Off to See the Lizard is the seventeenth studio album by the American music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Initially to be called Stranger than Fishing,Steve Eng. Jimmy Buffett: The Man from Margaritaville Revealed. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1997. p. 281. . The line "truth is stranger than fishing it seems" appears in the song "Why the Things We Do" from the album. it was released in June 1989 as MCA 6314 and was produced by Elliot Scheiner and Buffett. The album is the first to feature much of the current Coral Reefer Band. Following the release of this album, Buffett paused his normal output of one album every year or two and did not release another album until 1994's Fruitcakes.
Songs All but one of the album's songs were written or co-written by Buffett. "Mermaid in the Night" was written by Coral Reefer Band members Roger Guth and Jay Oliver. "Boomerang Love" also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1989 movie Always. Buffett recorded a live version of "The Pascagoula Run" for his 2003 greatest hits collection Meet Me in Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection. Most of the songs are related to Jimmy's first book of stories, Tales from Margaritaville, released the same year. A music video for "Take Another Road" was filmed at the abandoned Islander Drive-In Theater on Stock Island, just outside of Key West, Florida.
Chart performance Off to See the Lizard reached No. 57 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The song "Take Another Road" hit No. 18 Adult Contemporary.
Track listing
Personnel The Coral Reefer Band: Jimmy Buffett – vocals, rhythm guitar Jay Oliver – keyboards, percussion Peter Mayer – backing vocals, guitars Jim Mayer – bass Roger Guth – drums Robert Greenidge – steel drums Michael Utley – organ Greg "Fingers" Taylor – harmonica Ralph MacDonald – percussion "The Nuff Brothers" – Alan Rubin, Birch Johnson, Lou Marini – horns Diana Canova, Sheryl Crow, Frank Floyd, Timothy B. Schmit – backing vocals
Singles "Take Another Road" b/w "Off To See The Lizard" (7" single released on MCA 53675 in May 1989) "Carnival World" b/w ? (cassette single released on MCA ?)
Tour 1989 brought yet another summer tour, with all the usual stops, but this time Jimmy had brought back the Neville Brothers for an opening act. In April, Jimmy played Jazz Fest for the first time, while December brought the mini "Buffett Does Ballads" Tour with Mac McAnally and Larry Knight in support of the new book Tales from Margaritaville.BuffettWorld—1989 Off to See the Lizard… Tour Dates
Tour dates North America Date City Venue April 30, 1989 New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course June 14, 1989 San Diego SDSU Open Air Theatre, San Diego State University June 15, 1989 June 17, 1989 Greenwood VillageFiddler's Green Amphitheatre June 18, 1989 June 20, 1989 Universal City Universal Amphitheatre June 21, 1989 June 23, 1989 Costa MesaPacific Amphitheatre June 24, 1989 June 25, 1989 Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre June 28, 1989 Concord Concord Pavilion June 30, 1989 Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills July 1, 1989 Hoffman Estates Poplar Creek Music Theater July 2, 1989 Milwaukee Marcus Amphitheater July 3, 1989 Cuyahoga Falls Blossom Music Center July 6, 1989 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion July 7, 1989 July 8, 1989 Mansfield Great Woods Amphitheater July 9, 1989 July 11, 1989 HolmdelGarden State Arts Center July 12, 1989 July 14, 1989 Wantagh Jones Beach Theater July 15, 1989 Bristol Lake Compounce July 16, 1989 Philadelphia Mann Music Center July 21, 1989 Antioch Starwood Amphitheatre July 22, 1989 Memphis Mud Island River Park July 23, 1989 Dallas Coca-Cola Starplex July 25, 1989 Houston Southern Star Amphitheater July 27, 1989 Pelham Oak Mountain Amphitheatre July 28, 1989 Atlanta Lakewood Amphitheatre July 29, 1989 Charlotte Memorial Stadium July 30, 1989 Willamsburg Cary Field August 1, 1989 Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center August 2, 1989 August 4, 1989 Tampa USF Sun Dome August 5, 1989 Miami Miami Arena August 6, 1989 Orlando Orlando Arena December 5, 1989 Milwaukee Riverside Theater December 6, 1989 December 7, 1989 Pittsburgh Syria Mosque Theater December 8, 1989 Columbus Palace Theatre December 10, 1989 New York City Beacon Theatre
1989 Coral Reefer Band Jimmy Buffett: Vocals and guitar Peter Mayer: Guitar Jim Mayer: Bass Roger Guth: Drums Michael Utley: Piano Greg “Fingers” Taylor – Harmonica, Background Vocals Robert Greenidge: Steel Drums Jay Oliver: Keyboards Dena Iverson: Vocals
Set list Every night "Carnival World" was the opener and "Volcano" was the set closer. "Gravity Storm" and "A Pirate Looks at Forty" were played during the encore, with the latter closing the show. More often than not, "Changing Channels" would be added to the set after "Pirate" and would end the show. The Randy Newman cover "Louisiana 1927" was added to the set after "Pirate" for the Austin, TX show, its only appearance of the tour.
Average set list:Jimmy Buffett average set list, Year: Off to See the Lizard | setlist.fm "Carnival World" "Jolly Mon Sing" "Grapefruit—Juicy Fruit "Boat Drinks" "Cheeseburger in Paradise" "Off to See the Lizard" "That's My Story and I'm Stickin' to It" "Come Monday" "Son of a Son of a Sailor" "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" "Why Don't We Get Drunk" "Twelve Volt Man" "He Went to Paris" "Take Another Road" "Boomerang Love" "Margaritaville" "Pencil Thin Mustache" "Fins" "Some White People Can Dance" "Volcano" Encore: "Gravity Storm" "A Pirate Looks at Forty" "Changing Channels" (played about 4/7 of the time)
Notes