Down to Earth (Jimmy Buffett album)
Encyclopedia
Down to Earth is the first album
by American
popular music singer-songwriter
Jimmy Buffett
. It was produced by Travis Turk and was initially released in 1970
on Andy Williams
's small Barnaby Records
label as Z 30093. Parts of the album were re-released in various compilations until the album was issued in its entirety on compact disc
by Varèse Sarabande
in June 1998.
Due to its limited initial appeal (it only sold a few hundred copies), long periods out of general release, and stylistic differences with the rest of Buffett's work, Down to Earth (along with the similar High Cumberland Jubilee
) was often not considered part of the chronology of Buffett albums by fans or even Buffett himself.
of "The Christian?" from the album).
when it was released as a single, and in 2002 for the greatest hits compilation Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection
making it (with "In the Shelter") one of only two of his songs with three different studio versions.
The folk-rock style of music and lyrics on Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee differ greatly from Buffett's subsequent output. There is less of the country music
feel and little of the gulf and western, Key-West-influenced sound and themes that have defined his musical career. Allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann notes that "this is not the freewheeling Jimmy Buffett of 'Margaritaville
,' but rather a thoughtful folk-rock singer/songwriter of the early '70s, earnestly strumming an acoustic guitar over a rhythm section and singing lyrics of social consciousness with sly references to drugs."
An alternate take of Captain America was released as the third single of the album.
Side B:
s authorized by Barnaby Records.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular music singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
. It was produced by Travis Turk and was initially released in 1970
1970 in music
- Events :*January 3**Davy Jones announces he is leaving the Monkees**Former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett releases his first solo album The Madcap Laughs....
on Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
's small Barnaby Records
Barnaby Records
Barnaby Records was an American record company founded by singer Andy Williams in 1963 with his purchase of soon-to-be-liquidated Cadence Records....
label as Z 30093. Parts of the album were re-released in various compilations until the album was issued in its entirety on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
in June 1998.
Due to its limited initial appeal (it only sold a few hundred copies), long periods out of general release, and stylistic differences with the rest of Buffett's work, Down to Earth (along with the similar High Cumberland Jubilee
High Cumberland Jubilee
High Cumberland Jubilee is the second album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was produced by Travis Turk, recorded in 1971, and initially released in 1976 on Andy Williams's small Barnaby Records label as BR/6014...
) was often not considered part of the chronology of Buffett albums by fans or even Buffett himself.
Alternative versions
The 1998 re-release of the album contained an additional track, "Richard Frost," which was recorded for but not included on the original album. (However, it had been released as a B-side to the singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of "The Christian?" from the album).
Songs
All of the songs on Down to Earth were written or co-written by Buffett. "The Captain and the Kid," which originally appeared on this album, was later re-recorded by Buffett, first for 1976's Havaña Daydreamin'Havana Daydreamin'
Havaña Daydreamin' is the seventh album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and his fourth regular major label album. It was produced by Don Gant and was initially released in January 1976 as ABC Dunhill ABCD-914 and later rereleased on ABC Dunhill's successor label ...
when it was released as a single, and in 2002 for the greatest hits compilation Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection
Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection
Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection is a Jimmy Buffett greatest hits compilation album consisting of 2 compact discs and 38 songs. The album is notable for several newly recorded and updated versions of songs considered as classics in his repertoire...
making it (with "In the Shelter") one of only two of his songs with three different studio versions.
The folk-rock style of music and lyrics on Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee differ greatly from Buffett's subsequent output. There is less of the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
feel and little of the gulf and western, Key-West-influenced sound and themes that have defined his musical career. Allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann notes that "this is not the freewheeling Jimmy Buffett of 'Margaritaville
Margaritaville
"Margaritaville" is a 1977 song by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett from the album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. This song was written about a drink in Austin, Texas, and the first huge surge of tourists who descended on Key West almost two decades ago. He wrote...
,' but rather a thoughtful folk-rock singer/songwriter of the early '70s, earnestly strumming an acoustic guitar over a rhythm section and singing lyrics of social consciousness with sly references to drugs."
