Has Jimmy Lost His Knack At Songwriting?

[PartofthePhlock]

I don't think he is a worse writer at all. I believe he has grown up and having high end fun now. And the adventures we have come to love and relate with are fewer in number.

my 2 cents.

[HurricaneSeason]

I think the correct response to the poll is all three of them. It is rather obvious that he's written some bad songs the past few albums (Fruitcakes' Vampires..., Banana Wind's Overkill - even though it is funny, he raps, which is absurd for Mr DRALS; BHOTM's Math Suks, FSOTW's Autour Du Rocher or Hokey Pokey and for some, Altered Boy; LTC's Conky Tonkin' and Simply Complicated to TTWWY's Party At The End Of The World, which is startlingly awful) and there is probably one on the new album (Chill The Rose from what I've heard). But like it has been pointed out, not every album is free of such things in the past (at the time Cheeseburger was probably pretty bad, The Good Fight, Livin' It Up, Everybody's On The Run are some examples).

He's not the Jimmy of the late 1970s or early 1980s. Nor the mid 1990s. But he has written some fantastic songs on the past 6 albums and before those as well. And like someone said, he's changed, we've changed. Some people think he has, some people think he's never done anything bad (maybe they haven't changed ). So yeah, use the skip button - it's free!

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I think the correct response to the poll is all three of them. It is rather obvious that he's written some bad songs the past few albums (Fruitcakes' Vampires..., Banana Wind's Overkill - even though it is funny, he raps, which is absurd for Mr DRALS; BHOTM's Math Suks, FSOTW's Autour Du Rocher or Hokey Pokey and for some, Altered Boy; LTC's Conky Tonkin' and Simply Complicated to TTWWY's Party At The End Of The World, which is startlingly awful) and there is probably one on the new album (Chill The Rose from what I've heard). But like it has been pointed out, not every album is free of such things in the past (at the time Cheeseburger was probably pretty bad, The Good Fight, Livin' It Up, Everybody's On The Run are some examples).

He's not the Jimmy of the late 1970s or early 1980s. Nor the mid 1990s. But he has written some fantastic songs on the past 6 albums and before those as well. And like someone said, he's changed, we've changed. Some people think he has, some people think he's never done anything bad (maybe they haven't changed ). So yeah, use the skip button - it's free!

I like several of the songs you've mentioned above. I don't think they're 'bad' songs; it's personal taste whether you like them or not.

And no, I don't like every song Jimmy's ever cut. "Baby's Gone Shopping" and "Barracuda" get skipped just about every time, for instance. I'm sure there are people who like those songs. It's just preference, not 'good' or 'bad' songs.

[HurricaneSeason]

Those songs I mentioned that are 'bad' are a combination of songs I've seen listed here for quite some time as songs people don't like. Personal taste vs good/bad song is different. It explains Hootie And The Blowfish's success.

I actually like Altered Boy, because it is obviously so tongue in cheek that seemingly a lot of people have taken it way too seriously. But something like PATEOTW is just downright terrible - it's like JB is imitating Roxette or Madonna. Maybe is actually is. The personal taste to like that song must be way out of whack. But hey, it is what it is. What's even funnier is how people will defend them when they are just obviously not good songs and there are a ton of better songs.

[nutmeg]

Those songs I mentioned that are 'bad' are a combination of songs I've seen listed here for quite some time as songs people don't like. Personal taste vs good/bad song is different. It explains Hootie And The Blowfish's success.

I actually like Altered Boy, because it is obviously so tongue in cheek that seemingly a lot of people have taken it way too seriously. But something like PATEOTW is just downright terrible - it's like JB is imitating Roxette or Madonna. Maybe is actually is. The personal taste to like that song must be way out of whack. But hey, it is what it is. What's even funnier is how people will defend them when they are just obviously not good songs and there are a ton of better songs.

I think it is personal taste whether a song is "good" or "bad" I never hit the skip button for Party at the End of the World but I always do for Cuban Crime of Passion which I really don't like. (I know a lot of people just adore it) Same with God's Own Drunk. I hope he never plays it at a concert I attend....but it is the life ambition of a lot of others here to hear it live. I Like Everybody's on the Phone. You may think my personal taste is out of whack...but I'm sure I'd prolly feel the same way about yours:lol: (OK so I'lll admit I don't hit the skip for Hokey Pokey either )

It's kinda like how I love living in Michigan and Molly loves living in Texas. Neither of us us is out of whack. We just like different states.

Just made "Here We Are" my ring tone and my concert life ambition is to hear "Breathe in Breathe out Move On" as an encore. Both are relatively recent songs.

So keep on writing Jimmy. (Oh! and I heard Surfing in a Hurricane in Hawaii when he first sang it...and loved it too)

[HurricaneSeason]

Eek! Good luck hearing Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On live at all, yet alone as an encore!

I'm with ya though. It WOULD be fantastic if he played that. Maybe a thread should be started about songs Jimmy really needs to play that he hasn't.

