A1A

This is tough to review. Jimmy is culturally relevant and probably deserves more placement on the list. But I just can't get with his music. It's just soooo bad. The cheese factor, the stereotype of this laid back boomer. It's just not good. Musically.

really good! I don’t know if I’d call myself a Buffet fan since I’ve heard he has a pretty evil fanbase, but the music is fun! - 9/10

Lowkey better than I expected, not super great or anything but it was a chill time

This does not pass the Tremors town test. It’s inoffensive enough that it feels harsh to give it 1 star but it’s probably the least interesting one we’ve had

Is it just me or is there something weirdly sinister about Jimmy Buffett? And it’s not just the way the tropical escapism in his songs feels like the soundtrack to some overpriced seaside resort. Maybe it’s the carefree way he sings of “antebellum style” of his grandparents’ home, how he stays continuously drunk and goes “for younger women” whom he always drives away, or how he wishes mobile homes would be obliterated by a hurricane so he can appreciate the seaside better. What are you hiding in your soul, Jimmy? What darkness are you trying to drown under all that tequila and sunshine?

Country rock de estilo muy definido. Canciones de medio tiempo con buena voz. Evocadoras. Un poco todas parecidas, pero agradable de escuchar.

Oh cool, my Dad got a pick too.

Second half was a lot better than the first

It was like country but on holiday. The cover is appropriate

What boomer put this on here?

I'd never heard of Jimmy Buffet before, so I'm guessing he was only big in the USA, or just a little too early for me to remember. I was expecting this to be awful, but it was actually rather good. I must have been in the mood for humorous country/ pop today. I also did some reading up about the artist and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I almost feel bad giving this only three stars, but there's no way I could justify more than three.

I guess I know why I pretty much have only listened to his greatest hits. I genuinely like most of those songs. But, DAMN, this guy was prolific. Seems like he was churning out a ton of "I'm drunk in the Caribbean" slop with a few gems mixed in.

Suprised that this is the go-to for Jimmy Buffet. Pretty standard Buffet fare. 2.5/5

weak buffet album

This reminds me of my grandpa and to my knowledge he’s never even listened to jimmy buffet

As a native Mobile (a city that claims Buffett very strongly, even though he's not even from there), I've always had an affinity for the guy, and even a little nostalgia these days. I was a little surprised to not know a single song from this one, and it didn't quite have the beachy vibes in spades like I would expect. Not my usual listening material, but I can't say I dislike it

Country, Gulf and Western. Ni fu ni fa.

Makes me wish I was relaxing on a beach with a light breeze and a book instead of working

The other reviews are correct. The back half of this album is a lot better than the front half. But I do not like the back half, and the front half is terrible. This feels like it might be an American cultural thing, and I guess that is important. I struggle with how I feel about this as a choice. From my travels I see that Buffett is a cultural icon in the USA, and that has some relevance. On the other hand, I don't see that he had an outsized impact on music and I'm not sure that it fits on this list. I'm giving this a 2, because the back half is tolerable background music; but if I wanted this vibe I could listen to some Yacht Rock, a genre that I have more respect for after listening to this alternative. I could picture myself at a Florida (in an imaginary world where the USA hadn't completely gone off the rails) beach bar with the back half of this playing in the background and not hating it. I'm going to go listen to some Eagles now.

I've had Jimmy Buffet thrust upon me at family gatherings. I turned into a quasi-parrot head and always enjoyed hearing Jimmy on the radio. This album is such a biographical journey of what life is like in the Keys of Florida, not to mention two of my favorite songs, one of which is the most accurate description of what aging is like (A Pirate Looks At Forty). Thanks for this trip down memory lane OP and Fin's Up. 4.5/5

Thanks for including this one. Is it a new favourite, no. Did it give me a chance to learn a new genre and get respect for an artist I only knew as the corny cheesy figure. Much more to this record than I would have thought. It was a good record.

A1A played and it was indeed country music from a famous name. 2.

Before he was a party song buffoon, he performed sappy, lyrically-challenged soft country songs.

Quite an achievement to manage to make country sound even worse than it usually does

Terrible country. Why would someone enjoy this?

Not his best, but still entertaining. 3.5

Ive definitely heard of him but I have never listened to a single song. Idk it just wasn’t hitting. I have literally nothing to say about this album. lol.

