Balboa Island (album) explained

Balboa Island
Type:	Album
Artist:	Pretty Things
Cover:	Pretty Things Balboa Island.jpg
Released:	May 2007
Recorded:	2005–2006
Studio:	Côte Basque Studios
Genre:	Rock and roll, blues
Length:	57:53
Label:	Zoho Roots
Producer:	Mark St. John
Prev Title:	... Rage Before Beauty
Prev Year:	1999
Next Title:	The Pretty Things/Philippe DeBarge
Next Year:	2009

Balboa Island is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pretty Things, released on Zoho Roots in 2007.^[1]

Reception

Although reviews from AllMusic and PopMatters were generally favorable, criticism was made of the length of "(Blues for) Robert Johnson" and the band's cover of Bob Dylan's "The Ballad of Hollis Brown".^[1]

Track listing

1. "The Beat Goes On" (Phil May, Frank Holland, Mark St. John) – 4:14
2. "Livin' in My Skin" (May, Holland) – 3:56
3. "Buried Alive" (May, Holland) – 3:36
4. "(Blues for) Robert Johnson" (May, Holland) – 8:00
5. "Mimi" (Dick Taylor) – 2:35
6. "Pretty Beat" (May, Taylor, Holland, St. John) – 2:52
7. "The Ballad of Hollis Brown" (Bob Dylan) – 6:30
8. "In the Beginning" (May, Holland) – 4:42
9. "Feel Like Goin' Home" (Muddy Waters; arranged by the Pretty Things) – 2:39
10. "Freedom Song" (Traditional; arranged by the Pretty Things) – 4:46
11. "Dearly Beloved" (May, Jon Povey) – 5:00
12. "All Light Up" (May, Holland, St. John) – 4:30
13. "Balboa Island" (Holland) – 4:42

Personnel

Pretty Things

• Phil May – vocals
• Dick Taylor – lead guitars
• Frank Holland – guitars, vocals
• Wally Waller – bass, guitars, vocals
• Jon Povey – keyboards, vocals
• Skip Alan – drums, percussion

Studio musicians

• Mark St. John – ancient Trixon drums, vocals
• Scarlett Wrench – additional vocals
• James Cheetham – piano, organ on "(Blues for) Robert Johnson"
• Rupert Cobb – trumpet
• Duncan Taylor-Jones – extra vocals on "Dearly Beloved"

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Pretty Things: Balboa Island. Sheppard. Doug. September 26, 2007. PopMatters. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806220255/https://www.popmatters.com/the-pretty-things-balboa-island-2496212829.html . 2020-08-06 .