An alternate take of Captain America was released as the third single of the album.
Original release
Side A:- "The Christian?" (Milton Brown, Jimmy Buffett) 3:54
- "Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)" (Jimmy Buffett, Buzz Cason) 2:50
- "The Missionary" 3:33
- "A Mile High in Denver" 3:07
- "The Captain and the Kid" 3:18
Side B:
- "Captain America" 3:28
- "Ain't He a Genius" 2:43
- "Turnabout" 4:20
- "There's Nothin' Soft about Hard Times" 3:23
- "I Can't be Your Hero Today" 2:58
- "Truckstop Salvation" 5:48
1998 re-release
- 'The Christian?" (Milton Brown, Jimmy Buffett) 3:54
- "Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)" (Jimmy Buffett, Buzz Cason) 2:50
- "Richard Frost" 3:29
- 'The Missionary" 3:33
- "A Mile High in Denver" 3:07
- "The Captain and the Kid" 3:18
- "Captain America" 3:28
- "Ain't He a Genius" 2:43
- "Turnabout" 4:20
- "There's Nothin' Soft about Hard Times" 3:23
- "I Can't be Your Hero Today" 2:58
- "Truckstop Salvation" 5:48
Compilations
Some, most, or all of the songs on Down to Earth have been released on a number of compilationCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s authorized by Barnaby Records.
- Before the SaltBefore the SaltBefore the Salt is a compilation album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It includes the entire original releases of his first two albums, Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee with the addition of "Richard Frost" to Down to Earth...
(BarnabyBarnaby RecordsBarnaby Records was an American record company founded by singer Andy Williams in 1963 with his purchase of soon-to-be-liquidated Cadence Records....
/JanusJanus RecordsJanus Records was a record label owned by GRT Records, also known as General Recorded Tape. Artists who had hits on Janus included Mungo Jerry, The Whispers, Cymande, Charlie, Al Stewart, Ian Thomas, and Ray Stevens. Chess Records was administered as a division of Janus in the early 1970s...
1979) — included all of the original release plus "Richard Frost" - Before the BeachBefore the BeachBefore the Beach is a compilation album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It includes the entire original releases of his first two albums, Down to Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee except for "The Christian?" and "Ain't He a Genius" but with the addition of "High...
(MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
1993) — did not include "The Christian?" or "Ain't He a Genius" from the original release; was the first CD release of Down to Earth material - American Storyteller (Delta 1999) — did not include "The Missionary," "There's Nothin' Soft about Hard Times," or "Truckstop Salvation" from the original release
- There's Nothing Soft about Hard Times (MadacyMadacy EntertainmentMadacy Entertainment is a company based in Mount Royal, Quebec that publishes DVDs, CDs, and formerly VHS tapes. Most of the products are frequently seen in Walmart, Best Buy and other discount stores in the United States and Canada, often at low retail prices, as compared to releases by major labels...
2000) — did not include "The Christian?" "Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)," "The Missionary," or "Turnabout" from the original release - Best of the Early Years (Delta 2000) — the one disk version only included "The Missionary" "There's Nothing Soft about Hard Times," and "Truckstop Salvation" from the original release
- Now Yer Squawkin' (Recall 2005) — included all of the original release plus "Richard Frost"
Personnel
- Guitars: Lanny Fiel, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Cook
- Piano: Lanny Fiel
- Bass: Dave Haney, Bob Cook
- Drums: Carl Himmel, Travis Turk, Paul Tabet
- Harmonica: Bob Cook
- Kazoo: Jimmy Buffett, Travis Turk
- Vocal backup: Buzz CasonBuzz CasonBuzz Cason is an American rock singer, songwriter, producer and author....
, Jimmy Buffett
Singles
- "The Christian?" b/w "Richard Frost" (Released on Barnaby ZS7-2013 circa May 1970)
- "Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)" b/w "There's Nothing Soft about Hard Times" (Released on Barnaby ZS7-2019 circa September 1970)
- "Captain America" b/w "Truckstop Salvation" (Released on Barnaby ZS7-2023 in January 1971)