Buffett has had some low points, some commercial points, some high points, but on this record we find Buffett the 20-something singer-songwriter at his best: one foot in Alabama, one foot on a caribean island... sometimes nostalgic, sometimes wild and crazy, but sincere through it all.


The Classic Buffett Album   July 5, 2005
Tim Withee (Auburn, WA United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I thought about the title of the review, because you could say the same for "Livin' & Dyin'," and "Changes in Latitudes.' In fact, I would say "Changes in Latitudes" was his most important work, but A-1-A really was the album that showed he was an exceptional talent. Or something like that. You couldn't quite figure out what his music was, exactly; you just knew it was damned good.

It's kind of ironic, too, because the opening cut on side one, "Making Music for Money," is kind of the antithesis of what he's become, musically speaking. But you can't blame a guy for giving the people -- er, ah, the "Parrotheads," that is -- what they want. What the hell, it's hard to duplicate your best work, just like it's hard to duplicate the best of anything you've ever done. We all chase that high, though, don't we?

In any case, this album has some of his best-ever tunes, such as "A Pirate Looks at Forty," "Migration," and "Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season." Side one has a bunch of sleepers on it that you never hear in concerts, but "Makin' Music for Money," "Dallas," and "Stories We Could Tell," are terrific, too.

There isn't a weak cut on the album, period. The musicians -- among them, Nashville studio vets Reggie Young (great guitar work -- check out the into to "Door Number Three"), Doyle Gresham (pedal steel -- the guy who really helped Jimmy make his signature sound), Tommy Cogbill and Sammy Creason -- and of course, Mr. Utley -- all make big contributions. And you've got to give major kudos to producer Don Gant, too, who seemed to be the man behind his great early stuff.

This album captures the basically unclassifiable aspect of Jimmy Buffett's music. Country? Rock? Who knew, but hey, it sounded good and that was the point. Then you listened to the lyrics closely and you realized this was a guy with more than just a good time on his mind.

I wore out two vinyl copies of this album. I didn't get tired of it for years. I still listen to it occasionally and even though the tunes are more than 30 years old, they still sound good -- even though the fictional "pirate" now approaches 70. YIKE!

"White Sport Coat," was fun, catchy and interesting. "Livin' & Dyin'" showed us this guy was for real. It all came together for Buffett on "A-1-A."

Five stars.




You'll Feel the Sea Breeze with this Album   September 19, 2004
C. Smith (San Francisco, CA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This album is a singer/songwriter masterpiece from the 70's, standing right up there with the greats from that era.

Like a few other reviewers of this album, I'm not a parrothead. But this album would be one of my desert island picks. It's so lyrical and personal, and conveys eloquently a sense of place: the place being (somewhat nostalgically) Florida in the 70s. There's freedom, warmth and a totally open enjoyment of the sea and the beach.

I, like many others, have very warm memories of being around 20, driving, with this tape in the car. The best times were actually on coastal road trips. Most of the time listening was just remembering those trips. When I hear this album, I can still remember them. There are very few albums out there that are as evocative of a time and a place as this album.

Enjoy!




This is Jimmy at his very best   May 5, 2000
Jim Davis (New Hampshire)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This is one of the best CDs I have ever listened to. It willalways make you feel good. Of course, it also makes you want to quityou job and move to an island stuck in the mid-70s. I always put this one in my carry-on when going on travel. It has been played many times in various far-from-home hotel rooms. My older brother turned me on to this CD when I was a senior in high school (1976). I knew a little bit of Jimmy from hearing Come Monday on the (AM) radio stations when it was a hit. My brother was living in Louisiana at the time and brought the cassette home at Christmas one year. He had seen Jimmy at some bars in Louisanna and Texas - back when he played small bars (and you didn't have to pay TicketScalper to see him). I loved the music and have ever since (despite some departures to other artists like Styx, Bob Segar, and the like). Every Jimmy fan should have this CD - it's also a great intro to Buffett for new listeners (although you younger folks will have to have your parents explain Door Number 3 to you until Let's Make a Deal is on the GameShow Network.) The last 6 songs (what we old guys call Side 2 of the album) are all outstanding. Also, this is the only CD with Door #3, Dallas, and Presents to Send You which make it a must have. This CD would be #1 on my list of "Five CDs to Have if you were on a Desert Island".