Rod Stewart - Camouflage

Today (June 18th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Camouflage, the thirteenth studio album from Rod Stewart. The 1984 release charted at number 34 in Australia, number 31 in Canada, number 17 in Japan, number 16 in Norway, number 13 in the Netherlands, number 8 in the UK, number 7 in Sweden, and number 6 in Germany. Here in the US, it spent thirty-five weeks on the Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 18.


Side one opens with "Infatuation". As the first single, it reached number 36 in the Netherlands, number 27 in Germany and the UK, number 16 in Switzerland, number 13 in Sweden, number 12 in Ireland, number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The song got a lot of play at parties on campus and the clubs I went out dancing at during my sophomore year of college. It has a solid beat and strong musical hooks.

A cover of "All Right Now", a 1970 hit for Free, is next. As the third single, it charted at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Stewart does a good job updating it for the 80's by adding some synths and a danceable beat.

The second single "Some Guys Have All the Luck" hit number 58 in Germany, number 27 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, number 15 in the UK, number 11 in Ireland, number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. This one seemed to crop up a lot when I was feeling down, particularly when things weren't working out on the romantic front during my college years.

The side closes out with the question "Can We Still Be Friends", a song about breaking up and moving on. Todd Rundgren wrote the song and recorded it first for his 1978 album Hermit of Mink Hollow. Stewart sped up the tempo and played up the synth elements.

Side two begins with "Bad For You", a mid-tempo realization that two people should not be together as one is clearly detrimental for the other.

"Heart Is On The Line" is up next.

The title track "Camouflage" is a big, bold, up-beat, sexy dance number.

The album concludes with gentle swaying ballad "Trouble".

I got a copy of Camouflage on CD a few years back, bought as part of a five-disk Rod Stewart set on sale at Best Buy. Of course, I was readily familiar with the big radio/MTV hits from the record. The record is a nice slice of mid-80's rock with a bend towards danceable rhythms.

For more blog posts about Rod Stewart, click here.