OK while I don't like Jimmy Buffett's music I was thinking maybe you can't really tell the story of 20th century popular music and not at least mention the guy, right? Really should be given some notice in the book even if I don't know more than a few songs. And while I can see how some ppl would jive with this it is still not my thing. It's fine! Not offensive at all, just ... it's Buffett and not anything I didn't expect. Honestly that album cover kinda tells the story. Whether this is the album of his to put in the book or not is not a call I'm (ever) prepared to make but I'll make the assumption this is the one. 4/10 2 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? Yes, sure.

This wasn't bad. Not particularly exciting, but not bad. Little bit of country, little bit of island. He's certainly got a style. He's original. Unique voice. Songwriting could be interesting at times. Lyrics never really were. Not quite to the point of offensive, but he could get some other talking points. All 1n all, not too shabby, Jimmy. 3/5

Very generic country that is lacking even the hits Buffett is known for, so one has to wonder why add Buffett other than his recent passing. Manager at a Margaritaville, perhaps?

Inte jättespännande direkt. Ett hyggligt album.

I like the general style of this but I'm a bit too young for the sentiment he sings about or too European for this particular slice of Americana.

Jimmy Buffet should have been on the main list. I'm not a fan in particular so happy with whichever album a parrothead would suggest. I can say that when I was working at a venue the Buffet show was by the drunkest and most obnoxious we ever saw people get. The music itself is easy and fun and the exact right vibe for certain situations. Good share.

I love listening to this Pirate. Not a full fledged Parrot head, but close enough. RIP to a gentle troubadour

There are some cool tracks on here, Life Is Just A Tire Swing, Makin' Music For Money, A Pirate Looks At Forty (even if its kinda gross). An icon for Florida Boomers all over, just getting drunk and doing boomer shit until they die. Sick.

Not really one for me

This one feels incredibly American, almost entirely tied to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Over here in Europe or Australia it barely made a ripple, but in the U.S. apparently it was the foundation of a whole subculture. Musically it’s a curious mix: part country twang and steel guitar, part island escapism with cowbell and calypso touches. The highlight is clearly A Pirate Looks at Forty, which explains perfectly why it became his fan anthem. The rest of the record is fun and balanced, never sinking into the worst of Nashville gloss, but also not breaking new ground. A good listen, a cultural curiosity outside the U.S., and easy to understand why it was big at home.

It’s a 5 somewhere I enjoyed this more than expected, some fun dad rock/smooth country that never got too cringy or annoying. A couple of great tracks on this, and a fair bit of filler about how much he likes tequila - nothing too exciting, but all pretty amiable

July 31, 2025 "Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season" is my favourite couplet, and it's not even in the lyrics I've mentioned before that my love of country music is fickle, and there it is... going... gone I feel my enjoyment would go up exponentially the closer I get to the sea, and as someone who uploaded an album primarily concerned with the sea, I don't want to write off these relaxing ditties just yet. Now where can I get a honeysuckle vine to chew...

Fun pick!

“Yes, I wish that we could sit upon a bed in some motel Listen to the stories it could tell” Gross.

I only really know him from memes, so I was surprised that this was twing twang country-sounding, rather than Island.

This list has some kind of mind-reading power - I was wondering just yesterday if anything Parrothead was going to turn up on this list and lo and behold! It’s like a warm tub of margaritas. With a salt rim, of course.

I was really hoping that listening to this album would unravel the mystery of Jimmy Buffett's popularity. It's extremely standard yacht rock, so there's not a lot of help there. His voice is fine, the music is fine, but, in my opinion, it never gets better than that. I think, in the end, the real cheeseburger in paradise was the alcoholic friends we made along the way. Maybe the issue here is that I can't really drink in the sun because it gives me migraines. Consequently, there's no real way for me to access the Parrothead in their native environment and have the true Jimmy Buffett experience 2/5 I think I'd rather listen to a Warren Buffett album

Just no.

It’s not terrible, but if I’m in that mood I’d rather just listen to Kenny Rogers.

This was cheerful and enjoyable! A welcome tonic after Kano and even Luke approved. Good easy listening.

I liked this. It's familiar stuff to me but it was happy and warming and generally quite nice.

49 years and 10 months-that’s how long it took me to listen to an actual Jimmy Buffet album. It was way more country than I expected. And better. Which is not to say I’d seek this out again, but I didn’t mind it

Really not my thing, but it was pretty nice.

Short but…something.

This is one of those artists where you wonder who in the world actually listens to him, even though everyone knows who they are. With that said, this was nothing special. And I didn't notice the theme that I assumed was going to be so prominent.

This album and its music is okay. I enjoy his big hits. A solid 3/5.

