Riddles in the Sand


Riddles in the Sand is the thirteenth studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was released in September 1984 as MCA 5512 and was produced by noted country music producer Jimmy Bowen and represented a concerted shift toward a more country sound by Buffett. He appeared on the album's cover in typical country singer garb and promoted the album at Fan Fair country music festival in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was originally to have been titled Gulf and Western Music reflecting the fusion of musical styles seen in much of Buffett's music often called gulf and western music. In the album's liner notes, Jim Harrison says, "This album has a musical range expanding in an arc from Bob Wills to Bob Marley with the Gulf somehow always there."

Songs

The album is the first of Buffett's not to contain a song written solely by him; he co-wrote all of the songs with Will Jennings and Michael Utley except for a song by Mac McAnally and one by Rhonda Coullet. The album's final song, "La Vie Dansante," was later remade by Aaron Neville for his 1991 album Warm Your Heart. That version contained an added background chorus in French. Buffett recorded a new version of "Knees of My Heart" for his 2003 greatest hits collection .

Chart performance

Riddles in the Sand reached #95 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #18 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The song "When the Wildlife Betrays Me" hit #42 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, "Who's the Blonde Stranger?" hit #37 Country, and "Bigger Than the Both of Us" hit #58 Country.
Chart Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums18
U.S. Billboard 20095

Track listing

Side 1:
  1. "Who's the Blonde Stranger?" – 3:44
  2. "When the Wildlife Betrays Me" – 2:51
  3. "Ragtop Day" – 3:03
  4. "She's Going Out of My Mind" – 3:26
  5. "Bigger than the Both of Us" – 3:57
Side 2:
  1. "Knees of My Heart" – 2:41
  2. "Come to the Moon" – 3:47
  3. "Love in Decline" – 2:42
  4. "Burn that Bridge" – 3:12
  5. "La Vie Dansante" – 4:02

    Personnel

The Coral Reefer Band: