I don’t dislike his music. It’s alright, though I couldn’t listen to it for too long. He’s consistently bland and mediocre, and that’s not too shabby. And even where he’s good, I can’t see as how he’s good enough to be the inspiration for the kind of cultish following Buffett enjoys.
What the hell is it? Is it subliminals, peer pressure, drugs? Why are people so crazy about Jimmy Buffett?
This thread was never intended as a flame. I’m asking what the deal is with Jimmy Buffett. Let me rephrase the question in neutral language:
Why is Jimmy Buffet so popular? What do his fans like about his music? Why does he have such a fanatical following which does not appear to be comensurate with the quality of his music? Does his popularity have anything to do with his oblique association with marijuana, as I have been told?
I admit I was a bit of a smart-ass about it, but I really don’t see that there was any call to cast the thread down in The Pit.
Johhny, Buffet is basically a story teller. His songs are filled with amusing (not witty) little stories that poke gentle fun at the narrator while indicating that the world is an OK place to live, despite all the hassles that we put up with each day. From what I understand, he is a lot of fun in concert, as well.
I am not a fan of his, but this is what I have gleaned from the parrot-heads I know.
As for tossing this thread into the Pit, maybe you just caught Manny at a bad moment (since he was trying to go home), but I’d guess that the tone of the heading, including the mild profanity repeated in the text (along with the notorious partisanship of parrot-heads) encouraged the move.
I can see how this would tend to make people want to listen to him, but the level of enthusiasm I see in `parrotheads’ seems out of proportion.
Of course, I also don’t quite understand the cultish following that Audrey Hepburn still carries. No doubt she was pretty, and she did a couple of good movies. But that doesn’t explain the level of fascination people seem to have with her.
He does seem to have a fanatical following, doesn’t he? Here’s my analysis:
First, I’m not a parrothead. I’ve been to a couple of JB’s concerts, and they were a blast. Lot of fun, audience participation, so on and so forth. One of the oldest concert crowds I’ve ever seen.
So, what’s the attraction? JB is a good songwriter. His songs are ususally funny or poignant. They are well-written and well-performed. Of course, that doesn’t explain his sucess. We can all name lists of hugely talented artists and performers who never enjoy a fraction of JB’s popularity. But he does put out a product of sufficiently competent quality to sell.
I think the real attraction to Buffett is that he’s a little dangerous. Not a lot. A little.
He’s got the aroma of marijuana and pina coladas, the air of old-timey pirates and sailing ships and the charm of an Hawaiian shirt. He’s naughty, but not really scary. He’s no Keith Richard.
This is highly attractive to large groups of people. The Rock 'n Roll thing was originally about rebellion. Buffett’s fans remember that, but are old and established now. Who would they rebel against? Themselves? JB gives them some of the more comfortable trappings of rebellion without the scarier edge of harder music.
I personally enjoy Buffett’s music, but at about the same level as Creedence Clearwater, or the Doobies - background music, music to create a particular mood or atmosphere, but not really music to get excessively excited about.
I think part of it’s marketing - along the way, he figured out how to package that whole relaxed Florida-keys, sand-between-your-toes ambience of his music, and turn it into an industry. There’s a bit of beach bum in most of us, and he plays on it well. But I’m still mystified by the level of passion many of his fans have for him.
Now, Audrey Hepburn - I really don’t get her. I’ve always thought of her as a china doll, and that does absolutely nothing for me.
Enough of voting for the lesser of evils - vote Cthulhu 2000!
Whenever I think of Buffett (which isn’t all that often), HIS music doesn’t run through my head. Instead, I hear the old Little Feat tune “Time Loves a Hero.” About the uncle who runs away from wife, home, and responsibility, and becomes a beach bum in the Caribbean.
Buffett isn’t selling his music, or even himself. He’s selling the idea that you can get away from the car and the mortgage and the kids and all the other crap you accumulated by the age of 50, run away from the squares, and party on the beach like you were 20 again. Rum and reefer all around. He’s selling a Return to Youth.
A damn smart thing to sell. The market will never run dry.
I’m not a Florida resident or native. But I like JB. I also do not do the drug scene so the drug attachment has nothing to do with it. He’s a fun performer (like a vacation) and his songs make whimsical sense. It’s really just a matter of taste. Different performers have different followings. I attend all his concerts (here they are usually in an outside setting). It’s a blast every time.
I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
Okay, I’m a parrot-head. Not the kind that shows up places in a shark-outfit, but the mellower variety that goes and sees Jimmy Buffett every year or two and buys his albums.
Others have already talked about the appeal of the music and lyrics. One of the big things to me are the concerts. Even if the music isn’t your favorite, the concerts are quite a spectacle. And not because of what’s on the stage, rather what’s in the crowd. The people are wild. They come with crazy costumes. They do nutty dances. They jump and sing and know all the lyrics. It’s a real party.
I’m from Cincinnati, Parrothead Central. Basically we’re a bunch of conservatives up here and JB is our idea of “lettin’ loose.” I know, I know, I do wonders for our tourism.
Acid rock scares us. Britney Spears annoys us. JB is somewhere in the middle. Laid back and a tad naughty. That hit the nail on the head.
Ukelele Ike nailed it dead on. It isn’t so much the music as the legend and ambiance around it. Buffett parleyed business sense and a bit of musical talent into a unique niche.
His music (and mystique) evoke memories of sundrenched vacations, relaxed fun and just a bit of amiable anarchy. I’m not a rabid fan but his concerts can be a hoot. Frankly, most of the fun is the crowd. Betcha dollars to doughnuts most of 'em were doing exactly what I was: using the music to trigger memories of relaxed, sun-drenched vacations when his music provided the soundtrack.
Music can spark memories the way scents can. Jimmy Buffett is an automatic trip back in time to “don’t give a damn” leisure times. FWIW, I thoroughly enjoy goofiness, and it’s plain damned fun to melt into a crowd of folks sporting coconut-scented suntan oil (in the winter), gaudy shirts and relaxed attitudes.
It’s great and more power to the very canny Mr. Buffett. I love having an instant recall for lazy seaside idylls, a floppy print shirt over my swimsuit, eating shrimp and drinking good beer and watching the waves.
{{Others have already talked about the appeal of the music and lyrics. One of the big things to me are the concerts. Even if the music isn’t your favorite, the concerts are quite a spectacle. And not because of what’s on the stage, rather what’s in the crowd. The people are wild. They come with crazy costumes. They do nutty dances. They jump and sing and know all the lyrics. It’s a real party.}}
Hmmmmmm…RHPS?
Lynn
If it’s helpful, I’ll compare everyone to Hitler so we can get this
over with as soon as possible.
This all speaks a great deal to why I in particular don’t get Buffett. I don’t particularly care for the beach. I find it uncomfortable, oppressive. The water stinks, the sand gets into uncomfortable places, the sun heats up my brain and makes me angry at everybody I see. I like swimming, but I hate getting out of the water feeling like I’m covered in a thin layer of algae. In short, the very idea of associating the beach with carefree days is alien to me.