AllMusic's Rob Caldwell writes, "The album is at once funky and folksy, blending a variety of styles, from the haunting acoustic sounds of "Face of Appalachia" to the jazzy blues of "Back to Blue Some More."" Charles Donovan writes in an article for
Pop Matters that, "''Just a Stone's Throw Away'' (produced by
Lowell George,
Maurice White and
George Massenburg in 1977), has become something of a cult favorite, despite not breaking through on a massive scale at the time of its release. It's an effective exposition of all the sides of her talent." In his article announcing the death of Valerie Carter, Paul Guzzo of
The Tampa Bay Times remarked, "Known for a soulful, sultry and smoky voice and for being adept at soul, rock, pop and folk, Valerie Carter released four solo albums, most notably her 1977 debut, ''Just a Stone's Throw Away''. That album also featured
Jackson Browne,
Linda Ronstadt and
Earth Wind and Fire, included the songs "Ooh Child" and "Face of Appalachia" and got her booked as the opening act for the
Eagles during a
European tour."
The Round Place in the Middle writes, "Valerie Carter had the misfortune to be born with lead singer talent, leading lady looks and the soul of a woman who preferred remaining in the shadows. Absent the first two qualities, she would have been left alone…and probably lived a much happier and longer life. Since she had those qualities in abundance, she was pushed to the front early and often." and "
Just a Stone’s Throw Away, in particular, spent a lot of time on my
turntable in the eighties." Al Kooper of
The Morton Report remarks that, "Valerie was in a class by herself back then and these two albums became constant companions. The first one is called ''Just a Stone's Throw Away
and her two backup bands are Little Feat and Earth Wind & Fire. The second album is called Wild Child'' and the backing band is primarily members of
Toto. This is everlasting greatness done perfectly."
Echoes in the Wind Archives says of the album, "So what to make of ''Just A Stone's Throw Away''? Well, like a lot of the records that were coming out of L.A. at the time, it can be a little too slick at moments. But it has other moments that are very nice, too." • See original reviews for full articles. Links can be found in the references section of this article. ==Track listing==