Music » Bluegrass Music

Critics have always been singularly unkind to Jimmy Buffett. Or at least they have since the singer became immune to their jabs, commanding a nation of Parrotheads who sell out his shows, snap up his records and books, and eat and drink in his nightclubs in Key West and New Orleans. By now, you've made up your mind as well: To paraphrase Buffett himself from his song "Volcano," you either lava him now, or you lava him not. Songs You Know by Heart is a friendly little best-of collection that features concert perennials such as "Margaritaville," "Fins," "Cheeseburger in Paradise," and the immutable "Why Don't We Get Drunk." If by some chance you've not yet been introduced to Buffett's music, this album is the best way to say hello. --Daniel Durchholz

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

It's telling that Richard Marx broke into the music business singing backup vocals for Lionel Richie and writing songs with Kenny Rogers and Chicago, for he kept to the straightforward, middle-of-the-road approach of those acts once he became a recording artist in his own right--not that there's anything wrong with that. A dependable hitmaker throughout the late '80s and early '90s, Marx scored with rockers ("Don't Mean Nothing," "Should've Known Better"), and ballads ("Right Here Waiting," "Endless Summer Nights") alike. Greatest Hits collects those songs as well as the lion's share of his high-end chart action--of which there was plenty, proving that a devotion to craft sometimes pays off better than fickle inspiration. --Daniel Durchholz

Not exactly a country artist, since her records lack twang, and too casual and intimate to make for a standard-issue MOR pop performer, Anne Murray's phenomenally warm, smooth voice has nevertheless secured a lofty place for her in both categories--and has occasionally brought her into the mainstream (read: traditionally rock and soul dominated) pop arena. If you're not a fan, or much of a country enthusiast, it's her '70s pop hits that'll make the package worthwhile. "Snowbird" is here, as is "You Needed Me." If you are a fan, or are looking for songs that hit only on the country or Canadian charts, there'll be a lot of key stuff missing. Investigate the 3 CD Now and Forever collection. --Gavin McNett

Reissue of the late British folk icon's 1969 debut album. Ten tracks. Island.

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Capitol

Release Date: 1990-10-25, Audio CD, Elektra / Wea

On this release, Banana Wind, Buffett continues in the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek celebration of the beach-bum lifestyle that has made him a hero to tens of thousands of his "Parrothead" fans. Combining country-rock and calypso into his signature sound, the singer-songwriter advises all of us caught up in the rat race that we need to "take a holiday, grab a pack, and hit the trail, take a sail, and wind up in some moonlit bay." Early in his career Buffett was able to re-create the tension of everyday life before he released it with considerable gusto in a sun-filled fantasy. These days, however, he seems so out of touch with ordinary lives that he can't build much tension at all, and as a result his songs are so laid-back that they never quite get off the mat. --Geoffrey Himes

On their debut CD, three young Canadian songbirds (Frazey Ford, Samantha Parton, and Trish Klein) join the neo-trad movement that has given us such notable voices as Iris DeMent and Gillian Welch. But where Welch finds inspiration in the dark hollows and tragic tales of Appalachian music, the Be Good Tanyas seek out sweetness and light, reveling in the interplay of their beautifully trilling voices. Blue Horse is deeply rooted but is not an exercise in old-time purism; originals outnumber traditional songs, and the core accompaniment of guitar and banjo is often supplemented by bass and drums, creating a Rickie Lee Jones-esque lilt in "The Littlest Birds" and a reggae-tinged groove on the haunting old ballad "Rain and Snow." The band name may be a bit tough to get your lips around, but the music of this talented trio is a refreshing drink from a clear mountain stream. --Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers

The very best of Linda Ronstadt packs a single CD with 21 Ronstadt classics released by Capitol and Elektra/Asylum from 1967-1993. 2002.