Disco de Jimmy Buffett: “Encores: Live”

In Encores, Jimmy Buffett does what no other rock musician can do - bring his entire show back down to earth. In the double Cd, Jimmy "uses" some of his older and less popular songs to give us the listener an insight into himself and ,most importantly, ourselves and why the long time fans of the man have hung on for so many years. He himself acknowledges during the program that he never realized that he had been doing these "encores" for years without really knowing it. It's testament to his brand. Here we have a musician who comes back for a second and sometimes third encore with nothing but 6 strings and a pick to deliver a song in a most intimate manner.

For anyone who has attended Buffett concerts for years have perhaps grown out of songs like "Fins" and "Margaritaville" even with the lost verse. For me and you, we hold our breath and wait for the end of the concert when Mac, Nadirah, Mike, and Robert G, sign off for the night and leave the older, but not exactly grown up kid from Mississippi alone with 25,000 people. Songs like Death of an Unpopular Poet, Nautical Wheelers, and Coast of Marseilles are given new life and speak volumes to his remarkable ability to sing still.

Encores also does something else we never could have guessed. It gives us an insight into Jimmy's later years as a rocker, writer, and story teller. We sometimes imagine when Jimmy will finally hang up his flipfops and perhaps Encores sheds a light on what the next and last phase of his career may look like. The image of a slightly rotund blond turned grey hair, mostly balded, but yet still tattoed with that charismatic smile. It's the image of a beach bum kid that was blessed with one of the most profound jobs ever created for a man. I envision Jimmy eventually being called by his childhood nickname, Bubba. I can see it now. It's Bubba Buffett playing an intimate show for a group of no more than 500 in some auditorium where his songs and stories both mix and fill a 3 hour show. That indelible creature of the sea and stars still pouring his heart and soul out to an audience. We only wonder at the end of this type of show - what could possibly be his encore?

I liked this cd. The selection of live "encores" is wide and varied. The recording sounds crisp and clean. But by the end of listening to this cd, the concept of encores thus being the final song of the concert becomes very repetitive. With all the, "we'll see ya soon, thank you (insert city here) and other goodnights." I found myself hearing the repetitive banter over and over. I would suggest listening with other songs from your Buffett collection mixed in to loosen some of what I have therefore mentioned. Other than this, I really enjoyed the songs, just not in a straight line playlist.

We stopped going to Buffett shows about 12 years ago because we were really bored with his constant repetitive versions of "Songs We Know By Heart". I don't think I ever need to hear "Cheeseburger in Paradise" ever again; and I don't think I can stand to sit through another rendition of "Fins" or "Margaritaville". I realize that he is forced to play the hits ad nauseum because that's what the drunken frat-boy faux-parrotheads want to hear; and they are the ones who pack the venues and pay $50 for anything with a Margaritaville logo on it.

We used to wish that Buffett would just go out and do an accoustic tour with his lesser known songs as a gift for his long-term fans; that he should give us a chance to rediscover the spirituality of his seafaring laziness.

Well, the wait is over! He may not be doing accoustic tour, but this is the next best thing! It's definitely not a rehashed live album with tired versions of One "Particular Harbor" or "Why Don't We Get Drunk...". This is the real thing. This is the sound that drew us to Buffett from the beginning. There are only 2 or three of the overplayed hits. The rest are beautiful and inspiring; he finally gives us the fresh sound we've been craving for decades.

This is definitely the best album he's released in probably 30 years! Go out and buy this album; your music collection will not be complete without it.

I've been a Buffett fan since before we were called Parrotheads, and this CD is a reminder of those early days. It is simply a superb collection of songs, some originals and some very well chosen covers, preformed by a superb showman. While many diehard party hardy fans will probably not appreciate this CD, long time Buffett fans will be extremely pleased by his return to the basics which have made him so great over the years.

Some of the cuts are worthy, but the production is jerky and filled with extraneous ovations as Buffet moves from venue to venue. Not close to being in the same league as Banana Wind or the concert in Antigua.