The Further Adventures of Charles Westover

The Further Adventures of Charles Westover is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Del Shannon, released in March 1968 by Liberty Records. His final album for the label, it features the singles "Thinkin' It Over" and "Gemini". The album failed to reach the charts.

Background and composition
The album's title included Shannon's birth name, following the example of other artists like Bobby Vee. It was the first album on which Shannon wrote or co-wrote each song. The recording sessions included Shannon on vocals and rhythm guitar, Dugg Brown as leader, Charles Wright and Al McKay (later of Earth, Wind & Fire) on guitars, Melvin Dunlap on bass, Bob Evans on drums, and Malcom "Mac" Rebennack (aka "Dr. John") on keyboards. The album's composition was noted for being progressive and experimental. It was produced by Magic Penny.

Critical reception
The album was well received by critics at the time of its release. Chris Martin of the Los Angeles Times praised the vocals and composition of the album. Billboard described it as "a hip Shannon with something to say and saying it musically well."

It has also received positive retrospective reviews, with Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic writing that Shannon "uses the cinematic quality of psychedelic pop to provide a vivid backdrop for his songwriting." In The Rough Guide to Cult Pop, Paul Simpson describes the album as "underrated".

Recording dates

 * November 13, 1967 – "River Cool", "Colour Flashing Hair", "Conquer", "New Orleans (Mardi Gras)"
 * December 5, 1967 – "Be My Friend", "Sliver Birch", "I Think I Love You", "Gemini", "Runnin' On Back", "Been So Long" and "Magical Musical Box"