Defending the Indefensible: Jimmy Buffett

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Billy Joel is NOT the most reviled man in rock.

But it's easy to remember the words to Buffett songs. He has that going for him.

Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 14 August 2003 05:12 (twenty years ago) link

In America right now we have Mr. Buffett in the Top 40 in a duet with Alan Jackson. Pray for us sinners.

Alex Firtzin (AlexZ), Thursday, 14 August 2003 05:14 (twenty years ago) link

I'm not so sure about categorizing Buffett as a "rock" artist. If I ran a record store I'd probably put him in the "country" bin. Although Elton John is a rock artist and "Daniel" and "Margaritaville" appear to be musical cousins.

I can't defend Buffett's music, but one positive thing I can say about him is that he's put a lot of effort and money into environmental causes, eg: preserving the Florida Everglades.

Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Thursday, 14 August 2003 12:19 (twenty years ago) link

Admit it: "Marguaritaville" is a decent song.

Aaron M (Aaron M), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:04 (twenty years ago) link

No.

Kenan Hebert (kenan), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:26 (twenty years ago) link

[b]No.[/B]

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:35 (twenty years ago) link

Or, alternately, No.

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:35 (twenty years ago) link

although I'm vegan
'cheeseburger in paradise'
still sounds good to me

Haikunym (Haikunym), Thursday, 14 August 2003 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

two years pass...
I was about to revive this thread and try to refresh Buffett's reputation on the strength of "The Ballad of Spidr John," which is a beautiful and really quite moving country song, but then I found out that he didn't write it. So now I think he's a hack again.

Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:08 (eighteen years ago) link

Jimmy Buffett played "Additional Blond Agent" in Repo Man.

gear (gear), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"Bananas and Blow" by Ween>>>>>>>>>>anything by Jimmy Buffet.

i applied for a job at a cheeseburger in paradise restaurant once. i learned that if i was hired i woud have to refer to fellow employees as "islanders" and customers as "locals".

no thank you!

latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:17 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm not so sure about categorizing Buffett as a "rock" artist. If I ran a record store I'd probably put him in the "country" bin.

This is OTM, and really the most interesting thing to me about Buffett. When he's not busy writing novelty crap, his songwriting has a huge respect for the country tradition, and emulates it well. Unfortunately, this happens in fits and starts.

Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link

He has a place. Not indefensible at all. Destroy all 'Parrot Heads' though. Yech. Like a casino full of orange skin.

Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:28 (eighteen years ago) link

haha

What got me going on this topic again was a live mp3 that has Lyle Lovett citing Buffett as one of his influences. And Lyle Lovett is a great songwriter.

Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Come Monday is uber country. He might be a hack, but I still have a copy of one of his greatest hits albums because Margartiaville and Son of a Sailor == driving to sailing regattas at 5 AM in college in a stinky van and being drunk & sunburned at parties afterwards.

lyra (lyra), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Also, Why Don't We Get Drunk. I think I've posted about that song before on some previous ILM thread...

lyra (lyra), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link

I think a lot of ILMers regularly confuse a 'hack' with an honest-to-goodness craftsman. I mean, In Buffet's case, the criticism seems to be that he's on songwriting autopilot, that he knows his audience, that he plays to them. Umm, so fucking what? They can't all be Bob Dylan, you know.

Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:43 (eighteen years ago) link

I mean, In Buffet's case, the criticism seems to be that he's on songwriting autopilot, that he knows his audience, that he plays to them.

He panders to them. He can write "Come Monday," that's great, that's a craftsman. Why write "Volcano"? Who is that crap for if not the lowest common denominator?

Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Very few songwriters have created their own world to the extent that Buffett has. Not that you'd want to live there.

Mark (MarkR), Monday, 15 August 2005 00:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Paunchy AND Mark, OTM. OK, I concur.

Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 15 August 2005 01:11 (eighteen years ago) link

the criticism seems to be that he's on songwriting autopilot, that he knows his audience, that he plays to them.

haha i thought this was what Dylan did these days ; (

gear (gear), Monday, 15 August 2005 02:47 (eighteen years ago) link

seven months pass...
His cover of "Hey Good Lookin'" is damn good!

Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Sunday, 19 March 2006 23:13 (eighteen years ago) link

four years pass...

the worst. horrible. indefensible. abominable. appalling. atrocious. abhorrent. awful. heinous. odious. wretched.

Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:01 (thirteen years ago) link

jimmy buffet punk rock cover band: lost shaker assault

kamerad, Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:05 (thirteen years ago) link

also totally workaday. i'm guessing he churns out 5 of those "classic" eeeeeeeeeeasylivin' songs an hour.

Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:08 (thirteen years ago) link

jimmy buffet punk rock cover band: lost shaker assault

Bahahahahaha

Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 1 December 2010 01:21 (thirteen years ago) link

i applied for a job at a cheeseburger in paradise restaurant once. i learned that if i was hired i woud have to refer to fellow employees as "islanders" and customers as "locals".

LOL

Telephoneface (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 1 December 2010 02:13 (thirteen years ago) link

when i moved to coastal NC i was told it was "the last stop on the train to margaritaville"
not too far from the truth, considering some of my roommates

one of them had parrothead parents who were also
* nudists
* former tobacco executives

so depressing

The Great Jumanji, (La Lechera), Wednesday, 1 December 2010 02:17 (thirteen years ago) link

two years pass...

So there's this new album out and it is balls.

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 14:49 (ten years ago) link

jimmy buffet punk rock cover band: lost shaker assault

kamerad wrote this at 2010-12-01 01:05:28.000

how's life, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:38 (ten years ago) link

four years pass...

Simply put, Parrot Heads are fans of singer–songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s tropically influenced beach/rock/folk music. They know the words to all of his songs and the punch lines to all of his jokes. When Jimmy and the Coral Reefer Band come to town, parking lots are turned into beaches and cars become tiki bars. The yearly concert tour is a rite of summer passage for Parrot Heads that combines the best of Mardi Gras, Carnival, the Fourth of July, and a beach party.

Being a Parrot Head is also much more. For most Parrot Heads, there is a specific state of mind that comes with their condition. Age has nothing to do with it. Through his music and writings, Parrot Heads vicariously experience Jimmy’s lifestyle: the party, the ocean, the sunshine, and a relaxed sense of freedom are a part of it. And that freedom is most appealing; it allows us to express our feelings and creativity in whatever manner we choose and allows us to escape from the rat race to our own little tropical paradise, if only for a little while.

Parrot Heads are everywhere; you probably know a few and don’t even realize it. Parrot Heads are doctors, sales reps, lawyers, pilots, police officers, college students, computer programmers, grandparents, and maybe even your neighbors. And through their common interest in Jimmy Buffett’s music, this incredible gumbo of people from all walks of life is able to join together to support community causes in Buffett’s name.

It was in this spirit that the international network of Parrot Head Clubs, Parrot Heads in Paradise, was created in 1994. PHofNC is open to anyone with the tropical spirit and the desire to contribute positively to the betterment of their little corner of the universe.

This is what Jimmy Buffett has to say about how the origin of Parrot Heads:

“Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles bass player) was in the band, and we were playing a venue outside of Cincinnati called King’s Island. People had already started wearing Hawaiian shirts to our shows, but we looked out at this Cincinnati crowd, and they were glaringly brilliant to the point where it got our attention immediately. I said “Look at that!” Then Schmidt says to me, “They look like deadheads in tropical suits. They’re like PARROT HEADS!”, he yelled to me in the middle of a song. So I immediately took the term and threw it over the microphone – the people identified themselves with the term from the get-go.”

http://phofnc.com/home/what-is-a-parrot-head/

budo jeru, Thursday, 11 January 2018 01:57 (six years ago) link

two months pass...

Flipping a coin to guess whether that is Parrot Heads (Best Of) or Parrot Tails (Worst Songs Ever)

Rudy’s Mood For Dub (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 30 March 2018 02:25 (six years ago) link

PARADIIIIIISE

morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 March 2018 02:32 (six years ago) link

To Rococo Parrot

Rudy’s Mood For Dub (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 30 March 2018 03:00 (six years ago) link


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