Greenhouse is American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 guitarist Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke

Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...

's fifth album, his second on the Capitol

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 label, released in 1972. It was recorded in three days. From the liner notes: "In the sense that my guitars were once plants, this record's a greenhouse. There are seven instrumentals and four vocals." It reached #127 on the Billboard

Billboard charts

The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...

 Pop Albums charts.

It was re-issued on CD by One Way Records in 1995.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Bruce Eder noted that the album was less ambitious that Kottke's previous release and wrote of the album "... Greenhouse is a true solo record that offers several surprises. Over a third of it is made up of vocal numbers, including two that are absolutely superb... Some of the mastering isn't quite as clean here as it is on other titles in Kottke's catalog, but otherwise this is an acceptable reissue of an album that is, perhaps, under appreciated because of its relatively high concentration of vocal numbers by the guitarist."

Side one

1. "Bean Time" – 2:32
2. "Tiny Island" (Al Gaylor) – 3:46
3. "The Song of the Swamp" – 3:00
4. "In Christ There is No East or West" (Traditional) – 2:12
5. "Last Steam Engine Train" (Sam McGee, John Fahey
   John Fahey (musician)
   John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
   
   ) – 3:00

Side two

1. "From the Cradle to the Grave" (Leo Kottke, Ron Nagle) – 3:23
2. "Louise" (Paul Siebel
   Paul Siebel
   Paul Siebel is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, born on September 19, 1937 in Buffalo, NY. He is best known for other artist's cover versions of his songs, most notably "Louise"...
   
   ) – 4:02
3. "The Spanish Entomologist" (Traditional) – 2:24
4. "Owls" – 5:00
5. "You Don't Have to Need Me" – 4:37
6. "Lost John" (Traditional) – 2:15

Personnel

• Leo Kottke - 6 & 12-string guitar, vocals
• Steve Gammell - second guitar on "Lost John"

Production notes

• Produced by Denny Bruce
• Engineered by Paul Martinson
• Photography & artwork by Bill Matthews

External links

• Leo Kottke's official site
• Unofficial Leo Kottke web site (fan site)
• The Capitol Years