- Mandolin Wind
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"Mandolin Wind" Single by Rod Stewart from the album Every Picture Tells a Story A-side "(I Know) I'm Losing You" Released 1971 Genre Rock, Folk Length 5:33 Label Mercury Writer(s) Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story track listing "Maggie May"
(5)"Mandolin Wind"
(6)"(I Know) I'm Losing You"
(7)"Mandolin Wind" is a song written by Rod Stewart. It was first released on Stewart's 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story and later as the b-side of a single from that album, his cover of "(I Know) I'm Losing You."[1][2] In 1972, it was covered by The Everly Brothers on their album Stories We Could Tell, and in 1977 it was covered by Earl Scruggs on his album Strike Anywhere.[3][4] The song has also appeared on numerous Rod Stewart compilation and live albums, including Sing It Again Rod, Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990 and Unplugged...and Seated.[5] It has also appeared on Everly Brothers and Earl Scruggs compilation albums.[5]
"Mandolin Wind" has been heavily praised by music critics. In his review of Every Picture Tells a Story in Rolling Stone Magazine, John Mendelsohn refers to the song as being "nearly as good" as the #1 single off the album, "Maggie May."[6] Rock: The Rough Guide went further, calling the song the highlight of the album.[7] Stewart Mason of Allmusic called the song "every bit...equal" to "Maggie May," and Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song "unbearably poignant."[8] [1] In its review of Every Picture Tells a Story, Billboard Magazine called "Mandolin Wind" an "excellent Stewart composition," and in its review of Stories We Could Tell the magazine noted that the song offered "great single potential."[9][10] Rod Stewart biographers Tim Ewbank & Stafford Hildred refer to the song as "a stunning ballad."[11]
The song combines elements of rock music and folk music.[8] The lyrics tell of the singer's love for his woman after she stayed with him through a particularly brutal winter on the American frontier.[8][11][12] The song uses mostly acoustic instruments, with a particularly prominent mandolin part.[8][11] Stewart has stated that he "always thought the mandolin was such as romantic-sounding instrument."[11] Although the tempo remains slow to medium throughout, Stewart Mason describes the song as "a masterpiece of dynamics."[8] The song rocks harder during the fadeout than during the rest of the song.[6][8] Mason finds the song's "simple, sweet declaration of love and fidelity" more believable than Stewart's later love songs.[8]
Stewart has stated that his "goal in life is to play 'Mandolin Wind' and make it sound like the record."[13] Jayhawks guitarist Gary Louris quoted from "Mandolin Wind" in the song "Waiting for the Sun" on their Hollywood Town Hall album.[14]
The identity of the mandolin player on "Mandolin Wind" is unclear. Mason attributes the mandolin playing to Martin Quittenton.[8] However, the liner notes to Every Picture Tells a Story list Quittenton only as the acoustic guitar player, and claim that "the mandolin was played by the mandolin player in Lindisfarne" but that Rod Stewart had forgotten his name.[15][16] In 2003, Ray Jackson claimed to be the mandolin player on the album, at least for the song "Maggie May."[15]
References
- ^ a b Erlewine, S.T.. "Every Picture Tells a Story". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/every-picture-tells-a-story-r19100/review. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ "What's Playing". Billboard Magazine. January 1, 1972. http://books.google.com/books?id=Jw8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14&dq=%22mandolin+wind%22&hl=en&ei=6LpJTvmgIoPa0QGV6bXrBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAjgU#v=onepage&q=%22mandolin%20wind%22&f=false.
