mca/margaritaville records, 1992
1992 was a busy year for jimmy buffett. after having his novel where is joe merchant? become his second novel on the new york times bestseller list, buffett branched out and started margaritaville records and opened a second cafe in new orleans. the buffetts also welcomed their second daughter into their world. ‘92 also gave us buffett’s quadruple platinum selling boxed set boats, beaches, bars and ballads quickly gaining reputation as one of the best selling boxed sets of all time.
the set contains four discs appropriately named boats, beaches, bars and ballads. the set also contains a small book with descriptions of some of the songs and photos of buffett’s journey through the years. starting out, the boats album contains all of the great “boat” songs such as son of a son of a sailor, slow boat to china, and treat her like a lady, as well as two previously unreleased tracks, take it back and love and luck.
beaches contains the island favorites margaritaville, tin cup chalice, i have found me a home, and volcano. the only previously unreleased track on beaches is the catchy upbeat money back guarantee. the third disc, bars features the party tracks and perennial favorites such as fins, the weather is here (wish you were beautiful), why don’t we get drunk, and a personal favorite the wino and i know. tracks new to fans are the fun loving elvis imitators and domino college, a track written with the late dan fogelberg back in the “old” st. barts. the set winds down with ballads, but i wouldn’t call it a “date” album. with tracks like come monday, incommunicado, little miss magic, and african friend, ballads has slower songs but not necessarily “love songs”. songs new to this disc are the environmental everlasting moon and middle of the night featuring the neville brothers.
boats, beaches, bars and ballads is the ultimate in jimmy buffett. if you’re looking for an abridged collection of buffett’s ’70’s and ’80’s work then this set is for you. it features every fan favorite and excludes those tracks that have never faired well. with 72 songs boats, beaches, bars and ballads is a set worth owning.
