One Particular Harbour

For many listeners, Jimmy Buffett's late-'70s work left something to be desired. The head parrot had gone domestic and albums like Somewhere Over China and Coconut Telegraph seemed more like afterthoughts than inspired artifacts. Against this backdrop, One Particular Harbour (1983) was something like a comeback, with Buffett's best batch of songs since Son of a Son of a Sailor in 1978. Mellow ballads with a soft rock production like "Stars on the Water," "California Promises," and "Twelve Volt Man" presented the former party animal as a thoughtful dreamer. There are also pleasant pieces like "Distantly in Love" and "Why You Wanna Hurt My Heart?," which find Buffett in a confessional singer/songwriter mode. Of course, it wouldn't be a typical Jimmy Buffett album without a couple of humorous songs. While "I Used to Have Money One Time" is a bit obnoxious, "Honey Do" and "We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About" tell fun tales about being single and growing older. The album also has a bouncy version of "Brown Eyed Girl." One Particular Harbour may not qualify as classic Buffett, but it did prove that he still had a thing or two to say after the party was over. Like Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes, it's also the type of album that's perfect for a weekend getaway at the beach. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.