Jimmy Buffett Album: “Take the Weather with You”

I know that I'll get hammered on the "was this review helpful" poll, but that's the way it goes. This is simply my opinion.

I've gotta go against the grain with most people that have reviewed the CD and give it simply 3 stars. As a Buffett fan for 30 years, I'm one of many that have become disillusioned by his recent work. Things seem to have changed around "Barometer Soup" which was still a very good CD, but after that, it went downhill. "Beachhouse on the Moon" really did it in for me. I took a 3 CD break, but decided to jump back in with "Take the Weather With You".

In my opinion, the CD is good, but not great like many have said. If you're looking for Jimmy to return to his old roots of beach music, there is some of that, but there's also a lot of songs that do nothing for me. I'm definitely not throwing it into the CD player to listen to when I get in the car.

Definitely two thumbs up for Bama Breeze, Party at the End of the World, Nothin' But a Breeze, Hula Girl at Heart, Reggabilly Hill, and Breathe In, Breathe Out. All of these are very good songs with Hula Girl and Breathe In Breathe Out probably being the best of this group.

Others such as Whoop De Doo, Silver Wings, Weather With You, and Cinco De Mayo in Memphis are pretty good songs. They weren't my favorites, but I think you, the listener, will fairly enjoy them for the most part. Cinco de Mayo in Memphis is probably the best and could probably be in my top group.

The rest on the CD I could do without (Everybody's on the Phone, Wheel Inside the Wheel, Dukes on Sunday, Elvis Presley Blues). Probably the worst of them all is Wheel Inside a Wheel. Jimmy talks much of the song and the style didn't appeal to me. Dukes on Sunday was sort of dull. I've been to Dukes so I was looking forward to hearing it.

So in my opinion, some songs are very good, some are average, and some I really didn't care for at all. To me, there were more average and dull songs over the very good ones.

If you like Buffett, go buy it. I don't think you'll feel like you've wasted your money. However, I'll bet you a 6 pack you'll end up saying, "It was ok, but not great".

Awesome album, don't listen to the previous poster, he is just some one on the Buffett bitter bus. This album is wonderfull, I would pay the full price just for Dukes On Sunday alone. Jimmy has walked away from the country sound ala License to Chill, and gone back to his fan favorite Trop Rock Sound. Stand outs are Dukes on Sunday, Cinco de Mayo in Memphis, Reggabilly Hill, Weather With You, Nothin' but a Breeze,Silver Wings,Hula Girl at Heart, Party at the End of the World,and the outstanding Breathe in, Breathe out, Move On. So as you can tell that is most of the album, so that has to say something. Best album since Banana Wind, 9.5 out of 10, enough said.

The last several JB CDs have been a bit introspective, lacking the old free spirit feeling of the earlier releases. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, mind you, for we parrot heads simply enjoy anything Jimmy releases. That being said, however, it's really good to go back to the light and fancy free Buffett we all know and love. The original songs harken back to the good old times, and Jimmy can take someone's else's song and make it distinctly his own. I wait very impatiently for every new Buffett release, and this one has made the wait well worth while. Party on, Jimmy!

In my opinion this is the best thing since Barometer Soup. Excellent from start to finish. To the reviewer that does not like Hula Girl, give it another shot or two before you skip over it. It is right in line with other Buffett greats about the kids, such as Little Miss Magic, Delaney Talks To Statues, Chanson Por Les Petite Enfants, etc. I can only guess the song is about Jimmy's daughter all grown up now.

If you gave up on Buffett after Beach House on the Moon, now is the time to get back on board. This is a great, no GREAT piece of work!!!

I have friends that have listened to Buffett with me in the past and thought I was kinda strange for liking his stuff, but when driving to lunch yesterday I heard a strange noise in the back of my car. When I turned to see what was going on, these people were tapping their feet and smiling. I think I converted 3 people into parrotheads.

Take the Weather With You has more of a classic Buffett feel than any of his albums over the past 10 years or so even though he only wrote two of the songs. Party At The End of the World evokes the party sound of his concerts. The steel drums of Cinco de Mayo in Memphis takes us back to the good old days and the cover of Henry Kapono's Duke's on Sunday takes you to Waikiki Beach. After the blatantly commercial License to Chill and the more esoteric Far Side of the World and Beach House on the Moon, this is a welcome addition for all long-time Buffett fans!