Penguin Cafe Orchestra was the second album by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a collective of performing musicians created by classically trained British guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes...

, and was recorded at the Penguin Cafe between 1977 and 1980. By this time the line-up for the band had expanded greatly, with contribution including Simon Jeffes, Helen Leibmann, Steve Nye, Gavyn Wright of the original quartet, as well as Geoff Richardson

Geoff Richardson

Peter Geoffrey Richardson , is a viola player and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Caravan, Murray Head and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.-Career:...

, Peter Veitch, Braco, Giles Leamna, Julio Segovia and Neil Rennie. All pieces were composed by Simon Jeffes except for "Paul's Dance" (Jeffes and Nye), "Cutting Branches" (traditional), and "Walk Don't Run" (by J. Smith).

This release is widely considered as the critical best produced by the Orchestra, its whimsy and eclecticism making it inherently more approachable than the previous, more serious-minded initial album.

The cover painting is by Emily Young

Emily Young

Emily Young is a British sculptor. She is considered one of the foremost sculptors working in Britain today. She was born in London into a family of artists and writers...

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Track listing

1. Air à Danser - 4:30
2. Yodel 1 - 4:07
3. Telephone and Rubber Band - 2:28
4. Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter - 3:09
5. Pythagoras's Trousers - 3:18
6. Numbers 1-4 - 6:57
7. Yodel 2 - 4:34
8. Salty Bean Fumble - 2:11
9. Paul's Dance - 1:45
10. The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas - 4:01
11. Walk Don't Run- 3:01
12. Flux - 1:48
13. Simon's Dream - 1:48
14. Harmonic Necklace - 1:12
15. Steady State - 3:36