"Foot Loose & Fancy Free" by ROD STEWART - November 1977 UK Eight Studio LP on Riva Records (Warner Brothers in the USA) featuring Steve Cropper, Gary Grainger, Billy Peek, Jim Cregan and Fred Tackett on Guitars, David Foster, John Barlow Jarvis and Nicky Hopkins on Keyboards, John Mayall on Harmonica, Mark Stein on Backing Vocals, Carmine Appice on Drums, Phil Chen on Bass and more (September 2000 UK Warner Brothers CD Reissue in the Warner Remasters Series – Patrick Krauss Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Don't you count on me to be here when the sun goes down..." Rod sang on the snotty "Born Loose" - his stab at "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (complete with Harmonica playing from British Blues Legend John Mayall). Our Mod was born loose, but not stupid it seems - except when it came to love. 

 

With a personal life straddling success vs. excess and an aging fan base moved on to maybe bigger and funkier things, there were many who fancied Rod Stewart the songwriter and raconteur as being over by the time "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" hit the shops in November 1977. Punk spirit or no - his long list of rocking affairs in bars and leggy-models' bedrooms was already passé as far as the new Punk Turks were concerned - and certainly they took the almighty piss out of him by the time December 1978's "Blondes Have More Fun" arrived (they didn't think he was sexy, flush bank account or not).

 

But for me and despite the rather ugly-ish lyrical content in "Hot Legs" that makes for an awkward listen in October 2022 - there are many winners on his last great album of the Seventies. Even the epic cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" certainly had its moments - Del Newman's string arrangements and those odd drops in the tempo that rewired an overly familiar song. And lyrically "I Was only Joking" is probably the only song that comes close to the genius words in 1976's "The Killing Of Georgie Part I & II". It's a damn shame though that these Warner Remasters don't really go the hog on presentation - the album's fabulous 12-page booklet that came with original LPs completely AWOL - lyrics and cartoon drawings referencing every song. But let's deal with what we do have...

 

UK released 6 September 2000 - "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" by ROD STEWART on Warner Brothers 9362-47731-2 (Barcode 093624773122) is a straightforward CD Reissue and Remaster in the Warners Remasters Series that plays out as follows (44:44 minutes):

 

1. Hot Legs [Side 1]

2. You're Insane

3. You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)

4. Born Loose

5. You Keep Me Hanging On [Side 2]

6. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right

7. You Got A Nerve

8. I Was Only Joking

Tracks 1 to 8 are his 8^th Studio Album "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" – released November 1977 in the UK on Riva Records RVLP 5 and November 1977 in the USA on Warner Brothers BSK 3092. Produced by TOM DOWD – it peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 2 in the USA. 

 

The three-way six-leaf foldout inlay is functional at best – album credits – that Scotland and Beer Bottle photo – but the elaborate and decidedly cool 12-page LP-sized booklet from the original vinyl is not here nor any liner notes on the history or charts etc. The PETER KRAUSS 24-bit digital Remaster is great – incredibly clear on what was clearly a very well recorded LP in the first place. And Stewart had surrounded himself and Producer TOM DOWD with his usual crew plus some. 

 

Players included - Steve Cropper, Gary Grainger, Billy Peek, Jim Cregan and Fred Tackett on Guitars, David Foster, John Barlow Jarvis and Nicky Hopkins on Keyboards, Phil Kenzie on Saxophone, John Mayall on Harmonica ("Born Loose" only), Mark Stein on Backing Vocals, Carmine Appice on Drums, Phil Chen on Bass, Strings arranged by Del Newman and more.

 

Just weeks prior to the LP release on 4 November 1977, the arm-swaying ballad "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" was issued as the album lead-off 45-single in October 1977 with "You Got A Nerve" from the LP on the flipside. Warner Brothers WBS 8475 (USA) and Riva Records RIVA 11 (same B-side) did big business on both sides of the pond – No. 3 in the UK and No. 4 in America. Time to follow that with a rocker and the obvious choice was the down and decidedly dirty Side 1 opener "Hot Legs" – issued January 1978 as a 45-single in the USA on Warner Brothers WBS 8535 with another LP cut on the flipside "You're Insane". Blighty issued it 20 January 1978 on Riva Records RIVA 10, but with the far better "I Was Only Joking" as the B-side. Perhaps none too enamoured with the seriously sexist lyrics – it hit only No. 28 in America but with its better B-side did way better in England – No. 5. And quite why the RIVA 11 catalogue number came before RIVA 10 in England is anyone’s guess?

 

With "I Was Only Joking" relegated to a B-side in the UK, Riva tried no more singles in Blighty, but the USA featured it as 45 number three. "I Was Only Joking" was issued Stateside on Warner Brothers WBS 8568 in April 1978 in an edited form (4:48 minutes) with the Side 1 finisher "Born Loose" on the flipside – but its chart high of No. 22 is to be considered a disappointment given how good the A-song is. There is also a 9 April 1978 Mono Edit Promo-Only version of "I Was Only Joking" that could have been issued as a Bonus Track along with the Stereo Edit of the issued single, two goodies fans would have enjoyed, but no such luck. 

 

The two Side 2 cover versions are cleverly arranged - wildly away from the format of the originals yet somehow complimentary in their new incarnations. Motown's Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "You Keep Me Hanging On" which The Supremes made a hit of in 1966, while a trio of Soul and R 'n' B writers for Stax Records - Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson and Carl Hampton - gave their magisterial creation "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right" creation to Luther Ingram in 1972 (it's been covered by loads of other artists including The Emotions and Millie Jackson). Take that slow guitar solo that appears three and half minutes into "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right" - given a very subtle bottom end by both John Jarvis and David Foster on Keyboards later added to by Phil Kenzie on Saxophone. So damn good. 

 

And then there's the album's forgotten little sweetie - "You've Got A Nerve" - a bitter afterthought ballad - a loved-you-once-but-don't-now song where both Jim Cregan and co-writer Gary Grainger hold sway on Sitar and Guitars. It finishes with what has to be an accomplished Rod winner - the kid at school who messed around with all the rules. The Remaster is gorgeous - full and clear. In and out of jobs, running free, Dad said we looked ridiculous, hiding behind the wine and beer - another superb Stewart/Grainger song. 

 

Here in late 2022 - "Foot Loose & Fancy Free" is the sort of Rod Stewart studio album that's actually forgotten about 45 years after the event, but I'd argue it's a lean and mean little brat worthy of your forgiveness and immaculate benevolence. Or in the words of the great man - "Go Tartan or Go Home!"

 

Recommended - even if we (and he) did look ridiculous...