Not really my genre at all but I found it enjoyable in parts. That one song definitely made me smile, but the rest of the album lacked the same humour and didn’t keep me engaged.

🏝️

Who figured this was missing from the list

Is it still a bland country? Yes, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it a bit. It's not enough to be memorable, but I can see qualities on the album.

Not bad.

I admit it: I burst out laughing when I saw Jimmy Buffet pop up on my phone this morning. But it turns out that thing ain't so bad, all things considered. Or at least, that there are enough highlights on this album to make up for the occasional bland song (as some other reviewers also pointed out, the duds are actually more noticeable on side one than one side two, oddly enough). I suspect that those highlights will soon becomes firm favorites of mine in an overall country-rock genre I'm not *always* at ease with. Surprising how those highlights actually sound good compared to most of Buffet's more famous songs. It was still the early seventies, and the man was only starting to embrace the cliché he would later become, while managing to sound relatively fresh and lively. Plus, look at that cover and tell me you don't want to be in his place, huh? I especially enjoyed the compositional work and dynamic arrangements in the memorable "Dallas" and the instantly catchy "Life Is Just A Tire Swing". And of course the lyrics about living a life of idleness and binge drinking on the beach are either witty or downright funny. Cue the gentler "A Pirate Looks At Forty" and moodier "Trying To Reason With The Hurricane Season" to have stellar exemples of that. Or spin the opener "Makin' Music For Money" again. It sure is a lazy and quite inert old-fashioned rock tune, even by 1974 standards. The song is musically devoid of anything interesting, *of course*, but it's also lyrically on point with the music's blandness -- a wink that both doubles down and redeems the supposed laziness Buffet often witnesses when he looks into the mirror. In other words, self-deprecation has rarely sounded so cool, and I can picture why one "handsome man" found this album endearing enough to select it here (I forgive you for hating *Kid A*, pal !). Guess all I needed to appreciate that sort of commercial country-rock music and make it sound cinematic enough for me was a sip of tropical Florida juice inside the usual C&W formula. Wish Dimery and co. had thought of that! Still not sure I can "reason with the hurricane season" and find a way to include this record in my own list of keepers. But as of now, I certainly keep the door open. The view of the ocean outside is magnificent, after all. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes? (5+3.5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 9 Albums from the users list I *might* include in mine later on: 11 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't include in mine: 18

Don't know this guy and to be honest although it's pleasant and inoffensive there's nothing here for me.

Ahh Jimmy Buffett. Did you know he was one of the richest musicians ever and one of the richest ever celebrities? Insane to me. I'd never listened to him before but I knew of his island music. I always thought he was kind of a joke but this album was great. It was fun solid music. I don't think I'll be putting on my hawaiian shirt, sipping margaritas, and calling myself a parrothead any time soon. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Yes. He carved out a niche in popular culture and maintained it for 40+ years.

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/J0K9D3/group-of-old-people-supporting-you-J0K9D3.jpg

Meh not my cup of tea.

As often as I've heard the classic Jimmy Buffett hits over and over, I've never listened to an album of his before. I really enjoyed it!

Jimmy Buffett should be on this list, so I’m glad to see someone adding him. He definitely had a lot of influence on music. I was surprised that this was the album, as I only knew of one song on it. But as I listened I was really surprised that it added more dimension to Jimmy Buffett. It was unmistakably Buffett but had an exuberance that made it feel kind of fresh! I loved it!

A solid 3.5 stars with a classic Buffett sound

Never heard of this guy before and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Pop-country, sounds old fashioned, but i still liked it. Not necessarily enough to include it in my 1,001 list (when I get round to it), but it was a pleasant way to pass some time.

Rootin' tootin' country rock dreck. He's got a nice (if you like that sort of thing) voice and I've not immediately wanted to turn it off, which is pretty high praise for country, but it's still country. Bleh.

Coming in with an open mind. I only know Jimmy Buffett as a punchline in Yank comedy... I can see why. But it has a degree of charm and invention that elevates it... He's a good lyricist.

I'll give them a pass with this 5th studio album. I'm sure there was an album in there that shouldn't have been made. This album carries the Buffett sound, one that would sound better along with some surf sounds and clinking beer bottles (yes, I get the irony). He apparently didn't consult Christopher Walken. There's cowbell in here, but it could use more.

Definitely has a country vibe, with a folk-pop angle. It seems a pretty standard issue for the genre/vibe and they are all pleasant, but generally unremarkable. Even A Pirate Looks at Forty has an interesting topic, but the song itself is just okay. A nice listen, but i don't see it as book worthy.

