Gasoline Alley (album)

Gasoline Alley is the second solo studio album by the British singer-songwriter Rod Stewart. It was released on 12 June 1970 by Vertigo Records. It is a collection of covers combined with Stewart's own compositions.[1] Like many of Stewart's solo albums from the period, it featured significant musical contributions from the other members of his band Faces.

Gasoline Alley
Studio album by
Released12 June 1970
RecordedFebruary–April 1970
StudioMorgan Studios, London
Length42:30
LabelMercury, Vertigo
ProducerRod Stewart, Lou Reizner
Rod Stewart chronology
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down
(1969)
Gasoline Alley
(1970)
Every Picture Tells a Story
(1971)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[2]
Rolling Stone(favourable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [4]
The Village VoiceB+[5]

The album was well received, with Langdon Winner of Rolling Stone feeling that Stewart had "a rare sensitivity for the delicate moments in a person's existence",[3] and that this, Stewart's second solo album, was the work "of a supremely fine artist".[3]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gasoline Alley"Stewart, Ronnie Wood4:02
2."It's All Over Now"Bobby Womack, Shirley Jean Womack6:22
3."Only a Hobo"Bob Dylan4:13
4."My Way of Giving"Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott3:55
5."Country Comfort"Elton John, Bernie Taupin4:42
6."Cut Across Shorty"Wayne P. Walker, Marijohn Wilkin6:28
7."Lady Day"Stewart3:57
8."Jo's Lament"Stewart3:24
9."You're My Girl (I Don't Want to Discuss It)"Dick Cooper, Beth Beatty, Ernie Shelby4:27
CD bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."It's All Over Now (single version)"Bobby Womack, Shirley Jean Womack3:35

Personnel edit

  • Rod Stewart – lead vocals, acoustic guitar on "Jo's Lament"
  • Ronnie Wood – guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
  • Martin Quittenton – acoustic guitar
  • Stanley Matthews – mandolin
  • Ronnie Lane – bass on "My Way Of Giving" and "You're My Girl", backing vocals on "My Way Of Giving"
  • Pete Sears – piano on "Country Comforts", bass on “Cut Across Shorty”.
  • Ian McLagan – piano, Hammond organ (the UK credit list notes: "Mac not available due to bus strike", while the US release credits him)[6]
  • Mick Waller – drums
  • Kenney Jones – drums on "My Way Of Giving" and "You're My Girl"
  • William Gaff – whistle
  • Dennis O'Flynn, Dick Powell – violin
  • Jack Reynolds – backing vocals on "Country Comfort"

Production edit

  • Producers – Rod Stewart and Lou Reizner
  • Mastering – Gilbert Kong at Masterdisk (New York, NY)
  • Album Design and Photography – Marcus Keef at Colbeck Mews, Kensington[7]

Weekly charts edit

Chart (1970–71) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[8] 24
United States (Billboard 200) 27

Notable covers by other artists edit

  • Elkie Brooks later achieved a hit with a version of the title track in 1983.
Chart Peak Position Ref.
UK Top 100 Airplay 12 [9]
UK Singles Charts 52 [10]
Irish Singles Charts 15 [11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Gasoline Alley - Rod Stewart | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ a b c Winner, Langdon (3 September 1970). "Gasoline Alley | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Rod Stewart: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (30 July 1970). "Consumer Guide (12)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Rod Stewart – Gasoline Alley (1970, Gatefold, Vinyl)". Discogs. June 1970.
  7. ^ "Musical Maps".
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 295. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Record Business" (PDF). Airplay Charts. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Elkie Brooks Chart History: Top 75". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Elkie Brooks Chart". Ireland Archive Charts. Retrieved 12 April 2022.

External links edit