After putting out five albums in five years between 2002 and 2006, Rod Stewart took a relative eternity to craft his latest set of hit-tune covers. Listening to Soulbook, you may wonder where all that time went. Though he's in fine, satisfyingly scratchy voice throughout, Stewart rarely brings anything new to these indelible R&B gems, especially when he duets with the original artists, as in a too-faithful rendition of ''Tracks of My Tears'' with Smokey Robinson. There's no doubting the love in that old heart of his, but Soulbook could've cut much deeper. C+
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