Love Chronicles

Love Chronicles
Studio album by Al Stewart
Released	September 1969 (UK), January 1970 (US)
Recorded	1968-1969
Genre	Folk
Length	43:03
Label	CBS (UK), Epic (US)
Producer	Roy Guest, co-producers: John Wood, Al Stewart
Al Stewart chronology
Bed-Sitter Images (1967) Love Chronicles (1969) Zero She Flies (1970)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Love Chronicles is the second studio album of Scottish 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 four members of Fairport Convention: Bassist Ashley Hutchings, guitarist Simon Nicol (listed as "Simon Breckenridge"), drummer Martin Lamble (as Martyn Francis) and guitarist Richard Thompson (listed as "Marvyn Prestwick").^[2] Largely written during a deep depression, the songwriting is generally stark and features what is usually credited as the first use of the word "fucking" in popular commercial music. At least one song, "Old Compton Street Blues", was apparently recorded with a heavy cold.

Love Chronicles is commercially available in the UK as part of a double compilation album "To Whom It May Concern", which is an anthology of Stewart's first three albums. In 2007 Love Chronicles was issued for the first time on CD and includes bonus tracks.

Track listing

Original LP release

All tracks composed by Al Stewart

Side A:

1. "In Brooklyn"
2. "Old Compton Street Blues"
3. "The Ballad of Mary Foster"
4. "Life and Life Only"

Side B:

1. "You Should Have Listened to Al"
2. "Love Chronicles"

Cassette release

Side 1:

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

Side 2:

1. "In Brooklyn"
2. "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" - 3:18
3. "Fantasy" - 2:15

Personnel

• Al Stewart - vocals, guitar
• Jimmy Page - guitar on "Love Chronicles"
• Simon Breckenridge (pseudonym for Simon Nicol) - guitar
• Mervyn Prestwyck (pseudonym for Richard Thompson) - guitar
• Brian Brocklehurst^[3] - bass
• Harvey Burns - drums
• Martyn Francis (pseudonym of Martin Lamble) - drums
• Brian Odgers - bass

References

1. Unterberger, Richie. "Allmusic review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
2. Thane Tierney: Liner Notes to Love Chronicles (Collectors' Choice Music reissue) at Discogs
3. Peter Vacher (2010-12-22). "Brian Brocklehurst obituary". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-08-20.

External links

• Love Chronicles at Discogs (list of releases)