Battleground (Gary Stewart album)

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
Studio album by
Gary Stewart
Released1990
GenreCountry
LabelHighTone
ProducerRoy Dea
Gary Stewart chronology
Brand New
(1988)		 Battleground
(1990)		 I'm a Texan
(1993)

Production

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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Chicago Tribune[10]
Robert ChristgauB+[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
No.TitleLength
1."Nothin' but a Woman" 
2."Bedroom Battleground" 
3."Let's Go Jukin'" 
4."Nothing Cheap About a Cheap Affair" 
5."Ol' Hank's Lovesick Blues" 
6."Woman in Demand" 
7."Hey Leona" 
8."You're the Reason I'm Living" 
9."Delia" 
10."Seeing's Believing" 

References
  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 (146): 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. Morse, Steve (9 Aug 1990). "Honky-Tonk Album". The Boston Globe. Calendar. 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. Hightone". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Knight Ridder. p. L20.
  9. "Battleground Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  10. Hurst, Jack (30 Aug 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
  11. "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.
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