Leon Russell and the Shelter People


Leon Russell and the Shelter People is the second solo album by the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell, released in 1971. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 200 in the United States. The album has gold certification for sales of over 500,000 albums in the US and Canada.
"The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is a song written by Leon Russell from the soundtrack of the 1971 film Mad Dogs & Englishmen.

Reception

In a review for Allmusic, the critic Mike DeGagne called "The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen" the highlight of the album and wrote, "On the whole, Leon Russell and the Shelter People is an entertaining and more importantly, revealing exposition of Russell's music when he was in his prime.... Carney is an introspective piece which holds up a little better from a songwriting standpoint, but this album does a better job at bearing his proficiency as a well-rounded musician."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Leon Russell except where indicated
  1. "Stranger in a Strange Land" – 4:01
  2. "Of Thee I Sing" – 4:22
  3. "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" – 5:08
  4. "Crystal Closet Queen" – 2:59
  5. "Home Sweet Oklahoma" – 3:26
  6. "Alcatraz" – 3:51
  7. "The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen" – 3:51
  8. "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" – 4:00
  9. "She Smiles Like a River" – 2:58
  10. "Sweet Emily" – 3:20
  11. "Beware of Darkness" – 4:40
The CD re-issue contains the following bonus tracks:
  1. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" – 3:38
  2. "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" – 3:19
  3. "She Belongs to Me" – 3:26

    Personnel

Production