by Rod Stewart’s 1973 album Never a Dull Moment wasn’t inspired by any single artist, but rather drew from a wide range of musical influences that came together to create one of Stewart’s most beloved records.
[bg_collapse view=”button-orange” color=”#4a4949″ expand_text=”Show More” collapse_text=”Show Less” ]
While Stewart had established himself as a talented singer and songwriter by this point in his career, Never a Dull Moment saw him experimenting with new sounds and styles, looking outside of his usual folk and blues influences to incorporate elements of rock, soul, and beyond. The album’s eclectic nature is a testament to Stewart’s adventurous spirit and broad musical palate.
One of the biggest influences on the album came from Stewart’s bandmate in The Faces, guitarist Ronnie Wood. Wood co-wrote three songs on Never a Dull Moment – “You Can Make Me Dance, Sing, or Anything,” “Bring It On Home to Me,” and “True Blue” – and his signature bluesy rock style is imprinted across the record. Wood’s guitar work gives the album a loose, jam-band vibe at times while also grounding Stewart’s vocals in gritty blues-rock. Songs like “True Blue” showcase Wood’s proficiency at laying down infectious riffs and solos that drive the songs forward. His songwriting contributions also expanded Stewart’s sound, bringing some of The Faces’ rowdy pub rock sensibilities into a more polished album context. Wood’s indelible mark on Never a Dull Moment helped give the album its signature blend of blues, rock, and roots influences.
Another key collaborator was Martin Quittenton, who co-wrote the album’s breakout hit “You Wear It Well.” Quittenton’s background as a classically trained guitarist is evident in the sophisticated melody and arrangement of “You Wear It Well.” The song has a cinematic quality thanks to Quittenton’s nylon-string acoustic guitar work, which lent the track a polished sheen compared to some of the album’s grittier rock numbers. Quittenton helped Stewart deliver one of his most memorable love songs, showcasing Stewart’s ability to interpret more sophisticated material. “You Wear It Well” was a major commercial success and remains one of Stewart’s signature songs, due in no small part to Quittenton’s contributions as a songwriter and guitarist.
While Wood and Quittenton brought rock and sophistication to the album respectively, Stewart also looked to soul music for inspiration. Never a Dull Moment includes a cover of Sam Cooke’s 1963 hit “Twisting the Night Away,” allowing Stewart to flex his skills as an interpreter of soul and R&B. Stewart delivers Cooke’s lyrics of nocturnal romance with smooth charm and passion, doing the soul legend’s melody justice. The track was a clear homage to one of Stewart’s biggest vocal influences. It highlighted how Stewart could channel classic soul styling’s to breathe new life into well-known material.
Stewart also covered “Angel,” a track originally released by legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix in 1968. Taking on a song by a giant of rock guitar like Hendrix showed Stewart’s appreciation for pioneering axemen while also hinting at his own skills as an interpreter of rock material. Where Wood brought gritty blues-rock to the album, covering Hendrix nodded to Stewart’s interest in pushing the boundaries of the form. He delivers a soulful reading of “Angel” that stays true to Hendrix’s psychedelic spirit while also making it his own with his raspy vocals. The inclusion of this deep cut from Hendrix’s catalog demonstrated the breadth of Stewart’s musical tastes.
Beyond just covering specific songs, Stewart was also influenced by the pioneering songwriting of Bob Dylan. While Dylan’s folksy protest songs may seem a world away from Stewart’s brand of heart-on-his-sleeve rock, there are hints of Dylan’s elliptical lyrical style in some of Stewart’s original compositions for Never a Dull Moment. Songs like “Italian Girls” and “True Blue” have a loose, poetic narrative quality reminiscent of Dylan’s most impressionistic work. The album as a whole is less concerned with tight rhyme schemes or choruses and instead favors a more casual, conversational style aligned with the then-burgeoning singer-songwriter movement. Dylan pushed popular music in a more personal, intimate direction, and some of those qualities are apparent in Stewart’s writing on Never a Dull Moment.
All of these diverse influences – from Wood’s bluesy rock to Quittenton’s sophistication, Cooke’s soul to Hendrix’s psychedelia, and Dylan’s poetic storytelling – come together to make Never a Dull Moment such a richly textured album. But Stewart’s true skill was in absorbing inspiration from all of these sources and synthesizing them into his own distinct style. The record captures Stewart stretching out from his early folk roots into new hybrid territories that blended multiple genres. It showed he was an artist willing to experiment and incorporate new sounds without losing his core strengths as an interpreter and storyteller.
Never a Dull Moment avoids being a pastiche by virtue of Stewart’s strong vision guiding the various influences into a cohesive whole. There is a loose, easygoing feel to the album, hinting at the fact that much of it was recorded live off the floor, but Stewart’s raspy vocals and emotional delivery tie it all together. Songs like the bluesy rave-up “Bring It On Home to Me” sit comfortably alongside the sweeping cinematic pop of “You Wear It Well.” The album flows effortlessly between gritty rockers, soulful covers, and Stewart’s own evocative story-songs.
At just over 35 minutes, Never a Dull Moment never overstays its welcome, leaving the listener wanting more. But in that brief runtime, Stewart packed in a rich array of textures. He proved himself not just a talented interpreter of other artists’ songs but also a gifted writer with the ability to synthesize disparate styles into his own brand of heartfelt rock and roll. Never a Dull Moment became Stewart’s commercial breakthrough in the US and remains one of his most beloved albums thanks to the perfect storm of musical sparks ignited by its diverse influences and Stewart’s singular ability to conduct them all into a cohesive statement. It showed off both the adventurousness and consistency of Stewart’s artistry, cementing his reputation as a shape-shifting rock star for the ages.
[/bg_collapse]
