Son of a Son of a Sailor

Son of a Son of a Sailor is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in March 1978 as ABC Dunhill AA-1046 and later re-released on its successor label, MCA.

Son of a Son of a Sailor
Studio album by Jimmy Buffett
Released	March 17, 1978
Recorded	1977
Studio	Bay Shore Recording Studios, Inc. Coconut Grove, Florida, Quadrafonic Sound, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Country rock Gulf and Western
Length	34:09
Label	ABC Dunhill AA-1046 (US, 12")
Producer	Norbert Putnam
Jimmy Buffett chronology
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (1977) Son of a Son of a Sailor (1978) Volcano (1979)
Singles from Son of a Son of a Sailor
"Cheeseburger in Paradise" "Livingston Saturday Night" "Mañana"

Chart performance

Son of a Son of a Sailor reached #10 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #6 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The album was also certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Three singles from the album charted including "Cheeseburger in Paradise" (#32 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Livingston Saturday Night" (#52 Hot 100; #91 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart), and "Mañana" (#84 Country).

Songs

Two of the songs on Son of a Son of a Sailor are written by Keith Sykes and the remainder are written by Buffett. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" from the album appears on all of Buffett's major greatest hits collections and is a perennial concert favorite, one of "The Big 8" songs that he has played at almost every concert and which is the namesake of the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain. Buffett had recorded a significantly different version of "Livingston Saturday Night" for the 1975 Rancho Deluxe soundtrack. The Son of a Son of a Sailor version of the song also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1978 movie FM that featured a cameo appearance by Buffett.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Rolling Stone	(mixed)
The Village Voice	B

Record World said that "Livingston Saturday Night" is "a piece of his usual down home rock beat and good-time lyrics." Record World said that "Mañana" shows Buffett's "sly way with a lyric" and that "Like 'Margaritaville', the mood is easy with a touch of Latin." The New York Times noted that "it may not be desperately important music, but it's very, very pleasant."

Track listing

All songs written by Jimmy Buffett, except where noted.

1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor" – 3:23
2. "Fool Button" – 2:47
3. "The Last Line" (Keith Sykes) – 3:38
4. "Livingston Saturday Night" – 3:09
5. "Cheeseburger in Paradise" – 2:51
6. "Coast of Marseilles" (Keith Sykes) – 5:02
7. "Cowboy in the Jungle" – 5:06
8. "Mañana" – 4:13
9. "African Friend" – 4:00

Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band:

• Jimmy Buffett – acoustic guitar, vocals
• Mike Utley – keyboards
• Kenneth Buttrey – drums, percussion
• Greg "Fingers" Taylor – harmonica
• Steve Goodman – guitar
• Tim Krekel – guitar
• Harry Dailey – bass
• Norbert Putnam – bass, kalimba
• Jay Spell – keyboards
• Harvey Thompson – saxophone
• Farrell Morris – percussion
• Billy Puett – recorder, bass flute
• The Sid Sharp Strings – strings
• Deborah McColl, Ginger Holladay, Janie Fricke, Larry Lee, Lea Jane Berinati, Penny Nichols – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)	Peak position
US Billboard 200	10
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)	6

Year-end charts

Chart (1978)	Position
US Billboard 200	63
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)	26

Tour

1978 saw Buffett begin his own tour with the Coral Reefer Band to support the album, called the Cheeseburger in Paradise Tour, spending March and April playing along the east coast and then the mid-west. June brought California dates which included a few shows opening for Jackson Browne in San Jose and Angels Camp, California. August brought a Florida stadium tour with the Little River Band and the Steve Miller Band along with three shows in Atlanta and Miami which were recorded for the live album You Had To Be There.

1978 Coral Reefer Band

• Jimmy Buffett: Vocals and guitar
• Barry Chance: Guitar
• Harry Dailey: Bass and background Vocals
• Deborah McColl: Background vocals
• Greg "Fingers" Taylor – Harmonica and background Vocals
• Jay Spell – Piano
• Michael Utley – Organ
• Kenneth Buttrey – Drums

Performance

The set list changed nightly, mainly with an acoustic set between "Margaritaville" and "Why Don't We Get Drunk"—however, You Had to Be There chronicles some unusual inclusions, such as: "Miss You So Badly" replaces "Mañana"; a new song "Perrier Blues" emerges later in the tour; a rare performance of "The Captain and the Kid" appeared during the acoustic set; and "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was missing. The shows opened with "Son of a Son of a Sailor" and closed with "Tampico Trauma" every night; and the encore typically consisted of "Morris' Nightmare", "Dixie Diner" (Larry Raspberry and the Highsteppers cover) and "Last Line" (Keith Sykes cover) respectively, with "Morris' Nightmare" closing the show only when it debuted in Boston.

Setlist

An average set list:

1. "Son of a Son of a Sailor"
2. "Pencil Thin Mustache"
3. "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home"
4. "Landfall"
5. "Mañana"
6. "Livingston Saturday Night"
7. "Margaritaville"
8. "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit" (acoustic)
9. "Banana Republics" (Steve Goodman cover) (acoustic)
10. "He Went to Paris" (acoustic)
11. "God's Own Drunk" (Richard Buckley cover) (acoustic)
12. "Why Don't We Get Drunk" (mostly performed with the Coral Reefer Band, but occasionally performed acoustically)
13. "Coast of Marseilles" (Keith Sykes cover)
14. "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
15. "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes"
16. "A Pirate Looks at Forty"
17. "Come Monday"
18. "Tampico Trauma"
    Encore:
19. "Morris' Nightmare"
20. "Dixie Diner" (Larry Raspberry And The Highsteppers cover)
    Encore 2:
21. "The Last Line" (Keith Skyes cover)