"...superstitious" is one of my favorite tracks featuring rod stewart. i became a beck (jeff, that is) once i quit being a knucklehead and went thru my older (step) brother's collection left after a summer visit by him. back on topic, you need to also check out rod's tenure with the faces/small faces.

and to the original subject line -- springsteen is still relevant, just disregard the *production* of his 80s material. he came out with a rootsy record last year i think? i heard some SERIOUSLY funky tune off it, can't recall the name now.

john "cougar" mellencamp (i love how that nickname totally pisses him off) was the pop-side of the roots-rock movement in the 80s. the blasters & lone justice from l.a., plus the rockabilly revival (including the strange, er, stray cats) were other notable figures.

bryan adams--nope, no good stuff unless you're (really) into 80s pop.

i always liked weather report (well, until the last 2 records) and "jazz" cats were always dogging them, yet talking about what a "genius" wayne shorter (sax/co-founder) was. i finally heard what he did in the 60s for blue note and "got it." i still dig weather report, but wayne's 60s blue note stuff is...
...genius.