Customer Reviews

Buffet Hotel

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The best piece of advice I can give is to put this album on and listen to it with you headphones on - forget the phone, emails, and real life for an hour or so and just let inner child parrothead come out and play on the musical trip Jimmy Buffett is serving. It's a good trip and the weather, water, and music is mighty fine here, so jump on in and enjoy the escape!!!

With all the trouble in the world nowadays, it's nice to have the comfort of something uplifting and entertaining to help take your over-stressed mind on a much needed escape for a little while and Jimmy Buffett delivers with his newest album.

Buffett Hotel (named after a real place Jimmy discovered while on an African trip) is really a true musical Buffet for fans of the singer who presents here a studio album full of the kind of smart, sassy, well-written and performed tunes about life, escapism, and coping that make him a such a beloved performer to a legion of parrotheads everywhere!

Some hardcore JB Phans may comment on some little things like lightweight subjects, political commentary, or even Jimmy trying to rap, but the lyrics are always well crafted as Buffett is such a talented craftsman with words and this album does not disappoint when it comes to sharp, witty writing.

Jimmy wrote most all the songs, with help on some from the talented Will Kimbrough and recent CMA Musician of the Year award winner, Mac Macanally, a Coral Reefer band-mate. The couple of tunes from others include fit well into the feel of the album and have the spirit of tunes one expects from Buffett.

The album is a nice mix of moody, mellow tunes and funky, toe-tapping tunes with moving rythms that will have you tapping your toes and wiggling your body to the beats.

The musical production is really good and the album is a joy to listen to with headphones as they really had a lot of fun creating treats for the ears with the mixing of the album. There are synth sounds straight out of 60's surf tunes, bass beats that felt like a Huey chopper blades were beating in your head, and the stereo mix was a treat for the ears that brought back a simpler time long ago when people who created albums loved to play with listeners sensation of hearing with audio tricks and treats.

His band proves itself capable of just about any type of music while on tour every year, and they do it all well. But throw them in the studio and get ready for them to blow you away as they crank out simply great performances of so many different styles and types of music that you understand exactly why Jimmy has kept so many of them with him for so many years. You'd expect the island music and it's there and good, but this album gives the band and Jimmy a further chance to showcase impressive skills playing rowdy ripping rock, blues, jazz, country, psychedelic surf and more!

I had already heard a few of the tunes live from radio broadcasts of concerts this summer but really enjoyed them a LOT more in this studio album format where the audio production could really shine. I'm a 30 year veteran old-school parrothead from the old days long before Jimmy became a brand, and I truly enjoyed this new album a lot.

First, let me apologize to die-hard Parrotheads like myself for not giving the deity that is Jimmy Buffett a 5-star rating. If any other pop star had issued this CD, it would have gotten a higher rating, but from the great Jimmy Buffett I expect better.

If this is a buffet, by the mighty Jimmy Buffett, it's a Vegas special with only four reasonably tasty songs and a bunch of cold bland dishes. I'm a long-time Buffett fan whose first purchase of music was a "Margaritaville" 45 with "Miss You So Badly" as the B-side. However, I'm no cranky purist; I love new hits like "Five O'Clock Somewhere." This new outing by Buffett is, to be charitable, 3 or 4 good songs and a bunch of throw-away demos.

The first song had me very optimistic. "Nobody From Nowhere" is highly produced, with great electric guitars, a catchy hook and strong vocal backups by his full band. If any of these songs from this album make it into his tour set-list, this is the one. I doubt it lasts for more than a year, but who knows?

"A Lot to Drink About" is one of those "timely" Buffett songs that sounds dated the second you hear it. Imagine how it will feel in a year. The third song "Big Top" tries to recapture some of his old glory, but falls short. "We learned to be cool from you" is slower, and sounds like he actually spent more than a day in the studio on it, but it is ultimately forgettable. "Life Short Call Now," another slow ballad, is the second song on the album that is worth listening to more than once. I really liked this song; he paints a picture as he does in his best songs, of real characters and settings. This is one of the few songs that sounds like he's spent some time out of the multi-millionaire life he now leads. Well done.

