Shooting at the Moon (album): Difference between revisions

Shooting at the Moon
Shooting at the Moon
Studio album by Kevin Ayers and The Whole World
Released	October 1970
Recorded	April–September 1970
Studio	Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock, Canterbury scene, psychedelic rock, experimental rock
Length	41.04
Label	Harvest
Producer	Kevin Ayers and Peter Jenner
Kevin Ayers and The Whole World chronology

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Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[2]

Shooting at the Moon is the second solo album of Kevin Ayers, on Harvest Records. David Ross Smith of AllMusic writes:

A snapshot of the era, the album is saturated with original ideas, experimentation, and lunacy, all powered by the bottled grape.^[1]

Background

In early 1970, Ayers assembled a band he called The Whole World to tour his debut LP Joy of a Toy that included a young Mike Oldfield, David Bedford, Lol Coxhill, Mick Fincher, the folk singer Bridget St. John and Robert Wyatt. After a UK tour, Ayers took the Whole World into the studio to cut an LP, produced, like his debut, with Peter Jenner.

The line-up produced a heady mixture of ideas and experimentation with two distinctive styles emerging; carefree ballads like "Clarence in Wonderland" and "May I?" abutted the avant-garde experimentation of songs like "Reinhardt and Geraldine" and "Underwater". The album has since become a best seller in Ayers' catalogue.

Although The Whole World disbanded shortly after the release, the nucleus of the group would contribute to Ayers next LP, Whatevershebringswesing. Ayers released a single of exclusive material at the time "Butterfly Dance" coupled with "Puis Je?" (a French-language version of "May I?")

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, who were big fans of Ayers, referred to Shooting at the Moon as "the best album ever made" in the sleeve notes to their 1994 album Tatay.

In 1998, The Wire named Shooting at the Moon one of the "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (When No One Was Listening)".^[3]

It was voted number 943 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). ^[4]

Harvest Records re-released the album on CD in 2003.

Track listing

All songs written by Kevin Ayers

Side one

"May I?" – (4:01)
"Rheinhardt & Geraldine/Colores Para Dolores" – (5:41)
"Lunatics Lament" – (4:53)
"Pisser Dans un Violon" – (8:02)

Side two

"The Oyster and the Flying Fish" – (2:37)
"Underwater" – (3:54)
"Clarence in Wonderland" – (2:06)
"Red Green and You Blue" – (3:52)
"Shooting at the Moon" – (5:53)

Track listing 2003 CD reissue

"May I?" – 4:01
"Rheinhardt & Geraldine/Colores Para Dolores" – 5:41
"Lunatics Lament" – 4:53
"Pisser Dans un Violon" – 8:02
"The Oyster and the Flying Fish" – 2:37
"Underwater" – 3:54
"Clarence in Wonderland" – 2:06
"Red Green and You Blue" – 3:52
"Shooting at the Moon" – 5:53
"Gemini Child" – 3:16
"Puis Je?" – 3:41
"Butterfly Dance" – 3:45
"Jolie Madame" – 2:26
"Hat" – 5:27

Personnel

Musicians

Kevin Ayers – guitar, bass, vocals

The Whole World

David Bedford – organ, piano, accordion, marimbaphone, guitar
Lol Coxhill – saxophone, zoblophone
Mike Oldfield – bass, guitar and vocal
Mick Fincher – drums, percussion, bottles & ashtrays
The Whole World Chorus – backing vocals

Additional musicians

Bridget St. John – vocals ("The Oyster And The Flying Fish")
Robert Wyatt – vocals ("Colores Para Delores")

Technical

Peter Jenner – producer
Peter Mews – engineer
Tom Fu – cover

References

^ ^a ^b Allmusic review
^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
^ The Wire 100 Records That Set The World On Fire
^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 286. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.

I’m Just Moonlight's Lost Disciple – Shooting at the Moon liner notes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)
Shooting at the Moon – original LP notes

[AM-1] Allmusic review

[2] Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.

