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Jimmy Buffett

Take the Weather with You

Review by Lorraine Kay

Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's latest album Take The Weather With You offers up a few more country tunes but includes a variety of other styles and sounds throughout the album. This whole album has a “feel-good” thing about it. Even the “Cryin’ in your Beer” country tunes don’t really make you feel like crying. Jimmy Buffett’s song writing talents soar on the CD.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 2 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Bama Breeze
This country tune is a tribute to the historic bars along the Gulf Coast. This particular bar has some remarkable attributes, like Mick Jagger’s autograph on the wall of the ladies’ bathroom stall. Some other fun anecdotes set it apart from a crying in your beer song. The pedal lap steel stands out on this one along with lots of guitar and piano.
Party at the End of the World
An upbeat Caribbean tune this has a big band sound with lots of timbales and steel drums and background singers. As the title suggests, this is just a really fun song with a Copa Cabana swing to it. 
Weather With You
Weather as in “Stormy Weather” as the lyrics say in this slightly mellower tune. Again based in a Caribbean flavor, this is about stormy times following you from place to place.
Everbody's On The Phone
This is a really fun Southern Rock tune about technology. The fast moving lyrics slap at everything from computers and the Internet to cell phones and the track has a kind of Lynyrd Skynyrd feel to it.
Whoop De Doo
This country ballad is a true crying in your beer song with an attitude – whoop de doo. The smooth guitar and organ, and laid-back drums support Buffett’s soft vocals singing about tears and loneliness.
Nothin' But A Breeze
A country shuffle, this yearns for a simple life, relaxing and growing old together. It visits the Caribbean a little also as the lyrics talk about relaxing “in the shade in old Nassau” with a hint of steel drums.
Cinco De Mayo In Memphis
This one visits south of the border from Beale Street in Memphis. If that sounds confusing, Buffett has it all worked out as he sings along with Timbales and a Mariachi Band and a chorus of ladies. “Mariachis singin’ the blues, Soul sisters hugging senioritas, - all sportin' blue suede shoes.”
Reggabilly Hill
This song is all over the globe. There is a Bruce Hornsby flavor to this one as it makes some nice use of keyboards and timbales added to lyrics that put forth some observations of the people and scenery of the neighborhood.
Elvis Presley Blues
A different kind of tribute to Elvis, this is a country blues tune. “I was thinking that night about Elvis, the day that he died.” It is something akin to “American Pie.”
Hula Girl At Heart
Another country shuffle, this one has some very sweet lyrics supported by the pedal steel, giving the song the Hawaiian tone. But there is a lot of other color in this tune including some 50s style back-up vocals.
Wheel Inside the Wheel
This funky swampy rocker take on Mary Gauthier’s tune has Jimmy speaking the lyrics as he relates a story about life and how everything fits together, the wheel within the wheel. The “swampy” rhythms were crafted by Lafayette, LA slide guitarist Sonny Landreth.
Silver Wings
Although this is another country shuffle, it has a bit more Caribbean feel to it with lots of timbales and steel drums. This is another crying in your beer tune about a girl flying away and leaving the narrator behind.
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On
This is Buffett’s philosophical look at the devastation of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina. It is an acoustic folk tune with a positive message. The Pedal steel and blues harp add a nice touch supporting the acoustic guitar. There are lots of textures, including a mellow pedal steel solo and a very satisfying build on the vocals
Duke's On Sunday
A bit like Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do ” meets country, this is a kind of lazy Sunday afternoon song.
 
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