in a five-volume series.
Stardust... the Great American Songbook, Volume III is the third studio album of pop standards by British musician Rod Stewart, released on 19 October 2004 by J Records, and his 22nd album overall. The album was dedicated to the Tartan Army.
Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time is the 24th album by Rod Stewart, released on 10 October 2006. After four years of success singing pop standards from the Great American Songbook, Still the Same was composed of classic rock covers.
Tonight I'm Yours is the eleventh studio album by Rod Stewart, released in 1981. It features hints of classic rock, pop and new wave. The album had three hit singles, with the title track "Tonight I'm Yours ", "Young Turks", and "How Long".
Out of Order is the fifteenth studio album by Rod Stewart, released in 1988. It features the hit singles "Lost in You", "Forever Young", "My Heart Can't Tell You No", and "Crazy About Her". The album was produced by Stewart and members of The Power Station: guitarist Andy Taylor, and bassist Bernard Edwards. Chic drummer Tony Thompson also plays on the record.
Vagabond Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British recording artist Rod Stewart, released on 25 March 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No. 10 in the US, and reached No. 2 in the UK. The album features five singles, among them a cover of Robbie Robertson's song "Broken Arrow" and Van Morrison's song "Have I Told You Lately", which would become a hit two years later, and is Stewart's most recent top five solo hit in the US and the UK. The two biggest hits from the album were "Rhythm of My Heart" and "The Motown Song". The latter song features with Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and Jeff Porcaro nearly the whole band of Toto.
Body Wishes is the twelfth studio album by Rod Stewart released in 1983 by Warner Bros. Records. The tracks were recorded and mixed at The Record Plant, Los Angeles. It produced three singles, "Baby Jane", "What Am I Gonna Do ", and "Sweet Surrender". The cover is a tribute to the cover of the Elvis Presley album, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.
Camouflage is the thirteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Records. The four singles from the album were "Infatuation", "Trouble", a cover of The Persuaders hit "Some Guys Have All the Luck", and a cover of the Free hit, "All Right Now". The album marked a reunion of sorts between Stewart and Jeff Beck, who plays guitar on several tracks, as the two had been members of the influential 1960s group The Jeff Beck Group.
Every Beat of My Heart is the fourteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released in 1986 by Warner Bros. Records. The tracks were recorded at One on One Studios, Can Am Recorders, Cherokee Studios, The Village Recorder, The Record Plant, and Artisan Sound Recorders. The album produced four singles: "Love Touch", "Another Heartache", "In My Life", and "Every Beat of My Heart". In the United States, the album was released under the eponymous title of Rod Stewart.
Lead Vocalist is a compilation album released by Rod Stewart on 22 February 1993. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in the UK and Germany, but was never released in the US. Three songs from this album either had previously or would be released as singles: "Tom Traubert's Blues", "Shotgun Wedding", and "Ruby Tuesday".
Human is the nineteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released on 12 March 2001. It was Stewart's first, and only release on Atlantic Records. It produced the singles "Run Back Into Your Arms", "I Can't Deny It", "Soul On Soul" and "Don't Come Around Here" with "I Can't Deny It" became a moderate hit, peaking at number 26 in the United Kingdom, Stewart's most recent Top 40 to date in that chart. The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Human was also his first album not to feature an original Stewart track. On the third track, "Don’t Come Around Here", Stewart is joined by Helicopter Girl.
If We Fall in Love Tonight is an album released by Rod Stewart on 12 November 1996. It includes mostly previously released songs. The album was released in both the US and UK, though the versions differ slightly. It was released by Warner Bros. Records, and produced the singles "If We Fall in Love Tonight" and "When I Need You".
Unplugged...and Seated is a live album released by British musician Rod Stewart on 24 May 1993 by Warner Bros. Records. It is Stewart's second live album and his first appearance on MTV Unplugged. The unplugged versions of "Have I Told You Lately" by Van Morrison, "Reason to Believe", "Having a Party", and "People Get Ready" were released as singles, with "Have I Told You Lately" and "Having a Party" reaching success as singles. A special collector's edition was released in March 2009 on Rhino Records. This two-disc package included the DVD of the performance with 13 songs while the CD contained 17 tracks including two songs not on the original 1993 release.
When We Were the New Boys is the eighteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released on 29 May 1998. It was Stewart's last studio album to be released by Warner Bros. Records. It produced the singles "Ooh La La", "Rocks", and "When We Were the New Boys".
"Young Turks" is a song by Rod Stewart that first appeared in 1981 on his album Tonight I'm Yours. The track presented Stewart backed by a new synthpop and new wave sound, in part influenced by acts like Devo. The term young Turk, which originates from the early 20th-century secular nationalist reform party of the same name, is slang for a rebellious youth who acts contrary to what is deemed normal by society. The phrase "young Turks" is not heard in the song, the chorus instead centering on the phrase "young hearts, be free, tonight", leading to the song frequently being known as "Young Hearts" or "Young Hearts Be Free".
Soulbook is the 25th studio album by Rod Stewart. Like his previous five albums, Soulbook features Stewart singing old material; for this album he sings classic material from Motown and the soul genre. It was released on 17 October 2009 and was produced by Steve Tyrell, Steven Jordan and Chuck Kentis.
Merry Christmas, Baby, is the first Christmas album by Rod Stewart and his 27th studio album overall, released on 30 October 2012. The album has proved to be a top 10 success in many countries including the UK, US, Canada and Australia. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2012 with over 1,000,000 copies sold in the US.
Time is the twenty-eighth studio album by Rod Stewart, it was released on 3 May 2013 in the UK, on 7 May in the US and Canada, and on 8 May in Japan under the title "Time: Toki no Tabibito" (タイム~時の旅人~). In May 2013, Stewart released Time, a rock album of his own original material. It marked a return to songwriting after what Stewart termed "a dark period of twenty years"; he said that writing his autobiography gave him the impetus to write music again. The album entered the top 10 in the US and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1, setting a new British record for the longest gap between chart-topping albums by an artist, as his last studio album to reach the top spot was A Night on the Town in 1976. The album was certified platinum in the UK on 16 August 2013 and double-platinum on 29 December 2017. Overall, the album was the No. 7 best-selling album of 2013 in the UK. In the United States, the album has sold 141,000 copies as of September 2015.
Another Country is the 29th studio album by British singer-songwriter Rod Stewart. It was released on 23 October 2015 through Capitol Records. It was produced by Stewart and Kevin Savigar.
Blood Red Roses is the 30th studio album by British singer-songwriter Rod Stewart. It was released on 28 September 2018 through Decca Records and Republic Records. It was produced by Stewart and Kevin Savigar. Covers on the album include versions of Jim McCann's "Grace", the Kingston Trio's "It Was a Very Good Year" and Hambone Willie Newbern's "Rollin' and Tumblin'".
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