“Coconut Telegraph:” an album with no skips

After taking photos next to a soon to be active volcano, Jimmy Buffett and company set forth to create a new album.

After “Volcano,” 1979 was an eventful year, with Buffett’s daughter Savannah Jane Buffett being born and Jimmy busy being a new father.

1980 would be a year without a new release, but come 1981, a new album would be available for the masses.

Standing in a telephone booth wearing a sweater, long pants and loafers at Mobile Bay, Buffett introduces “Coconut Telegraph” to us.

“Coconut Telegraph” is the energetic title track of the album, and it has a lot to offer.

First off, it starts with some fast and fun instrumentals that lead into a lesson on how gossip travels quickly across a small island, via the “coconut telegraph.”

It’s a funny gimmick for a song, especially when Buffett says, “now I’m not one to deal in gossip,” then he goes on to provide gossip on how a poor fellow did a “belly buster high dive and missed the entire pool.”

Overall, it has great instrumentals and lyrics, and the bridge is simple and engaging, making it a great way to start off the new album.

Now here is a really interesting song, and weirdly sentimental, at least to me. “Incommunicado” pays tribute to John Wayne and John MacDonald’s character Travis McGhee by recalling their stories, such as the Red River and the Liberty Valance.

However, the heart of the song is seen in the chorus and the final verses.

Buffett mentions that when he finishes the last line in his story, he’ll, “put that book by itself on the shelf with my heart in it, never wasting time, taking the right way home.”

The way he says he’s trying to make it but sometimes fakes it in addition to the book line means a lot more to me now that he has passed away. “But now he’s incommunicado, finding the right way home.” Beautiful.

“Lip balm” is what Buffett yells to get the attention of his tour manager and is also what he yells at the chaotic beginning of “The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful.” Amid the chaos that follows that line from Buffett, he yells and warns his listeners “don’t ever start a band.”

The song itself has amazing instrumentals, and we follow the typical story of a man who goes to the tropics for his much-deserved vacation.

The stereotypical tropical affairs happen: a love interest, lots of drinking and the people back home being confused.

It’s a classic and a great song off the album and has memorable lines like, “the daiquiri’s too fruitful,” which is funny to say about that kind of drink, but the chorus line, “The skies are too clear, life’s so easy today” just leaves me with a calm state of mind.

“Little Miss Magic” is a sweet ballad that details the personality and mannerisms of Jimmy Buffett’s newborn daughter, Savannah Jane Buffett.

It’s a cute little song of his, as we follow his experiences as a new father, seeing her grow up and thoughts on how he’s seeing more and more of himself in her every day.

Though written by Mac McAnally, “It’s My Job” is a simple and down-to-earth tune about work and why we do the things we do. Written when McAnally was working long and hot hours, with the soles of his shoes melting off, the song answers the simple question of why we do what we do for work, while offering appreciation to those who work “unwanted” positions.

It’s a nice little song due to its simple nature, but don’t forget the name Mac McAnally, as he plays a big role in Buffett’s story.

Buffett tells us that “Growing Older, But Not Up” is not a sad song, which is true, however it’s hard to not have some doubts.

We follow Buffett through some near fatal incidents, such as wiping out after rounding first base, and though his, “mind is quite flexible, these brittle bones don’t bend.”

Despite the worries of growing older, this song reminds us that though we may be growing older, that doesn’t mean we need to act our age.

Buffett exemplified this idea throughout his life, and it’s a lesson we should all take after.

Though I am far from making peace with death, the lyrics Buffett sings ring true, such as “let those winds of time blow over my head, I’d rather die while I’m living than live while I’m dead.”

“Island” is a song that shows Buffett in dialogue with a far-off island. He speaks of how many say no one can be like the island, and though Buffett feels lonely like the island, he accepts that his “heart and soul accompaniment seems to make me different from you.”

He would try to reach the island through many means, but ultimately, he would fail to ever reach its shores.

However, after seeing the island in a dream, something changes, and he now believes that heart and soul don’t make them different.

This song has instrumentals and lyrics that pull you in like waves. The captivating lyrics continually make me ponder their deeper meaning, with little answers.

Other songs were also a good listen, such as “Good Fight.” However, much like “Volcano,” the chart performances weren’t anything spectacular, with “It’s My Job” performing the best in the 50s on the billboard charts, and the album as a whole staying at 30.

It’s a shame since this album is overall quite good, lacking any skip worthy songs.

However, the show never stops, and to find what comes out next, we must look “Somewhere Over China.”