"Wings" is another good song, in his upbeat happy-go-lucky mode. "Beautiful Swimmers" is a slow, lovely ode to Marilyn Monroe. Yes, Marilyn Monroe- I guess Jimmy's out of real hard-luck drinking stories. "Surfing in a Hurricane" has cool "surf guitar" sounds, but the chorus is repetitive and grating. "Rhumba Man" also fails to deliver.

"Summerzcool" is the "lead" single from the album that was issued before the rest of the album. The only way this song is enjoyable is if you are as drunk as we all get at the Jimmy Buffett concerts. It just does not hold up in a sober listening. "Buffet Hotel," the title track, is his "foreign mystique" track that occurs on every Buffett album. This is no "Desperation Samba," that is for sure. Forgettable pop.

Finally, "Turn Up the Heat" has Jimmy Buffett rapping. Yes, you read that correctly, he raps. Cringeworthy. I love that Jimmy takes risks occasionally with a gimmicky song technique, but I suspect he won't try this again.

Overall, this album will still be a necessary purchase for die-hard Parrotheads, but don't expect anything up to the level of his early albums. This is not even as good as one of his better new albums like "Take the Weather With You." It's pretty similar in quality to "Far Side of the World." I could find no song on this album that merits a space in the top 50 Buffett songs.

Update after about 10 listenings: This album is starting to grow on me (thanks to iTunes and its ability to delete tracks such as the rap song) and I have raised my rating to 4 stars.

1. Nobody from Nowhere- Will Kimbrough is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and Buffett wasted no time in including one of his songs on the album. The chorus is especially catchy, and Kimbrough's lead guitar work is stellar. It is a bit over-produced, and the background vocals verge on the precipice of cheesy, but this is a great song, and Buffett sounds like her's having a good time singing it. I'm impressed with Buffett's lower voice- he really hasn't showcased the bottom of his range before, but it sounds great. Full and resonant. The fade-out goes on a bit too long, but that's what the skip button is for.

My Score- 9/10

2. Wings- Kimbrough lends his writing talents to the second cut on the album, as well. The melody is catchy, light, and bouncy, and the chord progressions are simple. Will Kimbrough's banjo and harmonica lend just the right character to the song, and Buffett's vocals are accurate and well-articulated. It sounds like a country song, but not. In a good way.

My Score- 8/10

3. Big Top- Buffett continues the upbeat mood in the third track. The backing vocals enhance Buffett's lead vocals, with no hint of cheese. Once again, the chorus is very catchy- definitely something that 20,000 drunken Parrotheads could sing along to at one of his summer concert dates.

My Score- 8/10

4. Beautiful Swimmers- The pace slows down here with a ballad. Jimmy Buffett is vastly underrated as a ballad singer. He has a bit of that old-time crooner in him, and, once again, his lower range is strong, clear, and resonant. The lyrics are a bit oversentimental, but the melody line flows so well that you hardly notice.

My Score- 7/10.

5. Turn Up the Heat and Chill the Rose- Buffett tries to do some sort of minor-keyed reggae in a half sung, half white old man rap kind of way. Complete with sound effects. The bridge is okay and the lyrics are clever, but this is one of those contrived, self-indulgent Buffett songs that I just do not care for. I think he does this just because he has more money than God, and he can.

My Score- 4/10

6. Summerzcool- A nice country/rock ditty that I am sure sounds great live. The lyrics are topical, if not corny and silly. There's even a poorly contrived shouted-bridge interlude... It's just the kind of thing that Buffett is famous for. That said, it's a catchy drunken singalong song. Typical Buffett.

My Score- 7/10

7. Rhumba Man- If you can get past the fact that a sixty-two year old singing a song about screwing... then this is a brassy, jazzy, well-syncopated tune that is actually pretty listenable. Except for the spoken-word part where Buffett tries to channel the spirit of Barry White. Not cool.

