Arise, Sir Roderick.

Congratulations to Rod Stewart, whose knighthood was announced this morning in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember. He is, and always has been a brilliant performer and a gifted though sometimes underrated songwriter. In the late 1970s, he became an object of derision for the “rebellious” punk movement. With his silly hat and glass of champagne, they saw him as the worst sort of millionaire rock star. But given the choice, who would you rather be? A sour, talentless loser being exploited by Malcolm McLaren? Or a sublimely talented singer, living in Bel Air with Britt Ekland and making exquisite records like this?