Off to See the Lizard

Off to See the Lizard
Studio album by Jimmy Buffett
Released	June 1989
Recorded	at The Hit Factory in New York City and Shrimpboat Sound in Key West, Florida
Genre	Rock/gulf and western
Length	47:06
Label	MCA MCA-42093 (U.S., CD)
Producer	Elliot Scheiner, Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett chronology
Hot Water 1988 Off to See the Lizard 1989 Fruitcakes 1994

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Off to See the Lizard is the 18th studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Initially to be called Stranger than Fishing,^[2] it was released in June 1989 as MCA 6314 and was produced by Elliot Scheiner and Buffett. The album is the first to feature much of the current^[update] Coral Reefer Band. Following the release of this album, Buffett paused his normal output of one album every year or two and did not release another album until 1994's Fruitcakes.

Songs

All but one of the album's songs were written or co-written by Buffett. "Mermaid in the Night" was written by Coral Reefer Band members Roger Guth and Jay Oliver. "Boomerang Love" also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1989 movie Always. Buffett recorded a live version of "The Pascagoula Run" for his 2003 greatest hits collection Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection.

Chart performance

Off to See the Lizard reached #57 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "Take Another Road" hit #18 Adult Contemporary.

Track listing

1. "Carnival World" (Jimmy Buffett, Roger Guth, Jay Oliver) – 3:56
2. "Take Another Road" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver, Roger Guth) – 3:40
3. "That's My Story and I'm Stickin' to It" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 4:23
4. "Why the Things We Do" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver, Roger Guth) – 3:57
5. "Gravity Storm" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 2:49
6. "Off to See the Lizard" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 4:12
7. "Boomerang Love" (Jimmy Buffett) – 5:18
8. "Strange Bird" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 4:19
9. "I Wish Lunch Could Last Forever" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 5:18
10. "The Pascagoula Run" (Jimmy Buffett, Jay Oliver) – 3:18
11. "Mermaid in the Night" (Roger Guth, Jay Oliver) – 2:27
12. "Changing Channels" (Jimmy Buffett, Mac McAnally) – 3:29

Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band:

• Jimmy Buffett: Guitar and vocals
• Jay Oliver: Keyboards and percussion
• Peter Mayer: Guitars
• Jim Mayer: Bass
• Roger Guth: Drums
• Robert Greenidge: Steel drums
• Michael Utley: Organ
• Greg "Fingers" Taylor: Harmonica
• Ralph MacDonald: Percussion
• Horns: "The Nuff Brothers" - Alan Rubin, Birch Johnson, Lou Marini
• Background Singers: Diana Canova, Sheryl Crow, Frank Floyd, Peter Mayer, Timothy B. Schmit

Singles

• "Take Another Road" b/w "Off To See The Lizard" (7" single released on MCA 53675 in May 1989)
• "Carnival World" b/w ? (cassette single released on MCA ?)

Tour

1989 brought yet another summer tour, with all the usual stops, but this time Jimmy had brought back the Neville Brothers for an opening act. In April, Jimmy played Jazz Fest for the first time, while December brought the mini “Buffett Does Ballads” Tour with Mac McAnally and Larry Knight in support of the new book Tales from Margaritaville.^[3]

1989 Coral Reefer Band

• Jimmy Buffett: Vocals and guitar
• Peter Mayer: Guitar
• Jim Mayer: Bass
• Roger Guth: Drums
• Michael Utley: Piano
• Greg “Fingers” Taylor – Harmonica, Background Vocals
• Robert Greenidge: Steel Drums
• Jay Oliver: Keyboards
• Denena Iverson: Vocals

Set list

Every night "Carnival World" was the opener and "Volcano" was the set closer. "Gravity Storm" and "A Pirate Looks at Forty" were played during the encore, with the latter closing the show. More often than not, "Changing Channels" would be added to the set after "Pirate" and would end the show. The Randy Newman cover "Louisiana 1927" was added to the set after "Pirate" for the Austin, TX show, its only appearance of the tour.

Average set list:^[4]

1. "Carnival World"
2. "Jolly Mon Sing"
3. "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit
4. "Boat Drinks"
5. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
6. "Off to See the Lizard"
7. "That's My Story and I'm Stickin' to It"
8. "Come Monday"
9. "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
10. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
11. "Why Don't We Get Drunk"
12. "Twelve Volt Man"
13. "He Went to Paris"
14. "Take Another Road"
15. "Boomerang Love"
16. "Margaritaville"
17. "Pencil Thin Mustache"
18. "Fins"
19. "Some White People Can Dance"
20. "Volcano"

Encore:

1. "Gravity Storm"
2. "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
3. "Changing Channels" (played about 4/7 of the time)

Notes

1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r2937
2. ^ Steve Eng. Jimmy Buffett: The Man from Margaritaville Revealed. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1997. p. 281. ISBN 978-0312168759. The line "truth is stranger than fishing it seems" appears in the song "Why the Things We Do" from the album.
3. ^ BuffettWorld—1989 Off to See the Lizard… Tour Dates
4. ^ Jimmy Buffett average set list, Year: Off to See the Lizard | setlist.fm