Customer Reviews

Last Mango in Paris

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Last Mango In Paris is a classic Jimmy Buffett album. After the fairly putrid Riddles In The Sand, he comes back strong with the perfect mix of satire and Caribbean rhythms. He is at his storytelling best in songs like "Frank & Lola", "Desperation Samba", the hilariously heartbreaking "If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me", the superb title track and the adventurous "Gypsies In The Palace" (which has Harrison Ford on the bullwhip). "Jolly Mon Sing" has taken a life of it's own becoming the basis for children's book he wrote with his daughter. It may well be the pinnacle of his calypso songs. Last Mango In Paris is often forgotten, but essential Jimmy Buffett album.

Music critics have never had much of anything good to say about Jimmy Buffett, and this album in particular seems to inspire negativity in many review columns. That's too bad, because while Last Mango in Paris doesn't measure up to his 1970s classics or even some of his more recent work, it's about as good as the '80s got for the Man from Margaritaville.

To be fair, the opening track, "Everybody's on the Run," really is about as banal as Buffett gets. But once you get past that one, Buffett's vintage wry humor and storytelling flair are very much in evidence. "Please Bypass This Heart" is classic Buffett satire; his marriage was on the rocks at the time and you can hear the angst in his singing...but still, who else would ever think to compare a breakup with open-heart surgery in such literal terms? More seriously, despite its goofy title, "If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me" is one of the most heartfelt ballads of Buffett's career. This one alone is worth $10 for the CD.

If it's the swashbuckling outlaw style you're looking for, "Desperation Samba" is a great entry with a terrific refrain in (albeit poor) Spanish and hooks aplenty. Then there's the title track, which is probably the single best of his songs not to be included on the box set; it consistently finishes in or near the top ten in polls of Buffett's diehard fans. There's also the obligatory Carribbean song, "Jolly Mon Sing," a nice example of his fascination with the mystical and the triumph of good over evil.

It isn't the best he can do, but if you've only got it in your budget for one 1980s-era Jimmy Buffett CD, this is probably the one to get.

I was amazed to find a review giving Buffett only 2 stars for this particular album...one of his greatest classics. The songs on Last Mango are the songs countless generation X Parrotheads grew up on. My parents love to this. My grandparents love this. Someday I hope my children will love this. His songs transcend time barriers like no other music can. I was dancing to this stuff at live concerts when I was four years old and I haven't gotten over it yet! I hope this review will take a step toward giving Buffett an average of 5 stars...4 1/2 just doesn't cut it when its Buffett.

So I love to listen to Jimmy Buffett.

I have been a Parrothead long before there was a name for us.

My favorite cuts from this CD are: FRANK AND LOLA; GYPSIES IN THE PALACE (great on this, but greater in person); and THE JOLLYMON SONG.

Buffett is a gifted storyteller....and sometimes you have to listen a few times to 'get what he's telling you,' but once you do, you're hooked.

I've always wondered why JB isn't a superstar....his musicality is right on...his songs tell great stories...and his shows are the most phun you will ever have legal.

Maybe it's just as well....if the masses all of a sudden discovered him, we Parrotheads will have to share him.

Not a good idea.

Enjoy this and all JB's work!

I'm an obsessive parrothead. And I LOVED some of the songs on this one--title track, Desperation Samba, Jolly Mon Sing. But the rest...the 80's were not kind to everyone's favorite pirate, honestly. He tried to be country, but his fans don't want a cowboy. We want the son of a son of a sailor.

Over the years, you come to expect certain things when you listen to a Jimmy Buffett record. Caribbean rhythms, a couple of ballads, and song titles that cleverly twist a familiar saying. Last Mango In Paris provides all of these ingredients. You end up with a good recording, although not one of Buffett's best works. The title track and "If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me" are perfect examples of how Buffett can turn a phrase into a song lyric.

I've been listening to Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band for almost 25 years now, and the reason is simple: no matter where I am, no matter what the weather, I can throw on a Jimmy Buffett CD and instantly be transported to a beach somewhere on an island, complete with warm summer breezes, cold beer, free from all worries. And in the end, what more can you ask from a record?

Great classic. Buffett's lyrics evoke images of folk heroes, lost loves and regrets. _Desperation Samba_ has a killer beat, not to mention Harrison Ford's whip-cracking. _Last Mango in Paris_ inspired me to always carry my Swiss Army knife, it can get me out of any tough situation. _Gypsies in the Palace_ reminds me of the parties I used to throw when I housesat for my sister. Ah, the good old days.

This cd has 3 or 4 songs on it that are pretty good, though none are great. The rest of the cd is only so-so. If you like JB, you will enjoy this cd, but there probably are 10 or more other Buffet cds that are better.

There isn't a Jimmy Buffet song that I have heard yet that wasn't awesome. I love Jimmy!....guess I am a parrothead! LOL

Great CD. It is a replacement for one that I accidentally let drop overboard when getting off the boat. Loved it enought to replace it in our Buffett collection.