So what's everyone's opinion???

[PhxPhin]

I think it's difficult in that so much has already been covered. Plus as one goes through life their outlook and priorities change. It seems like he's more interested than ever in giving a crack at others people work he really enjoys.

Take the Weather With You really grew on me - regabilly hill, breathe in breathe out move on, bama breeze, party at the end of the world, take the weather with you and silver wings are some of my favorites ...... covers can get old, but I like what he did with Silver Wings and still loved hearing Merle sing it live - either way though, if you look at the notes he didn't pen a lot of it

same with license to chill

both albums had some parralels (simply complicated vs everyone on the phone)

i think the poster above said it best when he said margaritaville is listening to a fun song at a bar, a ballad when appropriate or just hitting the road with a collection ........ part of that as well is having the quirky song that he enjoys putting out (even if they aren't my favs - like math suxs)

one of my favorite songs has come off one of his newer albums - tonight I just need my guitar - simple and I love it

the guy has around 30 albums of new material spanning 4 decades - we aren't going to love it all

i'm going on my first cruise in a week and sat down to load up my wifes MP3 with songs I wanted to listen to - i jumped into the buffett library and pulled about 135 songs - they range from ballads, to rocking, to a little unique - however, they will continue to provide a great soundtrack to my experiences

what also stood out is how fractured his career has been as far as styles - from folksy country, to the early frame work of what I consider the golden era (A1A to Coco Tel) and then the 80s influence starts to kick in with synthesizers and the like onto the high production of the 90s into what we have today

it's easy to alienate some people along the way - but as with any album there are songs I love and songs I don't

[PhxPhin]

also one of our stops on the cruise is Grand Turk - i'll definitely hit his cafe for a beer and a look around - but don't plan on spending much time there - there's an island to explore, beaches to lounge on and culture to experience .......... after all, what would jimmy buffett do

[ParrotHeadInThe Making]

also one of our stops on the cruise is Grand Turk - i'll definitely hit his cafe for a beer and a look around - but don't plan on spending much time there - there's an island to explore, beaches to lounge on and culture to experience .......... after all, what would jimmy buffett do

Jimmy would grab a beer, explore, surf, explore. Have fun on the cruise.

[Lightning Bolt]

The Margaritaville cafes on the other hand are basically restaurants with Jimmy Buffett influence. As I said, nothing worng with them, but there are a lot of people that just go there to souvenir shop or to get lunch. But I doubt there are many people that buy a concert ticket to get a hot dog. The vibes at a JB concert and a Margaritaville cafe are vastly different.

Agreed.
Like anything that has been around a while, and Margaritaville has been around, the freshness and novelty wear off eventually and we look for that next something new.

Now, as far as concerts go, I'm not interested in what's new, I'm interested in WHO's new...
cuz introducing the Buffett lifestyle to attractive debutantes (see sig below) NEVER gets old!!

[HD18JBGuy]

Now, as far as concerts go, I'm not interested in what's new, I'm interested in WHO's new...
cuz introducing the Buffett lifestyle to attractive debutantes (see sig below) NEVER gets old!!

LOL, yep, that is always a benefit of going to the concerts as well! Well said!

[The Remittance Man]

There is a complete difference. Having been to many concerts, I have found myself surrounded with lots of true and very loyal fans who are very familiar with all of Jimmy's music, not just the "popular songs". If you look at any set list from any concert, there is a very good mix of songs he plays. He does play quite a few of his more popular songs because people want to hear them too. I have nothing against any of the yellow album songs.

Nor do I, and I am aware that a lot of serious, longtime fans do go to his concerts. Where I do part company with you is that in my experience, at least, the shows tend to draw a disproportionate number of people who know only the yellow album songs - not only them, but a lot of them. I'll also have to agree to disagree with you about "a very good mix". Judging from the recent shows I've heard on Radio Margaritaville and my one personal experience (and from comparing notes with friends who've had more experience), it seems to me he usually plays most or all of the yellow album songs, most of the songs from his newest album, whatever it is at that time, and leave perhaps 10% of the setlist for deep cuts. Again, that's fine. But it's not what I'd like most to hear. (When I saw him, the only really obscure number he played was "I Love the Now." Not bad at all, but it left me wanting more!)

I think where you are trying to go with this is that there are too many people that go to the concerts that don't know a thing about the music, but rather, they go for the party instead. Many of my meathead friends go for the party...I go for both and it is usually one of the highlights of my summer.

Yes, that's basically correct. Again, I don't have a problem with people going just for the party or with JB for catering to them. It's just not my thing, and in my experience it's not all that different from visiting a Margaritaville Cafe.

If you have any doubt that real, genuine fans go to the shows, just look at all of the people that post in the Concert section of the forum. There are plenty of great fans that go to the shows and the vibe at a JB concert is just incredible! You should give another concert a try...sounds like you may have had a bad experience.

I wouldn't say that. The only "bad" things about the concert were a surly parking attendant and the fact that my date had canceled on me. (I was at least able to sell her ticket for a nice price.) The concert was perfectly fine, but it was definitely aimed at a different segment of his audience. I probably will give it another try if I get another chance, but he's unlikely to come to Singapore anytime soon.

[HurricaneSeason]

I like Jimmy's recent albums overall but I still wish for more original tunes. But it's not the 1970s anymore and he doesn't write much anymore yet alone like he did then so we get what we get. His choice of doing so many covers for his newer albums just shows that he's not writing a lot. Some of his writings are poorly done and produced - Party At The End Of The World is just as bad as Math Suks or those type songs on his recent albums - I've always wondered 'What the hell is he thinking when he does this kind of music?' It's dreadful and embarrassing. If I wanted to listen to badly done music I'd listen to Beyonce or Britney or what's her name, the one with the big butt. I don't expect it from Jimmy but there it is.

His version of Silver Wings is hobbling between being a children's album themed version or a really hokey TV only offered song collection. He does no justice to the tune. Yet his cover of Bama Breeze and Take The Weather are fantastic and I've always loved Everybody's On The Phone and Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On. So he's up and down with songs that aren't his and with songs that are his.

License To Chill doesn't really have anything bad on it, just one oddball track - Simply Complicated. Buffett is like the weather though - for instance, on Meet Me In Margaritaville he covers Everybody's Talkin' and does a fantastic version, yet that Beach Boys song is an atrocity. I know he loves that tune but maybe some of those type songs should be left for his listening at home only albums. Here We Are is another example of that.

So an album of acoustic songs (my understanding is it would be just him and his acoustic) would be a welcome thing - especially now with all the production on the albums. A nice break would be great - something simple.

[Frank4]

If the leftover songs that would be used for a new album are anything like We're Still Here, let's hope the answer is no. That song was so bad I'd almost rather hear another Trippin' Billies or The Horizon Has Been Defeated cover.

I agree with you there....

[HurricaneSeason]

I forget. Is Here We Are the song on TTWWY or is it We're Still Here? As you can tell I've listened to it maybe once.

[Gypsy In The Palace]

I forget. Is Here We Are the song on TTWWY or is it We're Still Here? As you can tell I've listened to it maybe once.

Yes, Here We Are is on TTWWY (You have to put the CD in your computer). We're Still Here is not recorded anywhere to my knowledge.