Battleground is an album by the American musician Gary Stewart, released in 1990.[1][2] It was his second album for HighTone Records.[3] The album was more commercially successful than his 1988 comeback, Brand New.[4]
| Battleground | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Studio | Music City Music Hall (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | HighTone | |||
| Producer | Roy Dea | |||
| Gary Stewart chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Roy Dea.[5] "Let's Go Jukin'" was written with Dickey Betts.[6] "You're the Reason I'm Living" is a cover of the Bobby Darin song.[7] "Nothin' but a Woman" is a cover of the Robert Cray song.[8]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Chicago Tribune | [10] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[11] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
The Boston Globe wrote that "the album dwarfs much of today's country radio fare—and Stewart is a true master at work."[6] The Chicago Tribune called the album "a convincing illustration of why Stewart is a king of that increasingly rare breed: the honky-tonkers."[10] The Dallas Morning News noted that Battleground "has a raw, hollow, sound that immediately conjures up a dark bar."[14]
The Buffalo News determined that, "scratchy and scrawny as his voice is, there is something quite compelling about the way this country/blues/rock veteran puts across a song."[15] The Fresno Bee listed "Nothin' but a Woman" as the second best country cover song of 1990.[16] Robert Christgau concluded that Stewart's "r&r groove is sharp-witted where Steve Earle's is muscle-headed and the average Nashville cat's just mechanical."[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nothin' but a Woman" | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Bedroom Battleground" | 3:09 |
| 3. | "Let's Go Jukin'" | 2:30 |
| 4. | "Nothing Cheap About a Cheap Affair" | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Ol' Hank's Lovesick Blues" | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Woman in Demand" | 2:57 |
| 7. | "Hey Leona" | 3:02 |
| 8. | "You're the Reason I'm Living" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Delia" | 2:42 |
| 10. | "Seeing's Believing" | 2:46 |
References
edit- ^ Nichols, Lee (30 Aug 1990). "Stewart retains honky-tonk sound". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 19.
- ^ Allen, Bob (Nov 1990). "Record Reviews — Battleground by Gary Stewart". Country Music. No. 146. p. 55.
- ^ Wadey, Paul (20 Dec 2003). "Obituary: Gary Stewart". Obituaries. The Independent. p. 18.
- ^ Hoekstra, Dave (December 15, 1991). "Honky-tonk hero returns from the ashes – Singer Gary Stewart finally straightens up and to fly right". Show. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4.
- ^ Crowley, Larry (January 15, 1992). "Time in a Bottle". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b Morse, Steve (9 Aug 1990). "Honky-Tonk Album". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 3.
- ^ Allen, Greg (August 10, 1990). "'Battleground' – Gary Stewart". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. p. 6.
- ^ DeLuca, Dan (September 22, 1990). "Battleground Gary Stewart". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Knight Ridder. p. L20.
- ^ "Battleground Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b Hurst, Jack (30 Aug 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
- ^ a b "Gary Stewart". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 755.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 673.
- ^ Dembling, Sophia (August 12, 1990). "Battleground, Gary Stewart". The Dallas Morning News. p. 6C.
- ^ Herbeck, Dan (October 5, 1990). "Country". The Buffalo News. p. G36.
- ^ Robison, Ken (December 21, 1990). "Picking Country's Best, Worst". The Fresno Bee. p. E7.