| City Lights | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Length | 38:29 | |||
| Label | Horizon (SP-732) | |||
| Producer | Tommy LiPuma, Hugh McCracken | |||
| Dr. John chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
City Lights is an album by Dr. John, his first for Horizon Records.[4] It was released in 1978.[3][5]
Neon Park provided the album artwork.
Production
Doc Pomus collaborated with Dr. John on a few of the album's songs.[6]
Critical reception
The Globe and Mail wrote that Dr. John's "honky-tonk piano sounds especially fine and strange against the lushness of strings - the title song virtually drips with sweet decadence."[7]
Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album "established Dr. John as a skilled songwriter."[8] Phoenix New Times deemed "He's a Hero" " the ultimate hipster-in-the-night song."[9] Writing after the musician's death, Billboard thought that the title track, "combining stride piano, strings and an evocative lyric, displays a subtlety Dr. John wouldn’t fully commit to again."[10]
Track listing
All songs written by Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) except where noted
Side One
- "Dance the Night Away With You" (Rebennack, Doc Pomus) – 4:06
- "Street Side" – 6:01
- "Wild Honey" (Rebennack, Bobby Charles) – 4:10
- "Rain" – 4:48
Side Two
- "Snake Eyes" – 6:44
- "Fire of Love" (Rebennack, Alvin Robinson) – 3:58
- "Sonata (instrumental)/He's a Hero" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 5:20
- "City Lights" (Pomus, Rebennack) – 3:22
Personnel
Musicians
- Dr. John – piano, vocals, Fender Rhodes and clavinet on "Street Side", Fender Rhodes on "Rain"
- Hugh McCracken – acoustic & electric guitars, Moog synthesizer on "Fire of Love", harmonica on "Street Side"
- John Tropea – acoustic & electric guitars
- Will Lee – bass guitar
- Steve Gadd – drums
- Richard Tee – Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ, clavinet, synthesizer, piano
- Arthur Jenkins – percussion
- Charlie Miller – cornet
- Neil Larsen – Hammond organ on "Street Side" and "Fire of Love"
- George Young – tenor saxophone
- David Sanborn – alto saxophone
- Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
- Barry Rogers – trombone
- Ronnie Barron – background vocals
- George & Nancy Jones – background vocals
- Tamiya Lynn – background vocals
- Alvin Robinson – background vocals
- Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone on "Fire of Love" and "He's a Hero"
- Alvin Batiste – clarinet solo on "He's a Hero"
- Buzz Feiten – guitar solo on "Snake Eyes"
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Technical
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Arrangements
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References
- ↑ Jurek, Thom. "City Lights - Dr. John" at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 112.
- 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 204–205.
- ↑ "Dr. John | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ↑ Buckley, Peter (April 5, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Friedman, Josh Alan (April 5, 2008). Tell the Truth Until They Bleed: Coming Clean in the Dirty World of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879309329 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Gilday, Katherine (7 Feb 1979). "INSIDE THE SLEEVE City Lights". The Globe and Mail: F9.
- ↑ "Dr. John". EW.com.
- ↑ Friedman, Josh Alan (April 6, 1995). "HIGH PRIEST OF EVERYTHINGDOC POMUS CRAFTED ENOUGH MAGIC MOMENTS TO FILL A MILLION JUKEBOXES". Phoenix New Times.
- ↑ "R.I.P. Dr. John: 10 Essential Cuts from the Soul, Funk and Boogie Woogie Great". Billboard.