An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down

An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down is the debut solo studio album by Rod Stewart. First released in the United States in November 1969 as The Rod Stewart Album, the album peaked at No. 139 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It was later released in the United Kingdom with the modified title in February 1970. Stewart's Faces bandmates Ronnie Wood and Ian McLagan also appear on the album, along with Keith Emerson, Jeff Beck Group drummer Micky Waller and guitarists Martin Pugh (of Steamhammer, and later Armageddon and 7th Order) and Martin Quittenton (also from Steamhammer).

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone	(favorable)
Robert Christgau	A-

The album received positive reviews from Fusion, Rolling Stone, and Robert Christgau. Christgau felt the album was "superb", the same wording as used by Greil Marcus in his Rolling Stone review.

In a retrospective summary for Rolling Stone, a staff writer felt that Stewart's solo debut showed him as a "highly original interpreter" of other people's songs, and that his own compositions indicated he was "capable of startlingly bare emotion and compassion".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rod Stewart, except where indicated

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Street Fighting Man"	Mick Jagger, Keith Richards	5:05
2.	"Man of Constant Sorrow"	traditional; arranged by Stewart	2:30
3.	"Blind Prayer"		4:36
4.	"Handbags and Gladrags"	Mike d'Abo	4:24

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down"		3:30
2.	"I Wouldn't Ever Change a Thing"		4:44
3.	"Cindy's Lament"		4:26
4.	"Dirty Old Town"	Ewan MacColl	3:42
Total length:			32:47

Personnel

Rod Stewart – vocals, guitars on "Man of Constant Sorrow"
Ronnie Wood – guitars, bass, harmonica on "Dirty Old Town"
Martin Pugh – guitars
Martin Quittenton – acoustic guitar
Ian McLagan – piano, organ
Micky Waller – drums
Mike d'Abo – piano on "Handbags and Gladrags"
Lou Reizner – vocals on "I Wouldn't Ever Change a Thing"
Keith Emerson – organ on "I Wouldn't Ever Change a Thing"

Technical

Keith "Marcus Keef" MacMillan – design, photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1969-1970)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)	31
United States (Billboard 200)	139

References

Segretto, Mike (2022). "1970". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. p. 247. ISBN 9781493064601.
"Rod Stewart singles".
"Rod Stewart singles".
Franco Brizi, Vertigo 1969-1976 Discografia completa, Iacobelli, Roma, 2022, pag. 28
Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Overview The Rod Stewart Album". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
Greil Marcus (7 February 1970). "Rod Stewart - The Rod Stewart Album review". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
"Robert Christgau: CG - Rod Stewart". Robertchristagu.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
^ "Robert Christgau: CG: rod stewart". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
Griel Marcus (7 February 1970). "Records". Rolling Stone. No. 51. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 42. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
"Rod Stewart". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1795443-Rod-Stewart-An-Old-Raincoat-Wont-Ever-Let-You-Down%7C
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 295. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

v t e Rod Stewart
Discography
Studio albums	An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down (1969) Gasoline Alley (1970) Every Picture Tells a Story (1971) Never a Dull Moment (1972) Smiler (1974) Atlantic Crossing (1975) A Night on the Town (1976) Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) Blondes Have More Fun (1978) Foolish Behaviour (1980) Tonight I'm Yours (1981) Body Wishes (1983) Camouflage (1984) Every Beat of My Heart (1986) Out of Order (1988) Vagabond Heart (1991) A Spanner in the Works (1995) When We Were the New Boys (1998) Human (2001) It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (2002) As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II (2003) Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III (2004) Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV (2005) Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time (2006) Soulbook (2009) Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V (2010) Merry Christmas, Baby (2012) Time (2013) Another Country (2015) Blood Red Roses (2018) The Tears of Hercules (2021) Swing Fever (2024)
Live albums	Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners (1974) Absolutely Live (1982) Unplugged...and Seated (1993)
Compilation albums	Sing It Again Rod (1973) The Best of Rod Stewart (1976) The Best of Rod Stewart Vol. 2 (1976) Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (1979) Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990 (1989) The Best of Rod Stewart (1989) Downtown Train – Selections from the Storyteller Anthology (1990) Lead Vocalist (1993) If We Fall in Love Tonight (1996) The Story So Far: The Very Best of Rod Stewart (2001) You're in My Heart: Rod Stewart with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2019)
Concert tours	Blondes 'Ave More Fun Tour (1978–1979) Every Beat of My Heart Tour (1986) Out of Order Tour (1988–1989) Rod Stewart: The Hits (2011–2018) Live the Life Tour (2013) The Voice, The Guitar, The Songs Tour (2014) Hits 2016 From Gasoline Alley to Another Country: Hits 2016 (2016–2017)
Family	Alana Stewart (first wife) Kimberly Stewart (daughter) Ruby Stewart (daughter) Rachel Hunter (second wife) Penny Lancaster (third wife)
Related articles	Riva Records Jimmy Powell Steampacket Shotgun Express The Jeff Beck Group Faces Tonight's the Night
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