Rod Stewart has always been three singers in one: a top-of-the-line rocker (Maggie May, Hot Legs) and a terrific balladeer (Sailing, Tonight's The Night), and finally (and indeed least) a really decent pop artist. That he has been able to accomplish this for over thirty years with a voice that sounds like he gargles with razor blades is nothing short of a miracle.

This album, choosing from the very thick repetoire of hits missing from the first "very best of" album, concentrates on the last two aspects of Rod's career. The sublime "Broken Arrow", the autobiographical "I Was Only Joking", the melancholy "The First Cut Is the Deepest" all are included. Alas, so are the rather silly Love Touch, and unaffecting covers of Your Song and Having A Party. And why include the Unplugged version of "People Get Ready" when the original with Jeff Beck is so superior?

Usually when an artist puts out a 2nd "best of", the tracks are truly second best. Not in this case. Most artists would be delighted to have this set as a greatest hits.

This the kind of Cd you want play on a nice date. Very Nice. It also includes "Thats what friends are for" that was originally used in Night Shift (Directed by Ron Howard)

Rod Stewart is a singer whose appeal has probably outlasted anyone in rock and roll with the exception the Beatles, the Stones and Elvis. He is adored by millions young and old. He has been named a perosnal favorite singer by every singer, from Elton John to Lindsay Lohan. Plus, he had an incredible run of hits between 1971 and 1998: 35 top 40 singles, 14 top 10 hits, 3 number one records (including one that was on top for 8 weeks). "Voice - The Very Best Of Rod Stewart" featured 16 of those hits. It had all his most memorable work on just one disc. It was excellent, but there was something missing. That missing void was filled with "Encore: Very Best Of 2".

This cd includes most of those remaining hits, including "Love Touch" (don't tell me anything bad about this song, because I love it), "Crazy About Her", "Passion", and the uplifting "The Motown Song". Also included is a vast number of underrated songs like "Broken Arrow", his original version "That's What Friends Are For" (not as good as Dionne Warwick's version, but it's still good), "I Don't Want To Talk About It", and "I Was Only Joking". Fans may miss "Handbags And Gladrags" and "The Killing Of Georgie Pts. 1 and 2", but that's a matter of opinion.

Get this and "Voice", and you're well on your way to owning all of Rod Stewart's best cds. Also pick up "Gasoline Alley", "Every Picture Tells A Story", "Out Of Order" and "Vagabond Heart", all great albums. Oh yeah, and the 3 "Great American Songbook" cds. They show how versatile the Rodmeister really is.