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Working in what was not then called an "unplugged" format, Stewart mixed acoustic guitars, mandolin and piano with a hard-rock attitude to create a distinctive sound that seems as fresh today as ever. Building on the success and innovations of The Rod Stewart Album, Gasoline Alley contains unfettered, laddish takes on Bobby Womack's "It's All Over Now" and the bluesy "Cut Across Shorty", plus a definitive version of Bob Dylan's "Only a Hobo" and the brilliant, nostalgic title track, a Stewart original. The singer is very near the top of his game here. --Daniel Durchholz
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Back in the early seventies, when Rod Stewart had not yet abandoned his own artistic path in order to follow the trends and become a spiky-haired, glitzy pop singer in pink outfits, he wrote some of the best folk rock songs, turned out some of the best cover tunes, and worked with one of the best backing band ever.
If you prefer the Rod Stewart of the 1980s, "Blondes Have More Fun" and all, this might not be your thing. But between 1969 and 1972, Stewart turned out four primarily acoustic albums of folk, rock, blues and country that he has never since come close to matching.
"Gasoline Alley" (the title track is written by the unbeatable team of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood) sports perhaps the best Bob Dylan cover of all time, a beautiful "Only A Hobo", as well as a hoarse, ragged, folkish version of Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's "Country Comforts", Stewarts own "Lady Day", and an incredibly rocking, reeling "Cut Across Shorty", built around a howling violin, two or three acoustic guitars, and the pounding drums of Kenneth Day Jones.
That one song rocks harder than any acoustic country tune has a right to, and therein lay the genius of Rod Stewart the interpreter and Rod Stewart the songwriter: He and Ronnie Wood knew that you didn't need to pull in Phil Spector, the synth and the horn ensemble to make a folk song sound good. Instead of looking for the rock within the folk, they proved how folk could rock like hell on its own!
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
This is the first Rod album I bought (when it was first released) For the London fan's info. it is also known to be Rod's favourite. Lady Day & Jo's Lament are haunting ballads while the duet with Elton John on Country Comfort is splendid. Anyone who only knows Rod from Atlantic Crossing onwards doesn't realise what a fine body of work they have missed.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having revealed his folk influences on his debut solo album, Rod Stewart explored the genre further on his 1970 follow-up. The gutter-and-grime sleeve art is relevant to much of the material, which tells stories of people who either rise from the social basement or sink deeper into it. The magnificent acoustic title track recalls humble origins and leaves you with a breathless aftertaste. Apart from this, there are only two other original songs. One of these, 'Lady Day,' in similar style, tells of a girl whose rise in society leaves a less fortunate lover behind, while 'Jo's Lament' charts the broken relationship of a down and out. Stewart also covers one of Bob Dylan's observations of injustice from 'John Wesley Harding,' 'Only A Hobo.'
Elsewhere, there's a rousing version of 'It's All Over Now' and a typically perky Small Faces song, 'My Way Of Giving.' Stewart's version of an old Eddie Cochran hit, 'Cut Across Shorty' is typically unexpected, an acoustic rock reading complete with fiddle. Taste in choice of material and interpretation are two of his biggest strengths and his take on Elton John and Bernie Taupin's 'Country Comforts' from John's old West-preoccupied 'Tumbleweed Connection' is just such an example. The album closes with a funky rocker, 'You're My Girl,' completing a second successive classic Rod Stewart album.
Elsewhere, there's a rousing version of 'It's All Over Now' and a typically perky Small Faces song, 'My Way Of Giving.' Stewart's version of an old Eddie Cochran hit, 'Cut Across Shorty' is typically unexpected, an acoustic rock reading complete with fiddle. Taste in choice of material and interpretation are two of his biggest strengths and his take on Elton John and Bernie Taupin's 'Country Comforts' from John's old West-preoccupied 'Tumbleweed Connection' is just such an example. The album closes with a funky rocker, 'You're My Girl,' completing a second successive classic Rod Stewart album.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By SMc
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Like many others, I would imagine that I got this album (in 1972) after the world-wide runaway success of "Every Picture Tells A Story" the previous year. In summary, this is a wonderful album of originals and covers from Stewart and which acted as a fine template for "EPTAS" and though over 40 year old (as I write this), it still stands the test of time.
