The album serves as his musical postcard from one of his favorite places to hang out and perform — he's due back at the Shell on Tuesday.

With Don Ho introducing Buffett and Martin Denny showcasing "Quiet Village" (in his last recording before his death last month), the album marks the final stop of Buffett's Tiki Time Tour last year with his Coral Reefer Band. A bonus DVD offers Parrotheads 16 minutes of concert footage (including a precise duet on "Volcano" with Henry Kapono) from the Island trek; crowd shots at the Shell; and exit interviews with Maui attendees that put a real-life spin on Buffett's appeal.

The album is as much a reflection of Buffett's career as it is a mirror of the reverence his fans have for him. The tunes are sun-soaked, tropics-tinged, chill-out party fare, with folk and country formats melding into that 'ono Buffett brew. It's celebratory stuff, really, as he shapes the mood with themes that uphold the joys of a good time. "Gypsies in the Palace," "Boat Drinks" and "Why Don't We Get Drunk" typify this.

His adoration of Hawai'i and its people is quite evident, subtly appearing in off-the-cuff comments and midstream in songs. Honolulu, for instance, is dropped into "Tiki Bar Is Open," a jazz-flavored romp that kicks off disc No. 2. On "Margaritaville," Buffett salutes "Maui cuties," in a smart insert. And snippets from "Aloha 'Oe" creep into "Why Don't We Get Drunk," which certainly works better here than in Florida, his primary hotspot.

He also ad-libs references to volcanoes, Diamond Head, 'ukulele and the Shell.

He name-drops, too, thanking actor-author Gardner McKay (the late star of "Adventures in Paradise"). "This show's for Gardner, wherever he's listening from. Gardner came to a show one time. ... I want to thank him and tell him what an inspiration he has been to me to run away in search of my gypsy self." Then he performs "We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About" and slips in McKay's name midway.

The late Martin Denny, the father of exotica, guests on "Quiet Village," though the song and the performance are edited and abbreviated into a fade-out.

Buffett's casual, mellow remembrances narrow that gap between star and listener. Who doesn't have a moment to remember about a hero or a meaningful meeting?

"Raising hell tonight," Buffett utters at one point.

The live format lets him introduce and punctuate each song.

Of course, his signatures are right there on the menu: "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" on disc No. 1, "Margarita" on No. 2, and medium-rare or with salt on the rim, both are still savory. And there's his country hit duet with Alan Jackson, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," without Jackson.

And the rest of the song parade doesn't falter; from "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes" to "Everybody's Talkin'," from "Mexico" to "Coconut Telegraph," Buffett capitalizes on playful and tropical elements that support the party spirit.

For more Island presence, Henry Kapono shows up on "Volcano" and joins Buffett on "Back to the Island," which has a calypso flavor and a message of returning to a cherished place "to watch the sun go down and the sea roll in."

The tri-fold packaging depicts Buffett surfing off Waikiki, with Diamond Head in the background, and the lei around his neck on the cover says it all: Hawai'i is his "other" paradise.