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Jimmy Buffett - Far Side of the World Audio CD

A fair review of the Jimmy Buffett "Far Side of the World" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jimmy Buffett reviews here, or go back to the Jimmy Buffett tabs.

Jimmy Buffett Band: Jimmy Buffett
Title: Far Side of the World
Rating:
Release Date: 2002-03-19
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Blue Guitar 2: Mademoiselle Voulez-Vous Danser 3: Autour De Rocher 4: Savannah Fare You Well 5: All The Ways I Want you 6: Last Man Standing 7: What If The Hokey-Pokey Is All It Really Is About? 8: Altered Boy 9: USS Zydecoldsmobile 10: Someday I Will 11: Far Side Of The World 12: Tonight I Just Need My Guitar

Far side of my CD collection


It's far and away better than the Beach House On The Moon, but still quite away from the Buffett of earlier albums. You know how you flip through your CD collection and run across an album you've nearly forgotten about, slip it in and you remember *this is a GREAT album*?

This isn't one of those albums.

Maybe that's what I miss, those albums where it could just as easily be JB with his guitar and a few other instruments--and that's all you need. Now, there's just so much going on in the song, you lose the words. Which, as gifted as a singer-songwriter as Jimmy is, is just lacking.

Luckily, you can see the flicker of the muse returning on this album, but it's not the classic Buffett of 10 years ago, or earlier.
.


Subtle Pleasures On This One
But, over the course of repeated listens it has grown on me and I have learned to appreciate some of the subtleties to be found on the disc. When I first heard this album I was not that impressed in fact I thought it was his weakest release in years. The album is significantly different from much of his output and is probably the least tropical in theme since his very early stuff. In fact much of the album has more to do with Africa then it does the Caribbean. This album is quite reflective and lacks the party escapist themes that usually crop up on Jimmy's album. Highlights include the opener Blue Guitar with its African beats. Autour Du Rocher that tells the story of a hotel / bar that Buffett used to own on St. Barts, that burned down in a fire back in the late 80's. Last Man standing shows that Buffett is not quite ready to retire yet. The title track Far Side Of The World serves as a travelogue of Buffet's journeys through Africa and spending New Years Eve at the turn of the century at a place called Zanzibar (a picture of the hotel is on the back of the album cover). The last track Tonight I Just Need My Guitar is a simple tune that works great to close out the record. Jimmy once again picks some great covers as well doing another Bruce Cockburn song All The Ways I Want You and a rocking cover of Sonny Landreth's USS Zydecoldsmobile complete with a scorching guitar solo from Sonny himself. On the down side What If The Hokey Pokey Is Really What Its All about does not really fit in with this collection and reeks of a deliberate attempt to create a crowd participation number for his live shows. I am not a huge fan of the track Altered Boy either. The rest of the songs on the album are all good. Far Side is a very different album for Buffett and probably will not satisfy some of his parrothead faithful, but if you give this one a chance you will find a lot to like on this disc.


Am I getting too old?
) It's "OK" -- hence the 3 stars, and just not my favorite album. I've seen Jimmy several times in concert, and I saw him play Jazzfest in New Orleans around the time when this CD came out (which is why I bought it. I'd stick with one of the "Best of" or live CD's. Just my two cents --- no offense Jimmy --- we still love ya!.


Great CD, but not the typical parrothead stuff
It's actually, I think, more kin to some of Buffets early music, being more introspective and musically inventive than many of his more recent CD's. As the below reviewer noted, this is not a "party CD". He seems to eschew his typical formula, and produces some really excellent music. You can still tell it's Buffet by listening to it; his style is still there, but the music is really different. It's like he took a new style, and embraced, but his roots showed through maybe; it's hard to explain.
Still, the album is very worth buying; I only dislike one or two tracks (Altered Boy, USS Z---). Some of the tracks are among, IMO, the best of anything he's done in years; Savvana Fare You Well, and All the Ways I Want you are great tracks.
If you like Buffets early music, you'll most likely enjoy and appreciate this album; if you're only a fan of the parrothead party tunes, I'm not sure you would. .


My favorite
It has a very romantic and dreamy air to it that makes the listener dream of far away beaches and sunsets, but at the same time it's got a very happy-go-lucky, nothing could beat this type of tune to songs like what if the hokey pokey is all it really is about, and last man standing. I love Jimmy BUffett, but this cd by far is his best, i think. . . The cd starts out romantick and reminiscent with blue guitar, mademoiselle (voulez-vous danser), autour de rocher, and savannah fare you well, and then a few more upbeat songs follow, like the two i mentioned before and altered boy and USS Zydecoldsmobile, and teh cd ends up rather mellow and chill, like that feeling you get when you're under a huge dark blue of stars dreaming about what's to come and feeling small---with the songs someday I will, far side of the world & tonite I justneed my guitar. there is one single song that I dont care for on here, which is all the ways i want you, but the rest i could play over and over forever becasue they never get old and there is a song for every mood. I'd highly recomend that anyone with big dreams of tropical places or exotic places or just an appreciation of jimmy's music check this one out. . . its wonderful.


You can see a complete list of all Jimmy Buffett discography, or go back to the Jimmy Buffett tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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