[3] The Wire 100 Records That Set The World On Fire

[Larkin-4] Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 286. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
+{{Infobox album
-| Name        = Shooting at the Moon
-| Type        = [[Album]]
+| name       = Shooting at the Moon
-| Artist      = [[Kevin Ayers]]
+| type       = studio
+| artist     = [[Kevin Ayers]] and The Whole World
-| Cover       = Shootingatthemoon.jpg
+| cover      = Shootingatthemoon.jpg
-| Released    = October 1970
-| Recorded    =
+| alt        =
-| Genre       = [[Rock (music)|Rock]]
+| released   = October 1970
+| recorded   = April–September 1970
-| Length      = 41.04
-| Label       = Harvest
+| venue      =
+| studio     = [[Abbey Road Studios]], London
-| Producer    = Kevin Ayers
+| genre      = [[Progressive rock]], [[Canterbury scene]], [[psychedelic rock]], [[experimental rock]]
-| Reviews     =
+| length     = 41.04
-| Last album  = '''''[[Joy of a Toy]]''''' <br /> (1969)
+| label      = Harvest
-| This album  = '''''[[Shooting at the Moon (album)|Shooting at the Moon]]''''' <br /> (1970)
+| producer   = [[Kevin Ayers]] and [[Peter Jenner]]
-| Next album  = '''''[[Whatevershebringswesing]]''''' <br /> (1971)
+| prev_title = [[Joy of a Toy]]
+| prev_year  = 1969
+| next_title = [[Whatevershebringswesing]]
+| next_year  = 1971
+}}
+{{Album ratings
+|rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
+|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name=AM>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r29618|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]</ref>
+| rev2 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
+| rev2Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|edition=5th|isbn=978-0857125958|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
 }}
-'''''Shooting at the Moon''''' is the second solo album of [[Kevin Ayers]], a founding member of [[Soft Machine]].
+'''''Shooting at the Moon''''' is the second solo album of [[Kevin Ayers]], on [[Harvest Records]]. David Ross Smith of [[AllMusic]] writes:{{blockquote|A snapshot of the era, the album is saturated with original ideas, experimentation, and lunacy, all powered by the bottled grape.<ref name=AM/>}}
+==Background==
+In early 1970, Ayers assembled a band he called The Whole World to tour his debut LP ''[[Joy of a Toy]]'' that included a young [[Mike Oldfield]], [[David Bedford]], [[Lol Coxhill]], Mick Fincher, the folk singer [[Bridget St. John]] and [[Robert Wyatt]]. After a UK tour, Ayers took the Whole World into the studio to cut an LP, produced, like his debut, with [[Peter Jenner]].
+The line-up produced a heady mixture of ideas and experimentation with two distinctive styles emerging; carefree ballads like "Clarence in Wonderland" and "May I?" abutted the avant-garde experimentation of songs like "Reinhardt and Geraldine" and "Underwater". The album has since become a best seller in Ayers' catalogue.
+Although The Whole World disbanded shortly after the release, the nucleus of the group would contribute to Ayers next LP, ''[[Whatevershebringswesing]]''. Ayers released a single of exclusive material at the time "[[Butterfly Dance]]" coupled with "[[Butterfly Dance|Puis Je?]]" (a French-language version of "May I?")
+[[Gorky's Zygotic Mynci]], who were big fans of Ayers, referred to ''Shooting at the Moon'' as "the best album ever made" in the sleeve notes to their 1994 album ''[[Tatay]]''.
+In 1998, ''[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]'' named ''Shooting at the Moon'' one of the  "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (When No One Was Listening)".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050215191120/http://rtxarchive.com/archive/articles/wire175.html The Wire 100 Records That Set The World On Fire]</ref>