The opening title track "Gasoline Alley" is the first of many Stewart/Wood compositions in their status as Faces or solo-Stewart musicians and is one of Stewart's `road/going back home' songs so prevalent in his early career. It also gives Ron Wood free rein to lay down some multi-tracked guitars, namely acoustic 12 string, bottleneck and electric lead blended together in some lovely melodic guitar runs.
A cover of the Rolling Stones "It's All Over Now" (Bobby & Shirley Womack) is so loose, it's almost shambolic but oh so good. Wood adds bass guitar to his electric guitar credit here.
Stewart's first ever career Dylan cover (and with Stewart they're almost always obscure covers), "Only A Hobo" follows and is a complete contrast to the previous track. Apart from Wood's bottleneck, entirely acoustic, it features Stewart and Wood on acoustic and Martin Quittenton on classical guitar. Quittenton's guitar runs and the complimentary stand-up bass lines are superb and along with gorgeous violin from the legendary Dick Powell (who, along with Johnny van Derrick, must rate as one of Britain's best-ever session violin players). Wood again here, adds double-tracked bottleneck guitar, which dominates the mix along with Powell's violin towards the coda. Micky Waller adds a lone, but sympathetic syncopated hi-hat as a sole contribution to percussion.... Read more ›
The opening title track "Gasoline Alley" is the first of many Stewart/Wood compositions in their status as Faces or solo-Stewart musicians and is one of Stewart's `road/going back home' songs so prevalent in his early career. It also gives Ron Wood free rein to lay down some multi-tracked guitars, namely acoustic 12 string, bottleneck and electric lead blended together in some lovely melodic guitar runs.
A cover of the Rolling Stones "It's All Over Now" (Bobby & Shirley Womack) is so loose, it's almost shambolic but oh so good. Wood adds bass guitar to his electric guitar credit here.
Stewart's first ever career Dylan cover (and with Stewart they're almost always obscure covers), "Only A Hobo" follows and is a complete contrast to the previous track. Apart from Wood's bottleneck, entirely acoustic, it features Stewart and Wood on acoustic and Martin Quittenton on classical guitar. Quittenton's guitar runs and the complimentary stand-up bass lines are superb and along with gorgeous violin from the legendary Dick Powell (who, along with Johnny van Derrick, must rate as one of Britain's best-ever session violin players). Wood again here, adds double-tracked bottleneck guitar, which dominates the mix along with Powell's violin towards the coda. Micky Waller adds a lone, but sympathetic syncopated hi-hat as a sole contribution to percussion.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Rod could do no wrong until he crossed the Atlantic, and of all the wonderful albums he made in this period, 'solo' and with the Faces, this has always touched me the most. I think it's the cover photograph and the wonderful title track that is so evocative and gives Rod such an honesty, truth and integrity that he never bettered. He sounded like he really knew what he was singing about and I think, deep down, he probably still does. I've always thought that true fans secretly wish that he would return to that Gasoline Alley and I think he should revisit this part of his career before it's all too late. Rod: we still love you, now take us home....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gasoline Alley
Rods 2013 Album "Time" has just reached Number 1 in the U.K. Album Charts. However this was Rods second solo album and it is somewhat overlooked as "Every Picture Tells... Read more
Published 26 days ago by P. Hussey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good memories
First bought this on vinyl from Virgin records in Sounds magazine in the 70's. Title track remains marvelous and Only a Hobo brings back images of my wondering youth
Published 3 months ago by P. Pitchford
5.0 out of 5 stars
ROD STEWART
EXCELLENT. I am a big fan of ROD STEWART & have a lot of his CD's. I will be looking for more in the future.
Published 3 months ago by DAVID BROWN
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic!
I had a hole in my collection, and this is the Cd I missed... I'm happy about my purchase, because Rod is always Rod! :)
Published 7 months ago by LauraB
3.0 out of 5 stars
For me only a couple of great tracks
Obviously can understand comments refering to his earlier work being far better than anything he did late 70's and beyond. Read more
Published 11 months ago by A. ROWE
5.0 out of 5 stars
very best
This was always Rods own favourite album.It featured The Faces as well all the usual suspects who featured on Rods seventies records. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by Alan Butcher
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gasoline Alley sublime
Fantastic album by Rod Stewart, when he was at his best. Raw energy, top songs
Published on 19 July 2008 by Mrs. Janet Kay Scattergood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rod the Mod is God
Following the template set by his debut album this follow-up released in 1970 again offers a great variety of sounds and styles. Read more
Published on 10 July 2008 by G. E. Harrison
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