I'm not sure we got any Buffett on the main list, maybe one, so I'm very glad this is on here. No songs I recognized but I did enjoy Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season. Take me to the beach.

Jimmy Buffett, classic boomer music. Pretty sure he was on the Epstein list. Anyway, I get the appeal but it’s really not for me. I liked “Door Number Three,” that was interesting lyrically and the sort of country style sound wasn’t bad. Boat music (as opposed to yacht rock). Favorite tracks: Door Number Three. Album art: Is that young Jimmy? Sitting in a lounge chair under a palm tree. That’s the vibe, it’s always the vibe with him. I respect it, even if I prefer to get it elsewhere. 2.5/5

After reading all the Wikipedia information about Jimmy Buffett, I effortlessly tried to like the album. I think I like the guy and his island escapism. The ablum is not bad, but just not that good either.

I find most country music a bit lame in general, and this is particularly weak. Rating: 1.5 Playlist track: Makin' Music for Money Date listened: 04/11/24

How do you make country even worse? make it "swinging country"

Restaurant is better (allegedly)

70s party country music. Jimmy Buffett is low-key my nemesis, so this is not one for me.

Frekar boring

I’m glad I finally heard some non-margaritaville Jimmy Buffett music but unfortunately I thought it was bland easy going soft rock for the most part. It just sounded so generic to where I felt like I’d heard this album a million times on the main list. However, the last song was catchy and fun and the highlight of the album.

Look at this album cover! It’s the inspiration for Matthew McConaughey‘s entire personality! Can’t say I blame him, island beach bum living works wonders on the mind and soul. Really though, Jimmy Buffet was a highly entertaining songwriter and artist. I like that he’s creative and imaginative with his lyrics. You go on an adventure with every song. Respect, and RIP to a uniquely qualified purveyor of chill.

This is one of Jimmy Buffett’s strongest albums. The back half is insanely stacked. I went through a period of time where I got really into Jimmy Buffett. I was working a dead end job and was trying to figure out what I should do with my life and this music was a gentle balm during that time. I knew the music wasn’t the best, and it was certainly not my usual fare, but it reminded me that there are more important things in life than how much money I made. I even made my down to Key West via Miami during this time in my life. I’ll always be grateful to Jimmy for that. RIP.

Very good

We lost a legend when we lost Jimmy Buffett. The man that made the island life so cool. This album is great. It’s not the poppy Jimmy Buffett, just the laid back guy with the island sound. The back half of this album is great and has some classics. I’ll listen to this album along with many other Buffett albums whenever I want to escape or am escaping to an easier life. 8.4/10

Country, Gulf and Western. Ni fu ni fa.

Great summer listening. 70s country rock with an easygoing, likeable vibe that grows on you as the album progresses. Thanks for sharing. Fave Songs: Tin Cup Chalice, Stories We Could Tell, A Pirate Looks at Forty, Presents to Send You, Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season, Nautical Wheelers

Jimmy Buffett is now sipping Margaritas and eating his Cheeseburgers in Paradise.... RIP. The album is above average. I like that the genre is called Gulf and Western (for the Florida gulf). Standouts: Makin' Music for Money, Others: Door Number Three, Dallas, Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season Rating: 3.5

Good shit - just played the last of 2 today. Good fit

Sou d slime he is having more fun making the his music than I am listening to it

It’s ok, but I’d rather listen to Eagles.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Presents to send you, Trying to reason with hurricane season, Nautical wheelers

RIP Jimmy - this was such a relaxing listen, an LP that couldn’t give a fuck about what’s going on in the world so long as it has a beer in hand in the beach. Great prominent guitar, good melodies, and that characteristic sense of chill. Not the most memorable or dynamic songwriting in the world, but a great listen nonetheless.

Not much into country

I've gained a lot more respect for Jimmy Buffett since he passed away and all the tributes poured in. It was especially interesting seeing an old quote from Bob Dylan mentioning Jimmy Buffett as one of the songwriters he most admired. Having said that, this is all good, though a bit too country-ish for my taste. 3 stars.

Not my cup of tea

I like C & W but this was just a bit bland for me.

Atta boy Jimmy, what a chill time.

I really believe that someone can see the beauty in this. For me, it's sounds nice and comfortable but that's it. I'm just not into country I'm afraid.

Probably a big deal when you're into country, but not something I can get excited about.