Jimmy Buffett’s unexpected passing in September 2023 from a rare form of skin cancer left many fans in shock and sadness. Over the years, he became an icon of island music, routinely releasing albums and constantly touring. Buffett released over 30 albums, with eight certified gold, sold 20 million records worldwide, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. In 2024, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The term, “The Big 8,” was coined to reference his most iconic hits: “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Fins,” “Volcano,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” Since 1976, he toured non-stop every year, totaling an impressive 48 years. Buffett’s success extended beyond music; he launched Margaritaville-themed restaurants, a record label, a Las Vegas casino, a retirement community, a “Coral Reefer” branded marijuana line, and even a video game.
His last album, Equal Strain on All Parts, was released on November 3, 2023, just two months after his death. The title refers to a phrase his grandfather used to describe a good nap, “an equal strain on all parts.” The album includes callbacks to a variety of styles and themes that Buffett explored throughout his career. Notably, Paul McCartney performed bass on the song “My Gummie Just Kicked In,” a phrase McCartney’s wife reportedly said during dinner with Buffett, his wife Jane Slagsvol, and the McCartneys.
Listening to the album and watching the behind-the-scenes videos on Apple Music, fans will be struck by the high production quality and the variety of styles represented. There are several sentimental tracks, in addition to the title cut.
“University of Bourbon Street” is a Louisiana bayou-style tune that pays tribute to Buffett’s musical roots in New Orleans and his impromptu street performances there.
“Audience of One” is a bossa-nova-styled tribute to the idea that having even one person in your audience is better than playing to no one.
“Bubbles Up,” considered by McCartney to be Buffett’s best vocal work, refers to a survival technique for divers. Buffett sings with warmth, “Let’s pop a cork to the rough and the right / To the bright, blazing days and the sweet starry nights / There is light up above, and joy, there’s always enough.”
“Close Calls” feels like a song you might hear at the Grand Ole Opry, featuring slide guitar and a fiddle solo. It recounts tales of the singer’s close shaves, from wrestling gators to surviving barroom brawls.
“Like My Dog” is a cover of a song written by Billy Currington (“Do I Make You Wanna,” “Must Be Doin’ Something Right”) and Scotty Emerick (“I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight”), previously released by Currington. It’s a humorous take on wishing a woman would love him like his dog does: “She never acts like she don’t care for my friends, she never asks me, ‘Where the hell have you been?’”
“Ti Punch Café,” featuring the renowned Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, muses on cosmic thoughts while dreaming of rum bars in the French Caribbean. Buffett sings, “Galaxies and nautilus shells look the same to me / So ask yourself this question: How couldn’t it be?”
“Nobody Works on a Friday” is a playful tune lamenting any work done on the last day of the week. The song references countries where people don’t work as much as Americans, with lines like, “…put my thoughts in a song, it took a global crisis to remind us there’s much more to life than workin’ just a four-day week.”
The album closes with “Mozambique,” a song written by Bob Dylan, originally performed with Emmylou Harris. For Buffett’s version, he brings Harris back to reprise her harmonic role.
In short, this album is a fitting final tribute to the American folk hero who taught us about escaping the volcano, enjoying a “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “wasting away” in Margaritaville. Jimmy Buffett was one of a kind, and in this release, he left us with a reminder of his knack for thoughtful lyrics and catchy melodies.
-Will Wills
Photo: Jimmy Buffett (public domain)
Jimmy was a National Treasure… Perhaps under appreciated, outside of the ParrotHead crowd. Kept pumping out wisdom and wit right up to the end.