Search - Jimmy Buffett :: Take the Weather With You

Jimmy Buffett - Lot's Of Cover Tunes But A Pleasent Surprise

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 09/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I had mixed feelings when I purchased Buffett's most recent CD "Take The Weather With You" mainly because of the amount of cover tunes on the album. Of the 14 tracks on the album only 4 of them are new compositions by Buffett. The rest are covers of other peoples songs albeit mostly obscure non hits. After giving this a bunch of listens I have to admit that Buffett won me over with this one. Buffett has always done other people's stuff on occasion and has always been good at picking songs that fit his style. This album is no exception as he really chose well here for the most part and makes the songs he did not write his own. Of the four originals "Party At The End Of The World" is one of the better ones. It is a typical light hearted tune about Tierra Del Fuego and for the most part works the way it is intended. The real highlight though is Buffett's postscript to the city of New Orleans after hurricane Katrina "Breathe In Breathe Out Move On". This is a truly touching ode to the city and it's attempt to recover from the aftermath of the storm. Buffett can be inconsistent in his lyrics, but this one is very much a winner. Of the cover tunes, the single "Bama Breeze" is a cool little ditty that probably should have received more airplay than it did. "Weather With You" is a rather straightforward cover of The Crowded House tune, but is a perfect vehicle for Buffett's laid back style. "Wheel Inside The Wheel" is a gospel influenced Gaither brother's cover that again comes across as prime Buffett. The rest of the tunes are all average to good, with no real stinkers to be found like some of his albums can contain. Along with his usual Coral Reefer band cohorts the album also features guest appearances by Mark Knophler, Sonny Landreth, and the return of Greg "Fingers" Taylor who contributes a scorching harmonica solo on the Buffett penned "Everybody's On The Phone". This is certainly not the best album Buffett has done, but it comes as a pleasant surprise at this stage in his career. One has to wonder though if the creative juices are starting to run a bit thin with the shortage of original material to be found here."