RSSStealers Wheel [extended]
- Stealers Wheel [A&M, 1972] B
- Ferguslie Park [A&M, 1973] C+
- City to City [United Artists, 1978] B-
- Stuck in the Middle With You: The Best of Stealers Wheel [A&M, 1978] C+
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Consumer Guide Reviews:
Stealers Wheel [A&M, 1972]
Skeptics said: "Producers' group." I disagreed, because Leiber & Stoller have done nothing but sit on their genius for almost a decade, and because half of this duo had a promising pre-history as half of the eccentric English-folk-rockish Humblebums. Anyway, almost every song on the album sounded substantial--until I really listened, whereupon most of them sounded, well, let's say thoughtful. Conclusion: at the very least, the kind of group producers like. B
Ferguslie Park [A&M, 1973]
What a clever notion, or should I say concept--a whole album about the vicissitudes of rock groupdom. On the evidence, however, Egan & Rafferty don't know much more about that than anyone else, especially the rock part. If only they'd had the guts to transform their meager experiences into an album that explored male friendship, instead of flirting with it the way this one does, there might be real reason to listen. C+
Gerry Rafferty: City to City [United Artists, 1978]
A miraculously homogeneous album--except for the breakthrough sax refrain on "Baker Street," neither voice nor instrument ruffles the flow of hard-won axioms and sensible hooks. Very nice, I mean it--if yin and yang is your meat, this beats Percy Faith by a mile. But Fleetwood Mac it ain't. B-
Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan: Stuck in the Middle With You: The Best of Stealers Wheel [A&M, 1978]
This duo charted three singles: the title smash, its follow-up (a stiff, actually), and "Star," which was not about astronomy (or even astrology). It also released three albums, the first of which stands in relation to the others as does the first single to its fellows. Later its better half became a mystic of sorts and scored yet another fluky smash. Hence, album number four. C+