El Mirage is the sixth album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in May 1977 by Atlantic Records. This was the second album for which Webb handed production and arrangement duties on to another person, George Martin, producer of the Beatles. The album contains "The Highwayman", a song that later provided both the name and first hit for the Highwaymen. Waylon Jennings, part of the Highwaymen, also recorded the track "If You See Me Getting Smaller" for his album Ol Waylon (1977). The cover was photographed at El Mirage Lake, Mojave Desert, California.
Critical reception
In his review for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann called the album Webb's "most polished effort yet as a performer". Ruhlmann noted the "lush tracks full of tasty playing and warm string charts". He described the re-recording of "P.F. Sloan" as "unnecessary", but found the compositions generally up to Webb's high standard as a songwriter, and the album as a whole a successful reintroduction of Webb as a pop artist.
Track listing
Personnel
Music Jimmy Webb – vocals, keyboards George Martin – arranger, conductor, keyboards, synthesizer David Paich – keyboards, synthesizer Dean Parks, Fred Tackett – guitar Lowell George – slide guitar Herb Pedersen – banjo, 12-string guitar, background vocals Harry Bluestone – concertmaster David Hungate, Larry Knechtel, Dee Murray – bass guitar Harvey Mason – percussion Jim Gordon, Nigel Olsson – drums Kenny Loggins – vocals Billy Davis Jr. - vocals George Hawkins – vocals Sherlie Matthews – background vocals Susan Webb – background vocals Clydie King – background vocals
Production George Martin – producer John H. R. Mills – engineer John Mills – engineer George Tutko – engineer Bob Fisher – mastering Bob Defrin – art direction Steve Smith – photography Henry Diltz – cover photograph Richie Unterberger – liner notes
References