Stone Alone [Bonus Tracks]

• Artist: Bill Wyman
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1976
• Genre: Rock

Review

Bill Wyman's second album was, like his first (Monkey Grip), not at all much like the Rolling Stones, even as it drew from some of the same influences. While it was similar to Monkey Grip in its good-time reworking of a stew of R&B/New Orleans/pop influences (with a dab of mid-'70s funk/reggae/disco), however, it likewise couldn't mask Wyman's shortcomings as a lead vocalist, which were simply inadequate to carry the duties of a frontman. As a greater problem, his songwriting was yet less distinguished than it had been the first time around. It ended up sounding very much like the product of first-rate players (with guests including Joe Walsh, Dr. John, Ron Wood, Al Kooper, Nicky Hopkins, and Jim Keltner) performing material by an artist who had little of interest to say. The 2006 expanded edition on Castle added historical liner notes and six bonus tracks, two of which were merely the mixes used for two of the songs ("A Quarter to Three" and "Apache Woman") on singles. The other four bonus cuts were actually recorded in August 1974 a few weeks before the Stone Alone sessions, including the funk-bluesy instrumental "High Flying Bird" (which is no relation to the great Billy Edd Wheeler song of the same name that was covered by numerous '60s folk-rock artists); another rather tedious R&B/rock instrumental, "Back to School Again"; "Can't Put Your Picture Down," an unfinished-sounding number that sounds like Billy Preston funk-soul-rock as sung by a rural British squire; and "Love Is Such a Wonderful Thing," in which Wyman exercises his bent for silly pastiches of lyrical clichés. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
A Quarter to Three		Bill Wyman	(2:50)
Gimme Just One Chance	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:48)
Soul Satisfying	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:38)
Apache Woman	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:31)
Every Sixty Seconds	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(4:11)
Get It On	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:34)
Feet	Danny Kortchmar	Bill Wyman	(3:58)
Peanut Butter Time	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:50)
Wine and Wimmen	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:21)
If You Wanna Be Happy		Bill Wyman	(2:47)
What's the Point	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:31)
No More Foolin'	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:33)
High Flying Bird [*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:52)
Back to School Again [*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:42)
Can't Put Your Picture Down [*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:09)
Love Is Such a Wonderful Thing [*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(4:21)
A Quarter to Three [Single Mix][*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(2:59)
Apache Woman [Single Mix][*]	Bill Wyman	Bill Wyman	(3:01)

Credits

Peter Reynolds (Restoration), Venetta Fields (Vocals (Background)), Bill Wyman (Piano), John Henning (Assistant), Roger Dopson (Coordination), Terry Earl Taylor (Guitar), Van Morrison (Harmonica), Floyd Cooley (Tuba), David Wells (Annotation), Jackie Clark (Guitar), Mic Gillette (Tuba), John McFee (Pedal Steel), John McFee (Fiddle), Dr. John (Marimba), Guille Garcia (Percussion), Paul "Blind Man" Harris (Piano), Ronnie Wood (Guitar), David Wells (Liner Notes), Stephen Kupka (Horn Arrangements), Bill Wyman (Producer), Tom Moulton (Mixing), Paul "Blind Man" Harris (Organ), Van Morrison (Saxophone), Nicky Hopkins (Piano), Mark Naftalin (Piano), Nicky Hopkins (Organ), Joe Vitale (Piano), Paul Bevoir (Reissue Art), Pierre LaRoche (Make-Up), Dr. John (Organ), Mic Gillette (Trumpet), Bill Wyman (Arranger), Neil Hausman (Assistant), Gary Kjellgren (Engineer), Peter Reynolds (Digital Mastering), Al Kooper (Piano), Bonnie Pointer (Vocals (Background)), Bill Wyman (Guitar), Roger Dopson (Reissue Compilation), Joe Walsh (Guitar), Mic Gillette (Horn Arrangements), Ron Albert (Engineer), Jim Keltner (Drums), Anita Wexler (Mixing), Clydie King (Vocals (Background)), Bill Wyman (Mixing), Hubert Heard (Piano), Stephen Kupka (Sax (Baritone)), Danny Kortchmar (Guitar), Joe Vitale (Piano (Electric)), Hubert Heard (Organ), Rocky Dzidzornu (Percussion), Paul Bevoir (Reissue Design), Howard Albert (Engineer), Mark Colby (Saxophone), Ruth Pointer (Vocals (Background)), Bill Wyman (Horn Arrangements), Craig Dentweiler (Horn), Bill Wyman (Vocals), Bob Welch (Guitar), Tom Dowd (Mixing), Dennis King (Mastering), Greg Errico (Drums), Bill Wyman (Percussion), Pierre LaRoche (Original Concept), Paul Harrison (Vocals (Background)), Van Morrison (Guitar), Albhy Galuten (Synthesizer), Bill Wyman (Bass), Lenny Pickett (Horn Arrangements), Gary Kjellgren (Mixing), Lenny Pickett (Saxophone)