Vernal Equinox (album)
| Vernal Equinox | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Recorded | October 1976 – October 1977 | |||
| Studio | Various
| |||
| Genre | Ambient | |||
| Length | 51:03 | |||
| Label | Lovely Music, Ltd. | |||
| Producer | Jon Hassell | |||
| Jon Hassell chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork | 8.8/10 [2] |
Vernal Equinox is the debut studio album by Jon Hassell, released in 1977[citation needed] by Lovely Music, Ltd. In 2016, the album was ranked number 47 on Pitchfork's top 50 best ambient albums of all time list.
Track listing
All music is composed by Jon Hassell.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Toucan Ocean" | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Viva Shona" | 7:04 |
| 3. | "Hex" | 6:20 |
| 4. | "Blues Nile" | 9:51 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vernal Equinox" | 21:56 |
| 2. | "Caracas Night September 11, 1975" | 2:10 |
Critical reception
In 2016, Vernal Equinox was ranked number 47 on Pitchfork's "Top 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time" list.[3]
In 2020, Pitchfork reviewed the album, stating: "When Jon Hassell coined the term “Fourth World” to describe his work, he fabricated a musical universe that new artists still call home. Melding the work of minimalists like La Monte Young and Terry Riley with non-Western folk, avant-garde classical and electronic, and early-’70s electric Miles Davis, the trumpeter and composer arrived more or less fully formed in 1977 with his solo debut."[4]
Personnel
Adapted from the Vernal Equinox liner notes.[5]
|
|
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1977 | Lovely Music, Ltd. | LP | 1021 |
| 1990 | CD |
References
- ^ Kirschenmann, Mark. "Jon Hassell: Vernal Equinox > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (March 23, 2020). "Jon Hassell: Vernal Equinox Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Pitchfork (September 26, 2016). "The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston. "Jon Hassell: Vernal Equinox". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ^ Vernal Equinox (sleeve). Jon Hassell. Berkeley, California: Lovely Music, Ltd. 1977.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
- Vernal Equinox at Discogs (list of releases)
