''Down to Earth'' is the debut studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

. It was produced by Travis Turk and was released on August 11, 1970 on

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

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. It held the rights to work by a number of popular music performers including Williams work before ...

label as Z 30093. A compact disc was released by

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and 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 r ...

in June 1998.

Songs

All of the songs on ''Down to Earth'' were written or co-written by Buffett. "The Captain and the Kid" was re-recorded thrice by Buffett: '' Havaña Daydreamin''', '' Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection'' and ''

Songs You Don't Know by Heart ''Songs You Don't Know by Heart '' is the thirty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, released on November 27, 2020. This was the last studio album to be released in Buffett's lifetime before his death in 2023. Backgro ...

''. 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 (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

feel and little of the

gulf and western Gulf and Western Industries, Inc. (stylized as Gulf+Western) was an American conglomerate. Originally, the company focused on manufacturing and resource extraction. Beginning in 1966, and continuing throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the company ...

, Key-West-influenced sound and themes that have defined his musical career.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer William Ruhlmann notes that "this is not the freewheeling Jimmy Buffett of '

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 Buffett discovered at Lung's Cocina del Sur restauran ...

,' 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".William Ruhlmann.

Review of '' There's Nothing Soft About Hard Times''. The material on this album has been included on numerous compilations of Buffett's early material. An alternate take of "Captain America" was released as the third single from the album.

Alternate versions

The 1998 re-release of the album contained an additional track, "Richard Frost," which was recorded during sessions for the album and released as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of "The Christian?" single.

Track listings

All tracks composed by Jimmy Buffett except where indicated

Original release

Side A: #"The Christian?" (Milton Brown, Jimmy Buffett) 3:54 #"Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)" (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?" (Brown, Buffett) 3:54 #"Ellis Dee (He Ain't Free)" (Buffett, 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

Personnel

– lead and backing vocals, guitar, kazoo * Lanny Fiel – guitar, piano * Bob Cook – guitar, bass, harmonica *Dave Haney – bass *Carl Himmel – drums * Paul Tabet – drums *Travis Turk – drums, kazoo *

Buzz Cason James E. "Buzz" Cason (born November 27, 1939 in Nashville, Tennessee, United States) is an American rock singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. He was a founding member of The Casuals, Nashville's first rock and roll band. Together w ...

– backing vocals ;Technical *Travis Turk – producer, engineer

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)

Notes

{{Authority control 1970 debut albums Barnaby Records albums Jimmy Buffett albums Varèse Sarabande albums