Alligator is an album by the American musician Leslie West, released in 1989 on I.R.S. Records.[1][2] West supported the album by participating in the Guitar Speak and Night of the Guitars tours.[3][4]
| Alligator | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock | |||
| Length | 29:52 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Producer | Leslie West, Paul Orofino | |||
| Leslie West chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editI.R.S. allowed West the freedom to make the album he wanted.[5] Stanley Clarke played bass on "Whiskey" and "All of Me".[6] Johnette Napolitano sang on the cover of Free's "The Stealer".[6] "I Put a Spell on You" is a cover of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins song.[7] The liner notes contain a recipe for alligator chili.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
The Province deemed the album "as patchy as any of his solo LPs but it highlights his recent work with a Casio guitar synthesizer and his fluid, crying style—a style still rooted in rock and blues that is different from voguish speed merchants."[10] The Chicago Sun-Times called it "an eclectic collection of songs that highlights West's deft electric guitar-playing skills and passion for unusual material."[11]
The Daily Breeze opined that the "'Hall of the Mountain King/Theme from Exodus' medley, one of the album's most painful episodes, sounds like it was accidentally recorded during a rehearsal."[12] The San Diego Union-Tribune noted that "instrumentals 'Waiting for the F Change', 'Whiskey', 'All of Me' and 'Alligator' promise much, but West seems to lose concentration, grow bored or something."[13]
AllMusic wrote that West "plays some hot guitar here, of course, but then not as much as one might like, and he sings a lot here, too, perhaps more than one might like."[9]
Track listing
edit- "Sea of Fire" (George Cintron) — 5:01
- "Waiting for the F Change" (West) — 4:24
- "Whiskey" (West) — 2:17
- "Alligator" (West) — 3:23
- "I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) — 4:12
- "All of Me" (West) — 3:06
- "The Stealer" (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff) — 2:17
- "Hall of the Mountain King / Theme from Exodus" (Edvard Grieg/Ernest Gold) — 3:09
- "Dream Lover" (Bobby Darin) — 2:03
Personnel
edit- Leslie West — guitar, bass guitar, vocals
- Steve Luongo — drums, percussion
- Jack Hotop — keyboards on "Alligator"
- Stanley Clarke — bass on "Whiskey" and "All of Me”
- Tony Miceli — keyboards on "Waiting for the F Change" and "I Put a Spell On You"
- Johnette Napolitano — vocals on "The Stealer"
Credits
edit- Producers — Leslie West and Paul Orofino
- Executive Producer — Miles Copeland III
- Engineers — Paul Orofino, Carl Davino and Judd Levison (Stanley Clarke overdubs at Devonshire Studios, N. Hollywood only)
- Mastering — Ron McMaster
- Direction — Stevo Glendinning
References
edit- ^ MacInnis, Craig (31 Oct 1989). "250-pounder gives term heavy metal his own definition". Toronto Star. p. C3.
- ^ Robins, Wayne (5 Nov 1989). "He's Been to the Mountain: Heavy-metal pioneer Leslie West is still rocking hard, watching his health...". Part II. Newsday. p. 13.
- ^ Washburn, Jim (6 Feb 1990). "Leslie West Takes His Music, Not Himself, Seriously". Los Angeles Times. p. F2.
- ^ Thompson, Bob (November 1, 1989). "Still Climbing". Entertainment. Toronto Sun. p. 77.
- ^ Eichenberger, Bill (January 19, 1990). "Undaunted, West Works Way Up Another Mountain". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 9D.
- ^ a b Bourke, Brian G. (October 15, 1989). "New Music". Stars. Syracuse Herald American. p. 28.
- ^ Scott, Jane (January 19, 1990). "Old song lifts Mountain man". The Plain Dealer.
- ^ "This Week in the Arts". The Columbus Dispatch. January 14, 1990. p. 3H.
- ^ a b "Alligator Review by Steve Leggett". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Tom (11 Mar 1990). "Putting primary voice of rock in the spotlight". Entertainment. The Province. p. 87.
- ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (January 26, 1990). "West's still a Mountain of a musician". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 31.
- ^ Tranfa, Anthony D. (January 26, 1990). "'Alligator', Leslie West". Daily Breeze. p. E10.
- ^ Hawkins, Robert J. (February 2, 1990). "Another Cream Mix?". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C2.