Before Rod Stewart became known as a global rock superstar and master interpreter of the Great American Songbook, the albums he made for the Mercury label between 1969 and 1974 established him as one of rocks most distinctive and expressive singers and gifted songwriters. The five solo albums that Stewart released during that period-The Rod Stewart Album (1969), Gasoline Alley (1970), Every Picture Tells a Story (1971), Never a Dull Moment (1972) and Smiler (1974) feature a rootsy, folk-blues-leaning style, steeped in traditional soul and R&B. This brand-new, two-CD, 24-track collection features rare tracks from these early solo albums. Included are alternate versions, singles, B-sides, studio outtakes and covers of The Who, Bob Dylan, Goffin/King, Cole Porter, Jimi Hendrix, and more, plus previously unreleased BBC Radio One live performances of Maggie May and Country Comfort with Faces.