Blondes Have More Fun

“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” dominates this album as its colossal hit and singular surefire stunner — 1979’s number one — as it’s a perfect blend of rock and disco. Rod Stewart was continuing his career shift into slicker, sleeker terrain. His voice was still carrying great effect and while the songs are shamelessly tacky, “Dirty Weekend,” “Attractive Female Wanted,” “Ain’t Love A Bitch,” and the title track aren’t without their guilty pleasures. They use tougher R&B than most would initially assume considering his cheesy leopard-print messiah phase. His cover of the Motown classic “Standin’ In the Shadows of Love” seems almost out of place but fits seamlessly amongst the late-‘70s debauchery that suggests plenty of illicit powder and mirrors being employed while the dance floor was warming up. “The Best Days of My Life” is a gentle, acoustic ballad that’s been sadly overlooked. Admittedly, there are few transcendent moments here, but it’s an accurate snapshot of the way ‘60s rockers were assimilating to the new world and technologies of the impending ‘80s.