Plantation Harbor


Plantation Harbor is the second solo studio album by the American recording artist Joe Vitale. It was originally released in 1981, on the label Asylum. The album was his only album to chart reaching No. 181 on the Billboard 200.
The album was released at the height of the popularity of the new wave music movement. The song "Lady on the Rock" received some airplay in the US on album-oriented rock radio, but the album was generally poorly received.
The album features guest performances by Joe Walsh, Don Felder, Timothy B. Schmit, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, Mickey Thomas, Paul Harris, George "Chocolate" Perry, Joe Lala, and Marilyn Martin, and horns arranged by James Pankow.

Composition

The instrumental "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" is another in the series of "Weirdo" instrumentals, "Theme from Boat Weirdos," "Theme from Island Weirdos," among other instrumentals that Joe Walsh and Vitale had placed on former albums.
The Echo drums on the track "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" were recorded on top of Mount Mitchell, which is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States, the mountain reaches an elevation of 6,684 ft.

Recording

In 1981, Bill Szymczyk had produced The Who's Face Dances, and Vitale had made commitments to Who bassist John Entwistle's fifth solo album Too Late the Hero with Joe Walsh. Vitale also made commitments to Walsh's fifth solo album There Goes the Neighborhood, all of which tied into Vitale and Szymczyk's commitments of this album.

Critical reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Rob Caldwell called the album "a dated sounding, but decent, collection of light and airy late 1970s/early 1980s rock." He likened it to Joe Walsh's solo albums, but disclaimed that it does not have the "strong hooks or the bite."

Track listing

All songs written by Joe Vitale, except where noted.
;Side one
  1. "Plantation Harbor" - 4:14
  2. "Never Gonna Leave You Alone " - 5:04
  3. "Laugh-Laugh" - 4:29
  4. "Man Gonna Love You" - 5:01
;Side two
  2. "Theme from Cabin Weirdos" - 2:48
  3. "Lady on the Rock" - 5:30
  4. "Bamboo Jungle" - 3:16
  5. "Sailor Man" - 3:58
  6. "I'm Flyin'" - 5:17

    Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
;Additional personnel
;Production team
;Notes
Stephen Stills, Jimmy Pankow, Lee Loughnane, Walt Parazaider and Marty Grebb appear courtesy of Columbia Records

Chart performance

Album - Billboard
YearChartPosition
1981Billboard 200181

Singles - Billboard
YearSingleChartPosition
1981"Lady on the Rock"Mainstream Rock Tracks47