Love Chronicles

Last updated

Love Chronicles
Love-chronicles.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 1969 (UK), January 1970 (US)
Recorded1968–1969
Genre Folk
Length43:03
Label CBS (UK), Epic (US)
Producer Roy Guest, John Wood, Al Stewart
Al Stewart chronology
Bed-Sitter Images
(1967)
Love Chronicles
(1969)
Zero She Flies
(1970)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [2]

Love Chronicles is the second studio album by the British folk artist Al Stewart, released in September 1969. It was his first album to be released in the US (and was also the only one of his first four albums). Among the supporting musicians were Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin along with four members of Fairport Convention: bassist Ashley Hutchings, guitarist Simon Nicol (as "Simon Breckenridge"), drummer Martin Lamble (as "Martyn Francis") and guitarist Richard Thompson (as "Marvyn Prestwick").

Contents

Melody Maker named the record "Folk Album of the Year" for 1969. [3] The American critic Robert Christgau called it "a landmark: the first rock record to use the word 'fuck' ('fucking,' actually)." (He was referring to the 18-minute title song. [4]

In 1993, select tracks from Love Chronicles were released in the UK as part of the double CD To Whom It May Concern, an anthology of Stewart's first three albums. In 2007, Love Chronicles was reissued with three bonus tracks by the Collector's Choice label.

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Al Stewart

Original LP release

  1. "In Brooklyn" – 3:42
  2. "Old Compton Street Blues" – 4:25
  3. "The Ballad of Mary Foster" – 8:01
  4. "Life and Life Only" – 5:47
  5. "You Should Have Listened to Al" – 3:01
  6. "Love Chronicles" – 18:06

Cassette release

  1. "You Should Have Listened to Al"
  2. "Old Compton Street Blues"
  3. "The Ballad of Mary Foster"
  4. "Life and Life Only"
  5. "In Brooklyn"
  6. "Love Chronicles"

2007 Collectors' Choice Music edition

  1. "In Brooklyn" – 3:43
  2. "Old Compton Street Blues" – 4:26
  3. "The Ballad of Mary Foster" – 8:02
  4. "Life and Life Only" – 5:49
  5. "You Should Have Listened to Al" – 3:02
  6. "Love Chronicles" – 18:04

Bonus tracks

  1. "Jackdaw" – 3:20
  2. "She Follows Her Own Rules" (Al Stewart, Peter White) – 3:18
  3. "Fantasy" – 2:15

Personnel

Technical

References

  1. Unterberger, Richie. "AllMusic review". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 13 March 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. https://www.rhino.com/aod/love-chronicles-al-stewart
  4. https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Al+Stewart
  5. Peter Vacher (22 December 2010). "Brian Brocklehurst obituary". London: Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2012.