My Score- 7/10

8. We Learned to be Cool from You- Another ballad. Very introspective lyrics, but musically, it's fairly dull. The reason I was able to pay so much attention to the lyrics was because the music was so boring. Perhaps a smattering of self-indulgence mixed in, as well.

My Score- 5/10

9. Surfing in a Hurricane- Buffett tries to channel some 60's era surf music in this song. It's mildly interesting, but there really is nothing memorable about this song- except the ill-advised spoken word interlude with sound effects. And the equally ill-advised spoken word fade-out. Didn't really do anything for me.

My Score- 6/10

10. Life Short Call Now- Buffett slows it down again with a ballad. Very gentle, flowing melody, with a very tasteful muted trumpet. Otherwise, nothing special about it, except for Buffett's very well done baritone vocals.

My Score- 6.5/10

11. Buffet Hotel- Good backgound track and vocals, but another self-indulgent Buffett song. The instrumentals are nice, and the lyrics are nice, but it just doesn't work as a song. It's looooooooong, and the spoken parts and French are a bit distracting.

My Score- 6.5/10

12. A Lot to Drink About- Clever, catchy, political, and topical- more so than anything since "The Missionary" on his debut album. The guitar playing by Buffett and longtime sideman, Mac McAnally is spot-on, and Will Kimbrough's mandolin is perfect. This is Buffett at his purest and best... and this is one of my favorite Buffett songs- ever. God bless America, indeed!

My Score- 10/10

Total Average Score: 7/10

There are some really great songs on Buffet Hotel, but there are also some really bad ones. This album is very comparable to Buffett's 2006 offering, Take the Weather With You, but I find Buffet Hotel to be slightly superior. I strongly recommend this album for true Parrotheads and even casual Buffett fans, though you will be grateful for the "skip" button on your CD player.

I'm a long-time Parrothead, so there's no hesitation or decision making to purchase when Buffett serves up another studio album. I just had my first run-through of the album, and I must agree with the other reviews. It's got a great mix of lyrics and sounds. I immediately enjoyed 'Nobody From Nowhere', 'Rhumba Man' and 'Summerzcool'.

I really dig the overall sounds of each track. This is certainly a continued break from the 'beach/flip-flop/boat drink' feel, but, like 'Take the Weather With You' it still feels like Buffett. I'm looking forward to digesting each track. Unless you have not liked what he's done is the past few years, Buffett fans should find plenty to enjoy.

buffett-ism....its a state of mind where jimmy takes you when you listen to his music and once again he does it on BUFFET HOTEL, as a life long parrothead i have come to appreciate and marvel all he has done. People always ask me what it is about buffett that i like so much and i tell them just listen to one of his cds more than once, really listen to the words take it all in and then POOF it hits you.
they always come back and tell me you your right he's amazing!!!!! (yes he is)
so to all questioning buying BUFFET HOTEL, don't Buffett phan or not you will not be disappointed.

It's been awhile since I've been a regular guest at the Buffett Hotel. His concerts were always fun but for awhile, it seemed like he was more of a business than the wise cracking troubadour I grew up with. I certainly do not begrudge the man his money. On the contrary, I kind of admire the fact that he made himself into what he is today instead of being molded into someone else's image. His version of a life well lived is something to aspire to. I love the older feel to this album and I may have actually applauded the sounds of a pedal steel guitar. "Wings", "Beautiful Swimmers", "Turn Up The Heat And Chill The Rose" and "Surfing In A Hurricane" remind me of a time when life seemed more fun. More importantly, they make me realize that maybe it's my fault that life isn't more fun now. Thanks for the reminder, Bubba!

My first real Amazon review in several years, I decided to review BUFFETT HOTEL. I ended up writing two reviews. I wrote "Review 2" first, and then decided I wanted to do a more concise version, so wrote a second review, which is "Review 1" and is the primary review. Anyway, hope you enjoy the thoughts on BUFFET HOTEL!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review 1:
2 Stars - This album personifies the frustration of Jimmy's output!

