Jimmy Buffett

By Chris Smith

WHEN: Late 1960s – present

CULPRITS: Jimmy Buffett (guitar/vocals); The Coral Reefer Band (back up band — members change from time to time)

ALBUMS: Down to Earth (1970); High Cumberland Jubilee (1971); A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean (1973); Living & Dying in ¾ Time (1974); A1A (1974); Havana Daydreamin’ (1976); Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (1977); Son of a Son of a Sailor (1978); Volcano (1979); Coconut Telegraph (1981); Somewhere Over China (1981); One Particular Harbour (1983); Riddles in the Sand (1984); Last Mango in Paris (1985); Floridays (1986); Hot Water (1988); Off To See The Lizard (1989); Fruitcakes (1994); Barometer Soup (1995); Banana Wind (1996); Don’t Stop the Carnival (1998); American Storyteller (1998); A Pirates Treasure (1998); Beach House on the Moon (1999); There’s Nothing Soft about Hard Times (1999); Far Side of the World (2002); License to Chill (2004); Take the Weather with You (2006)

HOW: I can remember taking trips to Gulf Shores, Alabama, with my Mom and listening to nothing but this guy named Jimmy Buffett who always sang about getting drunk and being on the ocean.  It took me a little while to catch on, but once I got past not wanting to like the same music as my Mom, I really started to enjoy listening to Jimmy Buffett.  I got “Songs You Know By Heart” (a “best of” compilation) for Christmas one year and was immediately hooked.  Since that Christmas, I undoubtedly come back to him multiple times throughout the year.

WHY: I can think of no other artist/band that makes me want to sit back in a comfy chair and relax with a cold beer in hand more than Jimmy Buffett.  That is honestly one of my biggest reasons for loving his music.  If I am in the least bit stressed or life is moving too fast, I can slow down to Jimmy Buffett and mellow out with his songs.  I love his storytelling and the way he can weave so much into such simple songs.

SONGS: With so many albums and songs to go through, I could not include an exhaustive run-through of his music. However, I do believe that I found the right songs to whet your appetite.  If you look at which albums I drew from, I did end up leaving out his post-early 1990s stuff.  I think that his best music was made in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  That being said, his newer music tends to be more mainstream (i.e., “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere” with Alan Jackson) and I imagine most people have heard anything worth mentioning from his newer albums.  His older songs catch more of his essence and that is what I wanted to highlight.

Now, looking at the order of this playlist, I tried to figure out the best way to introduce Jimmy Buffett to you and I think this is a great intro.  I started out with a few staples — “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” — and moved on to a few fun songs.  Then there are a few more of his more popular songs.  The middle of the list is definitely a little slower and some even seem a little introspective (“A Pirate Looks at Forty” and “Distantly In Love“). I rounded out the list with another couple of his more well-known songs that I am sure you will enjoy.

LINK: Click on the list below to hear every Jimmy Buffett album for FREE on Lala.com!

SAMPLE SONGS:

“A Pirate Looks At Forty” from A1A

“Margaritaville” from Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

“Banana Republics” from Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

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Chris Smith spends his time serving up steaming cups of coffee at an It’s A Grind coffee house in Austin, Texas.  When not at the coffee shop, he enjoys tossing frisbees around, spending too much time in book stores, and finding new TV shows to watch on Hulu.  He is also somewhat obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman.

~ by Brad East on September 28, 2009.