Meet Me In Margaritaville: The Ultimate Collection

Jimmy Buffett may have made his millions, but that doesn't mean that he has eased up on his workload. After releasing 33 albums, mounting grueling annual tours, and fashioning an entire industry and lifestyle out of his signature song "Margaritaville," Buffett trots out this two-CD collection. Yet, Meet Me in Magaritaville, which spans 30 years, isn't merely a retread of his long, storied career. Buffett has written two new songs for the package and re-recorded six alternative versions of fan favorites (including a moving version of "The Captain and the Kid," which he included for his ailing father, who died shortly after the album's release). He's also added two new cover songs--a spicy bossa nova version of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talking" and the Beach Boys' "Sail on Sailor"--as well four live tracks, which shows the singer at his best, conjuring up his own Yuppie Atlantis, an idyllic place where no one has to wear shoes, the sun is always shining, the bar never closes, and Junior Mints are always available at every cinema. A must-have collection for every Parrothead (or aspiring Parrothead), if only for Buffett's track-by-track descriptions. --Jaan Uhelszki  more