BUFFETT HOTEL is one of Jimmy's most scattershot, uneven albums he has released since 1994. In fact, this record could very well be the most accurate portrayal of Jimmy Buffett as an artist - a great songwriter with great material, but rather ridiculous tracks made to sell persona to his "Parrothead" fanbase.

This record exemplifies what many of his naysayers complain about: his beach-bum, fun in the sun persona is largely a one trick pony, and there isn't much substance in his music, which is far from the truth and does a great disservice to the man as an artist. However, Buffett certainly does not help his case with his own selection of songs to help refute his critics.

Having listened to all of his official albums, I have found Buffett has a large, varied body of work, and while there is certainly quite a large chunk of "novelty songs", Buffett `s skill is far beyond just those songs. Even the majority of the classic songs rate well above "novelty song" status (such as "A Pirate's Look at 40", "Son of a Son of a Sailor", etc).

About half the album shows Buffett as one of the greats (these being "Nobody from Nowhere," "Wings", "Beautiful Swimmers" "We Learned to be Cool From You", "Life Short Call Now", and the title cut). The six songs show the makings of an utterly fantastic album, with deep, varied emotional resonance and great lyrics. However, the other half of the album shows Buffett on cruise control, doing stupid novelty tunes that don't nearly come off as well as his other summer tour material.

Muhammad Ali said if you look at life at 50 the same way you did at 20, you wasted 30 years of your life. While I understand Buffett has an image to sell (he even says he sells escapism), personally I think we have enough beach bum music - I'd much rather have Buffett do music along the lines of "Coastal Confessions", "Window on the World", "Far Side of the World," etc, than his rather asinine filler tracks, such as "Math Sux", "Simply Complicated", "Hula Hoop Girl", and "What if the Hokey Pokey is All It Really Is About". Listening to "Buffet Hotel", you can see both Buffett's consummate skill as a musician, and also his tending to just coast and rely on his lazy "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere" persona.

Although Buffett is hell-bent on appealing to his fanbase, and does quite the job for the last forty or so years, it'd be interesting to see Buffett leave the fillers and summer songs along and do a more intense album. BUFFET HOTEL, and a large majority of his other work, prove beyond doubt he is far more skillful than his detractors allow. Unfortunately he gives the detractors plenty of noose to hang him with, and BUFFET HOTEL is a perfect example of that dicohotmy that is Jimmy Buffett. Just like Meat Loaf singing about "I can barely put my d--- in my pants", I think it's time for Buffett to move on and grow up. But, after all, Buffett's growing older, but not up.

Over all, half the album is great. The other half - it's just another party, and we all know a 62 year old partying like he's 20 is just rather embarrassing at best, desperate and marked with stupidity and immaturity at the worst.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review 2:

Having only recently getting into Jimmy Buffet over the past several months, I've been listening to his work pretty much non-stop on my iPod. Just like when I discovered Bob Dylan back in 2000, I've immersed myself in his albums, starting with the box set "Boats, Beaches, Bars, and Ballads", and then moving out into his catalogue from that starting point. I've always felt that box set, one of the biggest selling box sets ever, is a natural dividing point in his career, with all the albums following the box, starting with the 1994 "Fruitcakes" belonging to a different era. Since 1994 Buffett has been pretty prolific, releasing several albums.

With the 2009 album, BUFFET HOTEL, we come to a fairly typical late era Buffett album. The majority of the tracks are high quality, but there are some rather stupid mindless filter that just leaves you shaking your head.

The opening track, "Nobody from Nowhere", sounds like it could have been one of the stronger tracks off Buffett's 2004 country album, "License to Chill". It also sounds like it would be right at home on contemporary country stations as well, describing a very rural sounding lifestyle and typical of the country market these days.

