Desertsongs
| Desertsongs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 25, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | January 1968 – March 1969 | |||
| Studio |
Redwood Studios, Topanga, Sierra; The Entourage Mobile Studio; Desert Inn, Twentynine Palms, Inland Empire, Sierra | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:08 | |||
| Label | Polygon | |||
| Producer | Ian Bunnell | |||
| The Entourage Sierran chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Desertsongs | ||||
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Desertsongs is the fourth studio album Sierran rock band the Entourage, released on April 25, 1969 by Polygon Records in Sierra and in the United Commonwealth, the first of their albums to have an identical track list between the two countries. The album was released 17 months after their previous album, For the Benefit of Liquid Paradox, which although commercially successful was considered a step down critically and among fans from their usual releases. As such, Desertsongs was regarded by the band as a "recalibration", with the band hiring a new producer, Ian Bunnell, to oversee the musical direction of the album. Compared to their previous releases, Desertsongs mixed the band's usual psychedelic rock roots with Latin jazz and music inspired by the Latin and indigenous communities of southern Sierra. Most of the album would be recorded on location while the band was staying at a resort in Twentynine Palms, Inland Empire near Joshua Tree, inspiring the album's unique sound. The rest of the album would be recorded remotely while the band was on a tour of the country, utilizing a newly created mobile recording studio, or at a home studio created by band member Paul Simon at his newly built house in Topanga Canyon, outside Porciúncula.
The wait between albums would be the longest thus far in the band's history, as the recording process was plagued by infighting, legal troubles, and other complications. During recording Simon protested the direction the band was going in and pushed for greater creative control over the songwriting process, leading to some of the songs included, like "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and "After the Gold Rush", being essentially Simon solo creations while on hiatus from the rest of the band. By the time of the album's release, Simon would be fired from the group, eventually going on to form a new group: Simon, Giles, Yorke, & Clapten. A similar sentiment would be expressed by Johnny Ward, who would lead the band on one song, the lead single "Dark Star". The Entourage's primary songwriters, Nico Jasper and Charlie Renson faced legal problems for drug possession which were not resolved until late 1968, and additionally, the band's head sound engineer and drug supplier, Doc Crosby, was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for possession and manufacturing of LSD. Burnout and drug related problems, which epitomized the group's previous release, heightened tensions and led to the idea of a retreat into the desert to "reconnect with nature". As with the band's previous releases, the recording process continued to be complicated by new collaborators joining the group.
The album was preceded by three singles, the first being "Dark Star". Considered a left over from previous sessions which the band then reworked, the song was released in January to limited commercial success. This was followed by the song "Fresh Air" in March, which was widely praised as a return to form for the band and helped build anticipation of a new album. Finally this was followed by the Simon-led song "A Horse with No Name" in April, which proved a moderate hit. Upon release, the album went number one on the Sunset 200 in Sierra, although was less successful outside the country. It has since been certified platinum in North America by the RIAA. Critics generally praised the album and considered it a more mature release from their previous work, although others noted there was a lack of cohesion, with some tracks featuring more psychedelia, and songs by Simon being largely acoustic ballads. In retrospect it has been praised as one of the band's best works, serving as a bookend to the psychedelic era of the 1960s.
Background
Recording
Title and packaging
Release and reception
Legacy
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Magic Bus" | Jasper | 3:19 | |
| 2. | "Do It Again" |
|
| 6:01 |
| 3. | "Long Time Gone" |
|
| 4:16 |
| 4. | "A Horse with No Name" |
| Simon | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Dark Star" |
| Ward | 2:41 |
| Total length: | 20:29 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Fresh Air" |
| Jasper | 5:21 |
| 7. | "A House is Not a Motel" |
| Jasper | 3:20 |
| 8. | "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" | Simon | Simon | 2:26 |
| 9. | "Sunset over Sierra" |
| Instrumental | 5:45 |
| 10. | "After the Gold Rush" |
| Simon | 3:47 |
| Total length: | 20:39 | |||
Personnel
The Entourage
- Nico Jasper – lead vocals (1, 2, 6, 8), backing vocals, tambourine (1, 2, 10)
- Charlie Renson – electric guitar, backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 6, 8)
- Paul Simon – lead vocals (3, 4, 9, 11), backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 8), electric guitar (6), acoustic guitar (1–5, 9, 11)
- Johnny Ward – lead vocals (5), percussion, backing vocals (2–7), vibraphone (2), electric guitar (7)
- Nick Irving – bass guitar (1–10), organ (9), backing vocals (3)
- Tom Heard – drums, xylophone
- Mickey Parker – drums, percussion (1, 2, 9)
Additional personnel
- John Carter – piano, Rhodes piano (2, 6. 7)
- José Areas - percussion, clave (2), backing vocals (2)
- Paul Bailey - lead vocals (2), lead guitar (2)
- Lonnie Rodriguez - percussion, guitar (7)
- Rocky Dzidzornu – congas
Production
- Bob Matthews – engineer
- John Ellis – engineer
- Tom Harper – engineer
- Doc Crosby – equipment crew, engineering
- Mouse Jones – equipment crew
Charts
Certifications
See also |