Music
Store

First, you have Jimmy sitting there, and yes, he is on the record. But he seems to just "sit there", with little to no imagination. So goes the music within. Jimmy has been exploring more and more bizarre subject matter of late, likely a product of his recent success as an author. This isn't bad, but it isn't Buffett, either. The album has its encouraging moments, like when the disc hits the introspective "Pacing The Cage", and you think he will get back on track. But then Jimmy falls clumsily with the rather absurd and juvenile "Math Suks". I still love Jimmy Buffett, and maybe I've become "old school" and Jim has sailed to new waters and left me behind clutching my "Boats..." boxed-set. This is an Enhanced CD, and the video footage that Jim includes is fun. The album ends strongly with the short and sweet "Oysters and Pearls", but there is too much filler in between. The song "Permanent Reminder of a Temporary Feeling" is great lyrically, but the melody is tired and strained. Jimmy Buffett has become a full-fledged businessman, and this album almost gives the impression that he is too busy to concentrate on his music. There is no disputing his talent, and there are a few good tracks on this offering. But overall, it is rather forgettable.


A swing and a miss   December 6, 2000
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I like many of Jimmy's most recent albums -- "Banana Wind" and especially "Barometer Soup" are some of my favorites -- but as with all of Jimmy's albums, there's hits and misses. "Beach House on the Moon," for me, is a miss, much as "Fruitcakes" was.

It's entirely possible that he's speaking to another segment of his audience, although I honestly don't know what would distinguish them -- they like really clumsy novelty songs and songs that gaze so hard into Jimmy's navel they're unlistenable?

I don't need his albums to all be bouncy bar rock -- one of my favorites, "Son of a Son of a Sailor" is almost entirely wistful -- but I do need to be able to connect with the music and lyrics better than I can with "Beach House on the Moon."

I'd give this album a pass, Parrotheads, and pick up an earlier album you might have missed.


A gem, a career album   March 15, 2000
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

Not counting the excellent -Don't Stop The Carnival- this is Buffett's best release since the 80's, perhaps the 70's. There is not a bad cut on this disc, no sir, nada on the filler. The strong songwriting that was in evidence only sporadically in the last dozen or so years of Buffett music fires here with nary a miss. The lyrics are stellar throughout (ok - maybe -Flesh and Bone- contains some outrageously cornball lines but the tune doesn't excite the cringe reflex to anywhere near the extent of -Desdamona- on 'Bannana Wind' (ugh!) or the Deadly Sins section of -Bad Habits- off of 'Barometer Soup' (yeeowch! ) and considering its melody is catchy as hell you won't even notice the lyrics after a few plays). The arrangements are unique and flawless. -Permanent Reminder- and -Semi-True Story- are winners. Like it or not -Gumbo- is here to stay, a modern-day Buffett classic. It'll be wedged in the set list somewhere in the midst of -Cheeseburger-, -Fins-, and -Margaritaville- until Jimmy hits the beach permanently. And sorry to tick off any old-school fans who's opinions may differ, but -Pacing The Cage- is the best ballad Bubba has ever sung, even if he didn't write it. -Math Suks- is a whole hell of a lotta fun and should develop into a crowd-pleasing sing-a-long, if it hasn't already. -I Don't Know- is a keeper, as well. But it only gets better, the track that I find to stand above the rest is -Lucky Stars- Just TRY to get this one out of your head. Added on to all this is some nice CD-ROM behind-the-scenes footage of the 'making of'. There is far too much here for you to even think of passing this one by. Parrothead or not you will enjoy this recording.