Battleground (Gary Stewart album)

1990 studio album by Gary Stewart

Battleground

Studio album by

Gary Stewart

Released| 1990
Studio| Music City Music Hall (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre| Country
Label| HighTone
Producer| Roy Dea
Gary Stewart chronology
| Brand New
(1988)  | Battleground
(1990)  | I'm a Texan
(1993)

|
|

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]

## Production

[edit]

The 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]

Professional ratingsReview 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]

1. ^ Nichols, Lee (30 Aug 1990). "Stewart retains honky-tonk sound". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 19.
2. ^ Allen, Bob (Nov 1990). "Record Reviews — Battleground by Gary Stewart". Country Music. No. 146\. p. 55.
3. ^ Wadey, Paul (20 Dec 2003). "Obituary: Gary Stewart". Obituaries. The Independent. p. 18.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ Crowley, Larry (January 15, 1992). "Time in a Bottle". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
6. ^ a b Morse, Steve (9 Aug 1990). "Honky-Tonk Album". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 3.
7. ^ Allen, Greg (August 10, 1990). "'Battleground' – Gary Stewart". At the Shore. The Press of Atlantic City. p. 6.
8. ^ DeLuca, Dan (September 22, 1990). "Battleground Gary Stewart". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Knight Ridder. p. L20.
9. ^ "Battleground Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
10. ^ a b Hurst, Jack (30 Aug 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
11. ^ a b "Gary Stewart". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7\. MUZE. p. 755.
13. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 673.
14. ^ Dembling, Sophia (August 12, 1990). "Battleground, Gary Stewart". The Dallas Morning News. p. 6C.
15. ^ Herbeck, Dan (October 5, 1990). "Country". The Buffalo News. p. G36.
16. ^ Robison, Ken (December 21, 1990). "Picking Country's Best, Worst". The Fresno Bee. p. E7.

* v
* t
* e

Gary Stewart

Studio albums|

* Out of Hand (1975)
* Little Junior (1978)
* Cactus and a Rose (1980)
* Brand New (1988)
* Battleground (1990)

Compilation albums|

* 20 of the Best (1984)

Singles|

* "Drinkin' Thing" (1974)
* "Out of Hand" (1974)
* "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" (1975)

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