Living and Dying in 3/4 Time

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Living and Dying in ¾ Time
Living and Dying in 3-4 Time.jpg
Studio album by Jimmy Buffett
Released February 1974
Recorded October 1973 at Woodland Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Country, Gulf and Western
Length 38:15
Label Dunhill 50132
Producer Don Gant
Jimmy Buffett chronology
A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean
(1973)A White Sport Coat and a Pink CrustaceanString Module Error: Match not found		 Living and Dying in ¾ Time
(1974)		 A1A
(1974)A1AString Module Error: Match not found
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars[1]
Robert Christgau B− [2]

Living and Dying in ¾ Time is the fourth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett and the second major label album in Buffett's Don Gant-produced "Key West phase." It was initially released in February 1974 as Dunhill DS-50132[3] and later rereleased on Dunhill's successor labels ABC and MCA. It contains the song "Come Monday," his first Top 40 hit single.

¾ time

Despite the title, not all the songs on the album are in ¾ time signature. Four tracks use 12/8 time: "Pencil Thin Mustache", "Brand New Country Star", "God's Own Drunk", and "West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown," with a repeating 17 bar pattern, actually making the true time signature of this song's verses 51/8. The lyrics of "Nautical Wheelers" on Buffett's subsequent album, A1A, refer to "living & dying in ¾ time" and the song is also in 3/4 time signature.

Chart performance

The album was Buffett's first to chart on the Billboard 200 album chart but it only reached number 176. Unlike A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean before it, it failed to make the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The single of "Come Monday" reached number 30 on the Hot 100 as well as number three Easy Listening and number 58 Country. In addition, "Pencil Thin Mustache" hit number 44 Easy Listening and "Saxophones" "bubbled under" the Hot 100 at number 105.

Songs

In addition to "Come Monday," the album contains "Pencil Thin Mustache"[4] another Buffett concert favorite. The two songs appear on most of his live albums and greatest hits compilations.

The album contains two cover songs: "Ballad of Spider John" written and originally performed by Willis Alan Ramsey and "God's Own Drunk" by Lord Buckley. Buffett's version of "Ballad of Spider John" is missing some of the lyrics of the original although he has included these in concert renditions. "Livingston's Gone to Texas" is a remake of Buffett's own song that originally appeared on the 1971 High Cumberland Jubilee (although this album would not be released until 1976). The version on Living & Dying in ¾ Time is a slower tempo, more country-sounding presentation and is missing the penultimate verse of the original.

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Pencil Thin Moustache"[4] (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:47
  2. "Come Monday" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:06
  3. "Ringling, Ringling" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:32
  4. "Brahma Fear" (Jimmy Buffett) – 4:05
  5. "Brand New Country Star" (V. Arnold, Jimmy Buffett) – 2:40
  6. "Livingston's Gone to Texas" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:28

Side B:

  1. "The Wino and I Know" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:00
  2. "West Nashville Grand Ballroom Gown" (Jimmy Buffett) – 2:34
  3. "Saxophones" (Jimmy Buffett) – 3:18
  4. "Ballad of Spider John" (Willis Alan Ramsey) – 4:26
  5. "God's Own Drunk" (Lord Buckley) – 6:19

Personnel

The Second Coral Reefer Band:

  • Jimmy Buffett: Acoustic guitar
  • Reggie Young: Electric guitar
  • Lanny Fiel: Acoustic, Electric and slide guitar
  • Doyle Gresham: Pedal steel
  • Tommy Cogbill: Bass
  • Mike Utley: Keyboards
  • Sammy Creason: Drums and bodyguard
  • Greg "Fingers" Taylor: Harmonica
  • Ferrell Morris: Congas, Vibes and other little goodies
  • Don Gant, Buzz Cason, Bergen White: Background vocals
  • Strings and horns arranged by: Bergen White
  • Horns on "Saxophones" by: Billy Puett

Singles

  • "Saxophones" b/w "Ringling Ringling" (Released on Dunhill D-4378 in January 1974)
  • "Come Monday" b/w "Wino And I Know" (Released on Dunhill D-4385 in April 1974)
  • "Pencil Thin Moustache"[4] b/w "Brand New Country Star" (Released on Dunhill D-15011 in August 1974)

The single release of "Saxophones" was different from the album version with an added horn section as well as a background vocal section.

References

  1. ↑ Living and Dying in 3/4 Time at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ For unknown reasons, this album was issued with an out-of-sequence catalog number, lower than the one used on Buffett's previous LP and in sequence with Dunhill releases from 1972.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The song title originally used the British spelling moustache, but subsequent releases have used the usual U.S. spelling mustache.
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