AMG Review of Storyteller: The Complete Anthology 1964-1990

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Storyteller: The Complete Anthology is a flawed but effective four-disc box set covering Rod Stewart's career from its start up through the 1980s. Although most of Stewart's biggest hits and best-known songs from his first two decades are on Storyteller, the collection is poorly paced, containing too much hesitant early material and not enough Jeff Beck Group or Faces selections. Nevertheless, the box traces his evolution from a working-class singer to Rod the Mod to superstar, featuring most of his essential '70s and '80s songs -- including whole sides of Every Picture Tells a Story and Never a Dull Moment -- along the way. For casual fans looking for an in-depth overview, it's an essential purchase, but more serious fans should stick with individual albums, especially his classic early-'70s albums.