Alligator (Leslie West album)

I.R.S. allowed West the freedom to make the album he wanted.^[5] Stanley Clarke played bass on "Whiskey" and "All of Me".^[6] Johnette Napolitano sang on the cover of Free's "The Stealer".^[6] "I Put a Spell on You" is a cover of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins song.^[7] The liner notes contain a recipe for alligator chili.^[8]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]

The Province deemed the album "as patchy as any of his solo LPs but it highlights his recent work with a Casio guitar synthesizer and his fluid, crying style—a style still rooted in rock and blues that is different from voguish speed merchants."^[10] The Chicago Sun-Times called it "an eclectic collection of songs that highlights West's deft electric guitar-playing skills and passion for unusual material."^[11]

The Daily Breeze opined that the "'Hall of the Mountain King/Theme from Exodus' medley, one of the album's most painful episodes, sounds like it was accidentally recorded during a rehearsal."^[12] The San Diego Union-Tribune noted that "instrumentals 'Waiting for the F Change', 'Whiskey', 'All of Me' and 'Alligator' promise much, but West seems to lose concentration, grow bored or something."^[13]

AllMusic wrote that West "plays some hot guitar here, of course, but then not as much as one might like, and he sings a lot here, too, perhaps more than one might like."^[9]

1. "Sea of Fire" (George Cintron) — 5:01
2. "Waiting for the F Change" (West) — 4:24
3. "Whiskey" (West) — 2:17
4. "Alligator" (West) — 3:23
5. "I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) — 4:12
6. "All of Me" (West) — 3:06
7. "The Stealer" (Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff) — 2:17
8. "Hall of the Mountain King / Theme from Exodus" (Edvard Grieg/Ernest Gold) — 3:09
9. "Dream Lover" (Bobby Darin) — 2:03