"In retrospect, Rod Stewart's early career appears to have been a miracle. His later career was a huge disappointment, not because his music was so terrible (it wasn't, really), but because fans like me couldn't believe that an artist who seemed to have developed a seamless blend of folk, rock, soul and country that at once sounded highly traditional and completely innovative would turn his back on his muse."

So says the top reviewer of Rod Stewart's 1971 Every Picture Tells a Story on Amazon. Having little respect or knowledge for that later career, I couldn't agree more at the moment.

While the album does include the overplay of Maggie May, ensuring a mandolin is playing 24/7 somewhere in the world, the new Globe 94.7 turned up Stewart's Faces-backed romp through the Temptations' (I Know) I'm Losing You, which is what everyone needs on the way to work.

I was driving out of work Friday night after a long day at work, and 94.7 surprised me. Windows were down on a nice night, and I'd been hating the station all week. With Big 100 jumping onto their classic rock turf this spring, I'd been feeling that this week had been a bit of reaction for 94.7. Every time I'd listened, it felt either too pop — moving them closer to Big — or too Spinal Tap. All the people who could play on a present-past rock station like XRT, the Springsteens and U2s of the world, were in short supply. And my car CD player was broken. It died slowly during the past year or so and finally has left me in D.C. radio custody.

But Friday night I was block out of work when I flipped to 94.7, and they were playing some scratchy live version of Elvis Costello singing Alison … that segued into the other Elvis' Suspicious Minds. I didn't see it coming, and the "caught in a trap" just bubbled up from a few familar words to recognition to a force at the end. Made my drive.

Turned out it was from Costello's 2003 Live in Memphis DVD, ripped for radio I guess, but freely viewable too on AOL Music. Apparently he also paired the song with Tracks of My Tears in recent years, and that Google find made me want to hear that one too at some point. Same slow rocking motions in both songs and same party sadness.

And then apparently for a while there was a medley of all three songs….

Darkness… lines… an indefinite woman… a sax break… a blues-rock interpretation of "mean." I'd never heard John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band until this morning when 94.7 had a satellitesque moment. Sitting in traffic, I was wondering who the Springsteen ripoff was and thinking about how Dave Marsh called Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back in Town the "best non-Springsteen Springsteen ever" and how this song on the radio wasn't coming close.

Apparently, the song was On the Dark Side from the faux-Bruce Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack. I had no idea. So I've got a new addition to my must-see list now, and Cafferty's got me interested.

For my money, the best use of actual Springsteen music in a film has been John Sayles's Baby, It's You. The movie was Sayles' first and only under studio control, and his themes only hit some of the time. But his soundtrack picks from the Springsteen catalog and their subsequent placement were perfect. Sorry, Tom Cruise fans.

The "lost classic" on Big 100 yesterday afternoon? Everlasting Love, by Love Affair. Give me a break. You know that song and so does your grandmama.

On the flip side, the Rolling Stones' Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) appears to be in more frequent rotation on Classic Rock 94.7.

Back to bed…

As is my Friday custom, I rose at 3 this morning and was out the door at 4:30. During the 20 minute drive to work that followed, the radio made my day.

Turning the ignition, with the dial on 99.5:

1. Beyonce "“ "Crazy in Love"

Then came a switch to 94.7:

2. Norman Greenbaum "“ "Spirit in the Sky"

3. ZZ Top "“ "Tush"

4. Derek and the Dominos "“ "Layla"

Then a switch back to 99.5:

5. Notorious BIG "“ "Hypnotize"

And then I was at work.

Driving around Arlington before the big game last night, Mark and I found the Beatles and "Day Tripper" playing on 94.7 FM. We turned up the volume and let the guitars rip.

When the song ended, Mark raised the Beatles pop/rock issue. Yes, the Beatles were a great rock and roll band, he said (if I'm recalling correctly), but their pop got much more attention than their rock. This argument got no disagreement from me; I've always allied more with the Rolling Stones than the Beatles, just for the fact that the Stones rocked more.

But the timing of Mark's comment hit a good point for the Beatles. "Day Tripper" really did rock pretty hard. In his book Heart of Rock & Soul, Dave Marsh pinned the right word on the song: "Lennon's contribution is a harmony vocal that doubles the lead after the bridge … and doubles the song's level of invective in the process."

At the time yesterday, I replied to Mark that somebody ought to put together a mix tape of the hardest rocking Beatles' songs. No "Love Me Do." No "Penny Lane." Just songs that make you drive faster and that stir up the invective in your appendages.

(Homer Simpson once explained the phenomenon well: Now when I listen to a really good song, I start nodding my head, like I'm saying yes to every beat: "Yes, yes, yes, This rocks!" And then sometimes I switch it up, like: "No, No, No! Don't stop-a-rockin!")

I started on the mix this morning. So far, 10 songs made the cut. In alphabetical order, they were: "Back in the USSR," "Day Tripper," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Hard Day's Night," "Helter Skelter," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Money," "Paperback Writer," "Twist and Shout," and "Why Don't We Do It in the Road."

"I Wanna Be Your Man" stood as a maybe. Any suggestions on more?

Silver Bullet Bob, I just can't seem to get you in my sights. You're out there, I know "“ out on the road again and up on the stage. But if you could find time to sit down and make a decent greatest hits album, I'd much appreciate the favor.

The two collections of your music so far, they haven't been doing the job. At least the 1994 disc was excusable. Detroit and the auto factory lines weren't doing so well then, and it only made sense for you to show some empathy. You were on those lines once.

But now, with the Big 3 firmly back on their feet, you've come out with a second greatest hits collection just as bad as the first. Quality rockers like "Fire Down Below" and "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" are a minority on the disc. I don't blame you personally, but your manager and label should be held accountable. Your trademark grit doesn't seem to have rubbed off on them. As rare as the included soundtracks and obscure cuts may be, they're no essentials. Unless I've seen and loved movies like Hope Floats, and I haven't, these songs are filler for the fire.

What I did hear and love the other day was "Come to Poppa" off Night Moves. The classic rock station in town was taking 2,004 requests, and some slogger out in radioland must have given a call. I'd never heard the song before "“ maybe even 94.7 had to dig out the vinyl "“ but my car's volume knob caught the deep cut magic and jumped up fast. The song had strut.

You see, songs like "Poppa" bring out strange desires in me. Syndicated, rerun desires. They make me want to be Dr. Johnny Fever. Not 24-7, mind you. Just long enough to drop the needle.

If that dream doesn't happen, and I imagine it won't, what I'd like to do is piece my own Seger hits album together. Legally. Considering an Essentials-like corrective won't come anytime soon, a handpicked Seger disc would be worth my dollar. You'd deserve no less, Silver Bullet Bob.

The job would be so much easier if the tracks were already online. But Seger songs can't be found on the big services right now, not even on the mighty iTunes. Capital Records apparently hasn't cut a license, and their foot-dragging disappoints me.

But I'm not defeated. The dream lives to see another day, and no current limitations will restrict my future. No, sir. You may stop me from chargin' from the gate, Silver Bullet Bob, but you can bet I'll stay tough. Like a rock.

(Ooooo, like a rock.)