Hangin' Around the Observatory
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| Hangin' Around the Observatory | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Recorded | July 1973 | |||
| Studio | Columbia Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 37:44 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Glen Spreen | |||
| John Hiatt chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hangin' Around the Observatory | ||||
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Hangin' Around the Observatory is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter John Hiatt. It was released in 1974 through Epic Records. The recording sessions took place at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville.[1] The album was produced by Glen Spreen.[2][3] The song "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" was released as a single,[4] and was covered that same year by Three Dog Night on their album Hard Labor, and was a top 20 hit.[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[7] |
| Record Collector | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [10] |
A Billboard magazine reviewer says that the album "showcases a young writer and vocalist of obvious promise," and that "Hiatt's rich, slightly crazed and occasionally overwrought vocals are sympathetically buoyed by Glen Spreen's production, ranging from buzz-saw rock to sweet country without losing its coherence."[2] A Record World reviewer calls Hiatt an "unusually gifted writer and performer whose voice and songs are strangely compelling and often insightful."[11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Hiatt.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Maybe Baby, Say You Do" | 2:35 |
| 2. | "Whistles in My Ears" | 3:24 |
| 3. | "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "Rose" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Hangin' Around the Observatory" | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Full Moon" | 5:16 |
| 2. | "Wild-Eyed Gypsies" | 4:44 |
| 3. | "It's All Right with Me" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Little Blue Song for You" | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Ocean" | 5:24 |
| Total length: | 37:44 | |
