The beach is one of the most visually and sonically amazing places to be. The way the sun glints off the water, the wind blowing through the trees, and the overall joyful atmosphere are what makes the beach so great. But there are also some things about the beach that are not so great. That beautiful glowing orb in the sky will burn your skin if you stay out under it for an extended amount of time, crabs pinch your toes, and the wind whips sand in your face. It seems that there are just as many things to hate about the beach as there are to love about it. What does this have to do with anything?
Well, Jimmy Buffett writes a lot of songs about the beach. And, just like the beach, Buffett’s music is a mixed bag. A-1-A is probably his most popular and well-known album, and it is widely considered to be his best. I have mixed feelings about the album. On one hand, it’s a good album, but on the other hand, the things that make it good are also what make it not so good. Confused? Let me explain.
As previously stated, a lot of Buffett’s songs are about the beach. While that is certainly an enjoyable subject, it gets boring after a few listens. And then once you look further into Buffett’s discography and see that
every album is based around nautical subjects, his appeal diminishes rather quickly. Basically, as far as songwriting and subject matter goes, Buffett is a one trick pony. Particularly on this album, the more upbeat songs tend to sound the same, and the slower songs tend to sound the same. So basically what you get when listening to this album is two songs. Fortunately for Buffett, he does them well enough so that even though the songs sound similar, they still make for the occasional enjoyable listen.
Another issue with the album is that the music is extremely mood-oriented. I’ve listened to this album while at the beach and loved it, but when listening to it at home, it doesn’t quite have the same effect. You really only get maximum enjoyment out of songs like “A Pirate Looks At Forty” and “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season” when you’re at a place where you can relate to them. And there really is only one place where you can see the influence that Buffett used to write the album: the beach. Now, don’t take that the wrong way. You can certainly enjoy this album when you aren’t at the beach, but this record was obviously meant to be listened to at the beach. Essentially it is beach music.
Musically and vocally, Buffett does a good job. When you look at the album cover for A-1-A, you see a gruff man with a manly moustache. So you might expect him to have a gruff manly man voice. Surprisingly, Buffett's voice is smooth and buttery, at times it's almost boyish. Musically, the album is good. The instruments are very bright and cheery sounding, and Buffett is a pretty skilled guitarist and harmonica player. The backing band does a good of keeping up with him and complementing his voice. The drums have a very "beachy" feel, and in many songs, the guitars sound very Hawaiian.
Once you get past the fact that the songs sound similar, you find that there are some really enjoyable tunes on A-1-A. “Life Is Just a Tire Swing” is a nice carefree romp and a great example of the more upbeat songs on the album. “Nautical Wheelers” is the best example of the slower, mellower songs, and one of the best songs of Buffett’s career. Unfortunately most of the other songs are just carbon copies of those, only they aren’t as good. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, and in Buffett’s case, too many songs that sound the same both lyrically and musically is what brings the album down.
Jimmy Buffett’s A-1-A is an overall good album, if you’re in the right mood and place. Otherwise it’s really only good for an occasional listen, and it gets old fast. The only recommendation I would make for this album would be if you’re going to the beach anytime soon because it is
perfect for that. If not, there’s really no reason to look into this album other than “Nautical Wheelers” and “Life Is Just a Tire Swing.” If you listen to those, then you’ve essentially heard the whole album.
3/5
