Customer Reviews

One Particular Harbor

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After the very disappointing Somewhere Over China, Jimmy Buffett came back strong with the excellent One Particular Harbour. The title track is one of the best songs in his catalog with it's steel drums, chanting chorus and overall good time feel. "Honey Do" is another fun song as is "Twelve Volt Man". "Starts On The Water" is a pretty song while he comes up with another great song about the party lifestyle in "We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About". His version of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" won't make you forget the superior original, but he covers it with the spirit of a bar band. If you want to feel like you are setting sail on the Caribbean, pop this one into the cd player and Jimmy Buffett will take you there.

The CD issue is awful. The sound quality is the product of what happens when you take vinyl masters and transfer them directly to a CD. Not meant to happen, as why the tape hiss is excessive. Why? Because it's a remnant of MCA's "Compact Disc/Compact Price" series, along with all the other Buffett 1973-85 albums.

Also keep in mind that you don't get any artwork or liner notes in this release beyond the front cover you see in the stock image above (which is blemished by that horrible logo in the bottom right corner). It's quite a shame as Jimmy and photographer Jim Shea acquired permission to shoot on the set of the Mel Gibson film "Mutiny of the Bounty" for the album's package, and those photos went well with the recording and were good eye candy. Removing the band credits and dedications was just pain disrespectful to Jimmy, to say the least.

I would patiently wait on purchasing this album till a remaster happens, which is long over due and hopefully in the near future. When that happens, I will be happy to provide a review that deals 100% with the music and explains why I give it 5 stars.

I find this one to be a bit of a mixed bag. There are some really great songs on this album, but there is also some filler as well. As usual it is a mix of Buffett originals and covers. Cover highlights include the good time concert song "Stars On The Water" from Rodney Crowell, Steve Goodman's "California Promises", and a lively Caribbean style take of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl". Of the Buffett originals the title track "One Particular Harbor" remains a concert favorite to this day and is a great song. "We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About" has become the Parrothead theme song. "Twelve Volt Man" is another great Buffett lyric and "Distantly In Love" is a breezy little ditty that closes the album. The rest of the disc is ok, but nothing really stands out. For the most part this is another strong Buffett album.

This is one of Buffett's best albums though highly underated. Filled with inticing stories about life. In this ablum the most popular song is "We Are The Ones Our Parents Warned Us About" but not the best. I would have to say that the best song on the album is "One Particular Harbour". This albums rhythms and lyrical aspects are phenomenal. Get this album if you can, it's a great addition to an already growing collection.

For anyone who has chucked it, and fled to the seas on a sailing vessel, this sums it up. Brown Eyed Girl is the essential track for a close-hauled run across the Atlantic swell, and One Particular Harbor, well, every sailor has one. I even got a chance to do a drunken duet with the Bard in St. Barts on this one - this is his best song. A clear and welcome return to the salt, with an undertone about how fame and money forces you out of the purity of life under sail. Perhaps Jimmy remembering the good old days?

Awesome Buffett album !! Lots of great songs! A must for any parrotthead!

One particular harbour is one of Jimmys greatest. This is my 3rd. copy. One wore out, and I now have 2 so I can be close wherever I am. A true parrothead never wants to be far from a Jimmy fix. Dale

Great album, great spirit and refreshing new sound for Jimmy. Only drawback on this album is the absence of Greg "Fingers" Taylor on the harmonica. That would have brought the album to perfection. It's like a a great meal but missing a certian spice. Outside of that, this is still a strong candidate for one of Jimmy Buffetts best albums. Put this on at any backyard bar-b-que or summertime pool party and its is sure to liven up any crowd.

A great Jimmy Buffett album. Over half the tracks on this album are among my all time favorite Buffett songs, this album really delievers. This is definately a CD you can listen to over and over again and will please more then just Parrot Heads.

This is actually a pretty decent cd, better than I was expecting. The first three songs are very weak and probably not the best way to start a cd. It picks up, though, after the third song and carries forward. The title track is excellent and well worth the money by itself. Honey Do is vintage Buffett with funny lyrics and catchy music. I went into it hoping to kill the curve, but I can't. I actually liked the cd. It's not a five-star because of the first few songs, but after Livin It Up, it really becaomes an excellent cd.