[capnbobby]

Here's how I would explain it: From the 1970s to the early 1980s, from "White Sport Coat" to "Coconut Telegraph," Jimmy was hungry to make it, and he wrote great songs. In my opinion, every song on each of those albums is great. After that, Jimmy had made it, and he didn't have that hunger to succeed any longer. The albums after that have a few great songs on them such as "The Pascagoula Run" and "Ragtop Day," but they also have some clunkers like "Pre You" and "Mermaids in the Night." The albums after "Coconut Telegraph" come across, to me, as too easy, the product of an artist who had already made it and was no longer hungry for success.

Fins Up
Cap'n Bobby

[lime rickie]

I wouldn't say that he has "lost his knack". Reggabilly Hill is a fairly new song that (to me) is classic "storytelling" Jimmy. I love it. There are other newer songs that I don't like at all. But there are older ones I don't like either.

It makes sense that his approach has changed, whether it be due to him aging, having achieved success, etc. He has a lifetime of new experiences to draw on. Same for the fans.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I wouldn't say that he has "lost his knack". Reggabilly Hill is a fairly new song that (to me) is classic "storytelling" Jimmy. I love it. There are other newer songs that I don't like at all. But there are older ones I don't like either.

It makes sense that his approach has changed, whether it be due to him aging, having achieved success, etc. He has a lifetime of new experiences to draw on. Same for the fans.

Um, but not a good example... Michael Garrett wrote Reggabilly Hill.

Still, even with the ones he didn't write, I almost always like JB's interpretation when he covers a song.

[Bfan53again]

I wouldn't say that he has "lost his knack". Reggabilly Hill is a fairly new song that (to me) is classic "storytelling" Jimmy. I love it. There are other newer songs that I don't like at all. But there are older ones I don't like either.

It makes sense that his approach has changed, whether it be due to him aging, having achieved success, etc. He has a lifetime of new experiences to draw on. Same for the fans.

Um, but not a good example... Michael Garrett wrote Reggabilly Hill.

Still, even with the ones he didn't write, I almost always like JB's interpretation when he covers a song.

My wife says that JB's covers are almost always better than the original versions......and I have to agree!

And I do like that Radio Margaritaville often plays the original artist's version so we can compare the styles.....

[lime rickie]

I wouldn't say that he has "lost his knack". Reggabilly Hill is a fairly new song that (to me) is classic "storytelling" Jimmy. I love it. There are other newer songs that I don't like at all. But there are older ones I don't like either.

It makes sense that his approach has changed, whether it be due to him aging, having achieved success, etc. He has a lifetime of new experiences to draw on. Same for the fans.

Um, but not a good example... Michael Garrett wrote Reggabilly Hill.

Still, even with the ones he didn't write, I almost always like JB's interpretation when he covers a song.

My wife says that JB's covers are almost always better than the original versions......and I have to agree!

And I do like that Radio Margaritaville often plays the original artist's version so we can compare the styles.....

Oops!

But I do love many of the covers....Everybody's Talkin' is another one I think he does so well. Jimmy's style is just suited so perfectly to songs like those.

[Gator]

NO, I've always have said that Jimmy could fart on an album and I would buy it and think it sounded good lol!!!!!!

[Tiki Torches]

That recent Rolling Stone article about his next record mentions a new song he's written called "Clueless People in a Fraidy Cat World". That doesn't exactly bode well for his songwriting future. I'm hoping he proves me wrong though.

[springparrot]

Those songs I mentioned that are 'bad' are a combination of songs I've seen listed here for quite some time as songs people don't like. Personal taste vs good/bad song is different. It explains Hootie And The Blowfish's success.

I actually like Altered Boy, because it is obviously so tongue in cheek that seemingly a lot of people have taken it way too seriously. But something like PATEOTW is just downright terrible - it's like JB is imitating Roxette or Madonna. Maybe is actually is. The personal taste to like that song must be way out of whack. But hey, it is what it is. What's even funnier is how people will defend them when they are just obviously not good songs and there are a ton of better songs.

I think it is personal taste whether a song is "good" or "bad" I never hit the skip button for Party at the End of the World but I always do for Cuban Crime of Passion which I really don't like. (I know a lot of people just adore it) Same with God's Own Drunk. I hope he never plays it at a concert I attend....but it is the life ambition of a lot of others here to hear it live. I Like Everybody's on the Phone. You may think my personal taste is out of whack...but I'm sure I'd prolly feel the same way about yours:lol: (OK so I'lll admit I don't hit the skip for Hokey Pokey either )

It's kinda like how I love living in Michigan and Molly loves living in Texas. Neither of us us is out of whack. We just like different states.

Just made "Here We Are" my ring tone and my concert life ambition is to hear "Breathe in Breathe out Move On" as an encore. Both are relatively recent songs.

So keep on writing Jimmy. (Oh! and I heard Surfing in a Hurricane in Hawaii when he first sang it...and loved it too)

Yes, I love living in TX, but I'm pretty sure I'm out of whack, too

But back on subject---Depending on the day, I love or dislike all of JB's songs....one day I may skip a song and the next day, love it.
Yup---I'm whacky