- ^ Grady, M.. "Stories We Could Tell". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/stories-we-could-tell-r6940/review. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ "Strike Anywhere". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/strike-anywhere-r108473. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ a b "Mandolin Wind". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/Mandolin%20Wind/order:default-asc/. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ a b Mendelsohn, J. (July 8, 1971). "Every Picture Tells a Story Review". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/every-picture-tells-a-story-19710708. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ Buckley, J., ed (1999). Rock: The Rough Guide (2 ed.). Rough Guides. p. 1013. ISBN 9781858284576.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mason, S.. "Mandolin Wind". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/song/mandolin-wind-t1872133. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
- ^ "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard Magazine. June 19, 1971. p. 49. http://books.google.com/books?id=rggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=%22mandolin+wind%22&hl=en&ei=6LpJTvmgIoPa0QGV6bXrBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=%22mandolin%20wind%22&f=false.
- ^ "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard Magazine. March 25, 1972. p. 37. http://books.google.com/books?id=bSgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37&dq=%22mandolin+wind%22&hl=en&ei=6LpJTvmgIoPa0QGV6bXrBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=%22mandolin%20wind%22&f=false.
- ^ a b c d Ewbank, T. & Hildred, S. (2005). Rod Stewart: The New Biography. Citadel Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780806526447.
- ^ Thompson, D. (2011). 1000 Songs that Rock Your World. Krause Publications. p. 74. ISBN 9781440214226.
- ^ Charone, B. (November 1975). "Rod Jumps Teams". Creem Magazine.
- ^ Hampton, H. (March 1995). "Tomorrow the Green Grass". SPIN magazine. pp. 96–97.
- ^ a b Southall, B. (2009). "Chapter 7: Ray Jackson". Pop Goes to Court: Rock 'N' Pop's Greatest Court Battles. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857120366.
- ^ Every Picture Tells a Story Liner Notes.
1970s "It's All Over Now" (1970) · "Reason to Believe"/"Maggie May" (1971) · "(I Know) I'm Losing You"/"Mandolin Wind" (1971) · "Handbags and Gladrags" (1972) · "You Wear It Well" (1972) · "Angel" (1972) · "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" (1972) · "Twistin' the Night Away" (1973, 1987) · "Oh! No Not My Baby" (1973) · "Farewell" / "You Send Me" (1973) · "Mine for Me" (1974) · "You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything" (1974) Stewart/Faces · "Sailing" (1975) · "This Old Heart of Mine" (1975) · "Tonight's the Night" (1975) · "The Killing of Georgie" (1976) · "Get Back" (1976) · "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (1977) · "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (1977, 1990) · "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" (1978) · "Hot Legs" (1978) · "I Was Only Joking" (1978) · "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (1978, 1997) · "Ain't Love a Bitch" (1979) · "Blondes (Have More Fun)" (1979)1980s "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" (1980) · "Young Turks" (1982) · "How Long?" (1982) · "Baby Jane" (1983) · "That's What Friends Are For" (1983) · "Some Guys Have All the Luck" (1984) · "All Right Now" (1984) · "People Get Ready" (1985, 1991, 1993) Stewart/Beck · "Love Touch" (1986) · "In My Life" (1987) · "Forever Young" (1988) · "My Heart Can't Tell You No" (1988) · "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" (1989)Stewart/Isley · "Downtown Train" (1989)1990s "It Takes Two" (1990)Stewart/Turner · "Rhythm of My Heart" (1991) · "The Motown Song" (1991) · "Your Song" (1992) · "Ruby Tuesday" (1993) · "Have I Told You Lately" (1993) · "Reason to Believe" (unplugged, 1993) · "All for Love" (1993) Stewart/Adams/Sting · "Lady Luck" (1996) · "Ooh La La" (1998) · "Rocks" (1998) · "Cigarettes and Alcohol" (1998) · "Faith of the Heart" (1999)2000s "These Foolish Things" (2002) · "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (2003) · "Time After Time" (2003) · "What a Wonderful World" (2004) · "Blue Moon" (2004) · "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (2005) · "I've Got a Crush on You" (2005) · "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (2006) · "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (2006) · "Everybody Hurts" (2010)Categories:- Rod Stewart songs
- 1971 songs
- Songs written by Rod Stewart
- The Everly Brothers songs
- Earl Scruggs songs
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