+It was voted number 943 in [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]'s [[All Time Top 1000 Albums]] 3rd Edition (2000).
+<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=286}}</ref>
+Harvest Records re-released the album on CD in 2003.
 ==Track listing==
+All songs written by Kevin Ayers
-# "May I?" (4:01)
-# "Rheinhardt & Geraldine"
+===Side one===
-# "Colores Para Delores" (5:41)
-# "Lunatics Lament" (4:53)
+# "May I?" – (4:01)
+# "Rheinhardt & Geraldine/Colores Para Dolores" – (5:41)
-# "Pisser Dans un Violon" (8:02)
+# "Lunatics Lament" – (4:53)
-# "The Oyster and the Flying Fish" (2:37)
-# "Underwater" (3:54)
+# "Pisser Dans un Violon" – (8:02)
-# "Clarence in Wonderland" (2:06)
+===Side two===
-# "Red Green and You Blue" (3:52)
-# "Shooting at the Moon" (5:53)
+# "The Oyster and the Flying Fish" – (2:37)
+# "Underwater" – (3:54)
+# "Clarence in Wonderland" – (2:06)
+# "Red Green and You Blue" – (3:52)
+# "Shooting at the Moon" – (5:53)
+===Track listing 2003 CD reissue===
+# "May I?" – 4:01
+# "Rheinhardt & Geraldine/Colores Para Dolores" – 5:41
+# "Lunatics Lament" – 4:53
+# "Pisser Dans un Violon" – 8:02
+# "The Oyster and the Flying Fish" – 2:37
+# "Underwater" – 3:54
+# "Clarence in Wonderland" – 2:06
+# "Red Green and You Blue" – 3:52
+# "Shooting at the Moon" – 5:53
+# "Gemini Child" – 3:16
+# "Puis Je?" – 3:41
+# "Butterfly Dance" – 3:45
+# "Jolie Madame" – 2:26
+# "Hat" – 5:27
 ==Personnel==
+===Musicians===
-*[[Kevin Ayers]] / Guitar, bass, Vocals
+* Kevin Ayers – guitar, bass, vocals
-The Whole World:
+===The Whole World===
-*[[David Bedford]] / Keyboards
+* David Bedford – organ, piano, [[accordion]], [[marimbaphone]], guitar
-*[[Lol Coxhill]] / Saxophone, Flute
+* Lol Coxhill – saxophone, zoblophone
-*[[Mike Oldfield]] / Bass, Guitar
+* Mike Oldfield – bass, guitar and vocal
-*[[Mick Fincher]] / Drums
+* Mick Fincher – drums, percussion, bottles & ashtrays
+* The Whole World Chorus – backing vocals
-*[[Robert Wyatt]] / Vocals
-*[[Bridget St. John]] / Vocals
+===Additional musicians===
+* Bridget St. John – vocals ("The Oyster And The Flying Fish")
+* Robert Wyatt – vocals ("Colores Para Delores")
+===Technical===
+* Peter Jenner – producer
+* Peter Mews – [[audio engineer|engineer]]
+* Tom Fu – cover
 ==References==
+{{Reflist}}
+*''I’m Just Moonlight's Lost Disciple'' – ''Shooting at the Moon'' liner notes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)
+*''Shooting at the Moon'' – original LP notes
+{{Kevin Ayers}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:1970 albums]]
 [[Category:Kevin Ayers albums]]
+[[Category:Harvest Records albums]]
+[[Category:Albums produced by Kevin Ayers]]
+[[Category:Albums produced by Peter Jenner]]

v t e Kevin Ayers
Studio albums	Joy of a Toy (1969) Shooting at the Moon (1970) Whatevershebringswesing (1971) Bananamour (1973) The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories (1974) Sweet Deceiver (1975) Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today) (1976) Rainbow Takeaway (1978) That's What You Get Babe (1980) Diamond Jack and the Queen of Pain (1983) Deià...Vu (1984) As Close As You Think (1986) Falling Up (1988) Still Life with Guitar (1992) The Unfairground (2007)
Collaborations	June 1, 1974 (1974) Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy (1974)
Singles	"Singing a Song in the Morning" "Butterfly Dance" "Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" "Oh! Wot a Dream" "Caribbean Moon" "Star" "Mr. Cool" "Money Money Money" "Animals" "Who's Still Crazy"
Related articles	Soft Machine Robert Wyatt Daevid Allen