BAROMETER SOUP

Personnel: Jimmy Buffett (vocals, guitar); Peter Mayer (vocals, guitar); Nicolette Larson, Mary Harris, Claudia Cummings (vocals); Greg "Fingers" Taylor (harmonica); Amy Lee (saxophone); John Lovell (trumpet); Thom Mitchell (horns); Michael Utley (keyboards, organ); Michael Tschudin (keyboards, mallet cat); Jay Oliver (keyboards, programming); Jim Mayer (bass); Roger Guth (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drums, percussion); Ralph MacDonald (percussion). Recorded at Shrimp Boat Sound, Key West, Florida. Includes liner notes by Jimmy Buffett. Personnel: Jimmy Buffett (vocals, guitar); Peter Mayer (vocals, guitar); Mary Harris , Nicolette Larson, Claudia Cummings (vocals); Greg "Fingers" Taylor (harmonica); Amy Lee (saxophone); John Lovell (trumpet); Thomas Mitchell (horns); Michael Utley (organ, keyboards); Jay Oliver (keyboards, programming); Michael Tschudin (keyboards); Jim Mayer (bass guitar); Roger Guth (drums); Robert Greenidge (steel drum); Ralph MacDonald (percussion). Audio Mixer: Rob Eaton. Liner Note Author: Jimmy Buffett. Photographer: Antoinette Williams. Arrangers: Jay Oliver; Jimmy Buffett; Peter Mayer; Roger Guth. "Follow in my wake, you've not that much at stake..." So begins BAROMETER SOUP, perhaps the most engaging work yet from Jimmy Buffett, the man whose Key West-inspired music has fed a culture of Parrotheads for more than 20 years. Mixed into this soup are classic Buffett tales--songs with attitude, songs about dreamers, wistful memories, bad habits and "Barefoot Children In The Rain." Yet, there's also an added depth, arrived at through thoughtful tributes to some of his favorite authors. BAROMETER SOUP continues in the tradition of CHANGES IN LATITUDES, CHANGES IN ATTITUDES and SON OF A SON OF A SAILOR, offering a generous helping of pensive ballads and carefree, whistleable tunes. The poignancy of "Jimmy Dreams," a quietly introspective song about the importance of dreams, is contrasted by "Lage Nom-Ai," a calypso tune with the same dance-inspiring energy as "Volcano." What's different about this Buffett album are the influences and inspirations. The sad tale of the "Remittance Man," for instance, is inspired by a Mark Twain story, and deals with the tragic fate of a wanderer destined to be a "a prisoner of his fears." Buffett's strengths are the integrity with which his music reflects both his personality and message, and the ability to get listeners to sing along. He conveys what should be common sense but too often isn't ("Take it all in it's as big as it seems/Count all your blessings, remember your dreams"), and provides social commentary ("You could shoplift all day at Blockbuster/But you can't steal the Orange Bowl Queen") through tales which, though they are born in the provincial worlds of Key West and the Caribbean, are accessible and applicable to all.