"Wings" is all about flying high and living your dreams, literally. Lyrically Buffett gets a little weird (though not as weird as he does on some other tracks on this album: I'm looking at you, "Chill the Rose" and "Buffett Hotel"), invoking David Bowie with Major Tom and life on Mars. He also references "Tree Top Fliers", the hidden track on the 1996 album BANANA WIND. "Big Top" feels like it was written made to order for material to perform on Buffett's annual summer tours, and indeed the 2009 Buffett tour was titled "Under the Big Top". "Big Top" while a good song in its own right, sounds more like a touring song to invoke that Parrothead lifestyle then a serious composition in its own right. It makes lyrical nodes to "Fins" and "Rhumba Man", and I could see Buffett doing "Big Top" right after the "Fins" in the setlists. "Beautiful Swimmers" is a rather stunning tribute to Marilyn Monroe, and one of the best songs on the record.

The next three songs, "Turn Up The Heat And Chill The Rose", "Summerscool", and "Rhumba Man" are mixed at best. Personally, I really like "Rose" and find myself returning to it anytime I listen to this album. However, I do see why people think Buffett rapping is rather ridiculous. Lyrically the song is all over the place geographically - the song talks about how people living in the north or south pole find that "six months of dark" are a bummer, so they "turn up the heat and chill the rose" and party. He even mentions penguins (yes,penguins). Buffett then goes on and talks about the Sahara, Jamaican, Africa rocketships, and flying past Uranus. Rather strange to say the least, and all the more memorable for it.

"Summerszcool", the lead song, is rather infantile, to say the least. Another song that would be quite at home on the LICENSE TO CHILL as a duet. While Buffett's always been about the party lifestyle and selling escapism to the Parrotheads (and getting quite rich in the process), listening to a 62 year old man sing about going to Summer School for "Beer 101" and "Sex 102" is rather embarrassing. Buffett does make reference to the recession of 2008 and 2009 in this song, though, giving the song a little bit of poignancy and political relevance. "Rhumba Man" is another novelty song with sexual implications, with lyrics straight from "Fins" ("fins to the left fins to the right).

"Surfing in a Hurricane" is Buffett's first surfing song, shocking as that sounds. I can see this being indirectly responsible for drunk Parrotheads dying by literally attempting to surf when a hurricane arises. "A Lot to Drink About" is a strangely political song that sounds dated even a year or two out from the events it describes, let alone several years from the album's release. They are both typical Buffett tour songs to get the party started! Personally, I always felt there was a lot to pray about, rather than drink about.

The last three songs, "We Learned to be Cool from You", "Life Short Call Now," and "Buffet Hotel", are among the strongest on the album. The first two are ballads and finds Buffett in a atypically reflective mode, and "Buffett Hotel" is a great travelogue piece with is wholly mysterious and quite the enigma.

Review 2 written first, review 1 written second.

I am an old parrot head but this one didn't do it for me. I guess I just like the sound that made him famous: fun and "islandy" (the last cut,A lot to drink about, is more like it. The rest was just kind of ho-hum.

I've been a longtime Buffett fan, and must admit that I'm still waiting for him to release something more substantial (musically) and natural (not fake or forced sounding), like his good old days. Hey, I'm not even necessarily talking 70's era. Even something along the lines of 80's (One Particular Harbour) or even 90's (Barometer Soup) would be welcomed.

The problem is, all of his albums from Beach House on the Moon onward seem to be as though he's just going through the motions. Give some tropical themes, some attempts at humor, some slow songs, song medium songs, some ballads, and walla! you have a Buffett album. And yes, many will buy it. And yes, many will instantly love each new album (unfortunately often before they've even heard it).

Just seems like Buffett fans should be more open and honest, even with themselves. The instant adoration and blessing of all new Buffett is cheesy and fake, about on the same level as the actual cheesy and fake music. Let's face it, Jimmy lost his true Parrothead spirit in the mid/late 90's when he became very wealthy and started hanging out with other rich folks. What we're left since then is music made by a business man, not a pirate or a true beach bum.

Yeah, the album is okay. It's on the same level as the other albums over past 14 years or so. Yadi yadi yada...

Jimmy has taken a step back to his roots on this one and it shines. Nice work!