Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am as big a Buffett fan as they come. But I am NOT one to succumb to the "emperor's new clothes" syndrome. While some may feel guilty for saying anything negative about King Parrothead, I feel he deserves, and can handle, the truth. If this music speaks to him, great (queue up 'Making Music For Money'), but it certainly lacks what speaks to me (whether it was coming from Buffett or anyone else)... Others have said it, Buffett's voice is in a 'phone-it-in' mode here, the entire album. He is simply speaking the words and elongating some vowel sounds. He isn't singing... the entire album lacks any melody, with the occasional briefly lived exception here and way over there. I do NOT mind the album being stripped down and mellow!... some of my favorite Buffett songs are the slow paced and under-produced ones (something about a mandolin, tin cup chalice, pacing the cage, livingstons gone to texas, wonder why you ever go home, etc etc etc etc etc) but all those songs have something in common: they are carefully penned, thoughtfully constructed and damn catchy. Sadly most of this album lacks any of those adjectives. Its actually hard to listen to if you know and expect anything comparable to those beautiful tunes... or anything remotely resembling a song for that matter. In the past, even the lesser Buffet albums had some salvageable moments. I'll really have to search awhile to find them here. And I REALLY do want to find them here. I wish I could give him an 'A for effort', but I think the lack of effort is exactly the problem. But Jim, if this music speaks to you, go for it! You have given me more timeless classics that I will take to the grave with me than Neil Young, The Allman Bros or The Dead. Make the music for you, sir, I'll wait patiently for the next round and hope it speaks to me. You owe me nothing... I owe you much! Edit: I will end up throwing 2 songs into my Buffett Playlist. I Wave Bye Bye and Tides. They are not stellar or classic Jimmy tunes but they are adequate. I notice that the music itself isn't at all bad. If there is a karaoke version of this album with no singing, I would like it. It really is Jim's voice and lyrics that are the problem. During the verses he speaks the words as if he is mocking himself. The chorus parts of the songs aren't as bad. Lyrically it seems he is really scraping the bottom of the barrel to find things that inspire him (dead circus performers? NASAs trip to the moon? Einstein?) Those don't take me away to the tropics, they take me away to a science lab. Who wants THAT? And I'm No Russian is not only pitiful topically, it may be THE WORST Buffett song ever. And it's a sad day when Too Drunk To Karaoke isn't even the worst song on the album. Still... there are a few not too bad tunes in here but not enough to get me to go up from 1 star ranking.