Jimmy Buffett - Take The Weather With You

What you see is rarely what you get with Jimmy Buffett. While he may contend that he is the king of slackers, a modern day Dean Martin whipping up fizzy rum drinks under the palm trees in a silk Hawaiian shirt, this best-selling author and raconteur is actually the thinking man's party animal. His deceptively breezy lyrics and lazy charm belie a shrewd social commentator and a man not at peace with his world or his own mortality--taking well-aimed potshots at everything from cell phone culture to ancient Greek history to the threat of terrorism, as on the sharply ironic "Party at the End of the World." But having said that, all the unrest exhibited in these 14 songs makes for a far more interesting album than he's made in over two decades. Reflective, unstinting, and often nostalgic, the musician changes the tempo and the subject matter, swapping his usual languid island exhortations of alcohol and brief bikini tops for the fascinating emotional ambiguity of "Whoop De Doo," or the simple charm of "Nothing but a Breeze," which seems so autobiographical it's hard to believe that Buffett didn't write it. But the standout track is his chilling cover of Mary Gauthier's "Wheel Inside the Wheel," revealing exactly what kind of demons have been residing under the singer's ever-present baseball cap. --Jaan Uhelszki Amazon.com

Typical JB!

To me, this is a typical JB CD. The tunes are all laid back and relaxing; but leave me in a better mood than before. I am very happy with this CD. One can NEVER get enough of JB's island sounds!!! November 18, 2008

Jimmy Buffett - Lot's Of Cover Tunes But A Pleasent Surprise

I had mixed feelings when I purchased Buffett's most recent CD "Take The Weather With You" mainly because of the amount of cover tunes on the album. Of the 14 tracks on the album only 4 of them are new compositions by Buffett. The rest are covers of other peoples songs albeit mostly obscure non hits. After giving this a bunch of listens I have to admit that Buffett won me over with this one. Buffett has always done other people's stuff on occasion and has always been good at picking songs that fit his style. This album is no exception as he really chose well here for the most part and makes the songs he did not write his own. Of the four originals "Party At The End Of The World" is one of the better ones. It is a typical light hearted tune about Tierra Del Fuego and for the most part works the way it is intended. The real highlight though is Buffett's postscript to the city of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina "Breathe In Breathe Out Move On". This is a truly touching ode to the city and it's attempt to recover from the aftermath of the storm. Buffett can be inconsistent in his lyrics, but this one is very much a winner. Of the cover tunes, the single "Bama Breeze" is a cool little ditty that probably should have received more airplay than it did. "Weather With You" is a rather straightforward cover of The Crowded House tune, but is a perfect vehicle for Buffett's laid back style. "Wheel Inside The Wheel" is a gospel influenced Gaither brother's cover that again comes across as prime Buffett. The rest of the tunes are all average to good, with no real stinkers to be found like some of his albums can contain. Along with his usual Coral Reefer band cohorts the album also features guest appearances by Mark Knophler, Sonny Landreth, and the return of Greg "Fingers" Taylor who contributes a scorching harmonica solo on the Buffett penned "Everybody's On The Phone". This is certainly not the best album Buffett has done, but it comes as a pleasant surprise at this stage in his career. One has to wonder though if the creative juices are starting to run a bit thin with the shortage of original material to be found here. September 10, 2008

This one's a keeper

I never know what to expect from a Buffett album. sometimes I can pop it in and listen straight through and love every song. and sometimes there's one song or two I like and the rest are strictly fast forward numbers. sadly there have been fewer keepers than there used to be and I finally realized one reason when I was scanning the credits on this album. I've missed Fingers Taylor more than I knew I would. It's great to have him back. I've always found that the songs I love are usually the ones with the harmonica wailing in the background.

I've found myself humming the songs from this album even when the CD wasn't on, which means they've stuck with me. and that hasn't happened in a while.

Some of the reviewers have been down on the Buffett written songs on this CD but I adore Hula Girl at Heart and Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On. I love the line about earthly creatures rarely notice when guardian angels pass them by. And I swear I am making "everybody's on the phone" my new ringtone. I've always loved Jimmy's lyrics and the ones he wrote on this CD are great.

And I am totally hooked on Cinco deMayo in Memphis.

As far as the not-original music - sometimes I like his covers and sometimes I wish for the originals. this batch is ok.

Final analysis - I can put this CD in and not feel a need to fast forward through any song. Which is not something I've been able to say about a Buffett CD in a long while. I hope the trend continues. August 24, 2008

Another great get-away...take the beer with you

Easy on the ears, you'll be down a 6-pack before you know it (and before it's over). This album is bracketed by two of his best, and you will be happy with the outcome. June 12, 2008

Not his best

I love Jimmy Buffett - I own all of his albums. This one is okay - sort of like Barometer Soup. 1 or two good songs, and the rest are just okay. March 25, 2008

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