Tim Buckley, 45 Years Gone

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Zoot Marimba, Jun 29, 2020.

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  1. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Hard to believe.

    While many would know him better as Jeff Buckley’s father, Tim proved a truly amazing artist in his own right. From folk to psychedelic to jazz to avant garde to funk, Tim marched to his beat, labels and casual audiences be damned. While I can’t say I like everything he put out, his career proves an intriguing journey of its own. Some records are quite accessible such as Goodbye And Hello, and some are quite challenging such as Starsailor. But with both alongside Happy Sad and Blue Afternoon, Tim’s records gradually reveal themselves and the depths come more to focus as time moves forward.

    A talented and versatile vocalist, Tim could stretch his voice as though yet another instrument in the ensemble. He could bend and twist it while going toe to toe alongside some truly accomplished players. His writing painted a surreal portrayal of the madness and confusion of his time.

    But beyond just being a technically gifted performer, he could just tear your heart with his voice, and I can only imagine what seeing “Song To The Siren” on The Monkees show was like for youngsters ready to enjoy another bit of wacky escapism. The studio version isn’t bad necessarily, but it does seem somewhat overdone. But the version on the Monkees, “Take 7” as it’s been known, it’s just so beautifully haunting, just so naked in its emotion. This Mortal Coil did a great job with it, and many others have covered it, but Take 7 is the go to version for me. The image of drifting oceans, this lone man holding out for his love and hoping to have that peace and feel whole again, Tim’s voice and 12-String capturing the loneliness and anguish in a way that no other version has ever. It’s truly lightning in a bottle.

    In a fair world, Tim would be more known, but even what he did manage to do is still astounding. Thank you Tim for all you gave us, and may you and Jeff Rest In Peace.

     
  2. Siegmund

    Siegmund Vinyl Sceptic

    Location:
    Britain, Europe
    He’d been dead for over a decade before I even heard of him.

    A great (and substantial) body of work for one who died so young.
     
  3. Ignatius

    Ignatius Forum Resident

    All his records were great.
     
  4. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
  5. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group Thread Starter

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Well, that’s a hell of a way to end your show
     
  6. CliffL

    CliffL Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sacramento CA USA
    I discovered Tim at age 15 in 1972...I was up late listening to an underground FM radio station and happened to hear an astonishing song that completely blew me away...it turned out to be "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain" and the DJ announced the artist as Tim Buckley. I had never heard of him but that song was so great I had to have it and went out and found a copy of Goodbye and Hello a few weeks later. I've been a huge fan of Tim's ever since-he was a totally unique talent in the world of music. I still remember being stunned on hearing of his death in 1975.
     
  7. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    :righton: I wonder have many takes Tim did, but wouldn't be surprised if he nailed it on the first one.
     
  8. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    We just watched the Monkees episode with Tim. It would have been the best episode anyway, but Tim is the icing on the cake!
     
  9. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    Nice of the band to give Tim a chance. They must have seen potential ;).
     
  10. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Same here. KMET or KLOS in Los Angeles (don't recall which). The song was the epic "Goodbye and Hello". Might have been the first time a song came on the radio and made me stop and actually *listen*.
     
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  11. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    I think there was a sense at the time that Goodbye and Hello would have been a breakthrough album, but it wasn't. Some have claimed that Tim sabotaged his own chance at success, in addition to whatever additional factors may have worked against him. Since the album was relatively recent when the Monkees episode aired, it is very possible that the group was trying to help revive interest in him.
     
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  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    I found Tim in the eighties via Greetings From LA.
    I bought and really enjoyed Goodbye and Hello.
    About ten years I got a live album Dream Letter.
    I ended up getting the cd box set.
    A really interesting discography, with some wonderful albums
     
  13. Davmoco

    Davmoco Forum Resident

    Location:
    Morrison, CO, USA
    Wow! It only seems 30 years ago!

    Actually, I've been a fan since late '67. Buzzin' Fly is still one of my all-time favorite songs.
     
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  14. Houseplants

    Houseplants Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I posted over the weekend but got no posts. Also couldn’t find a clear answer in the archives.

    whats the best pressing of goodbye hello and happy sad? Would I be better off with a mint repress or a original VG pressing?
     
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  15. CliffL

    CliffL Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sacramento CA USA
    The station I heard Tim on was KPRI in San Diego. KPRI turned me on to a lot of great artists in my formative years. Interesting that we both picked up on Tim Buckley with the same LP.
     
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  16. Beatnik_Daddyo'73

    Beatnik_Daddyo'73 Music Addiction Personified

    ...this is never far from the stereo. Along with Honeyman and Live at The Troubadour.


    Tim Buckley ‎–
    The Complete Album Collection

    [​IMG]
    Label:
    Elektra ‎– 081227933852, Rhino Records (2) ‎– 081227933852
    Format:
    Box Set, Compilation
    8 × CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
     
  17. He was a great one for sure. How can you not love Buzzin' Fly....
     
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  18. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    True!
     
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  19. Dylancat

    Dylancat Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    “Happy Time” is a fav.
     
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  20. jwoverho

    jwoverho Licensed Drug Dealer

    Location:
    Mobile, AL USA
    Every album has its own atmosphere and style. He was already a singular, searching artist, I’m sure the labels never knew what to expect when he was ready to submit a record.
     
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  21. MikeM

    MikeM Senior Member

    Location:
    Youngstown, Ohio
    I will have to admit that I wasn't able to follow Tim after he started getting further and further out.

    But Happy/Sad was a huge album for me from the moment it came out, and Blue Afternoon is similarly lovely. I've never tired of them, and have returned to them so many times over the years. Some very serious magic going on with those ones.
     
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  22. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Amazing performance.

    By the time he recorded it, he changed it into something far less good...
     
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  23. I came around to Tim Buckey's music piecemeal, over a span of many years, in part because some of his best works were out of print and hard to find. Right now is a great time to be a fan since his entire catalog is readily available on CD (especially the set @Beatnik_Daddyo'73 posted above). My advice, grab all his albums while you can! I find something special in each of Tim's records, but I'd say Lorca and Starsailor are my favorites. Plus the various Troubador releases.

    Here's one of Tim's best tracks that doesn't get mentioned as often as others:



    I don't think there's ever been an album-by-album thread on this forum, has there? I wonder if there'd be enough interest to keep one going.
     
  24. Niall1984

    Niall1984 Forum Resident

    The guy was gifted, a true original. So many great songs, Pleasant Street is one of my favorite songs by any artist!
     
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  25. siebrand

    siebrand music lover

    Location:
    Italy
    I remember myself, an artist completely unknown to me, despite the fact that I had already bought music in LP and CD format for decades, listening to a lot of radio.
    But sometimes, that's how it happens.
    I have also always (and still do ...) bought many magazines that talk about music, as well as HiFi.
    So, then, one day, it must have been 25/30 years ago, I read, precisely in one of these magazines that would be cursed because they make you spend all your savings on records, a review of this "dream letter".
    Once, you will remember, there wasn't much of a chance to listen to music on the net, WWW hardly existed. (what a great times, what a good times... )
    Whatever it is ... I decide to try, I go to the record store, I ask Tim Buckley's "live in Londen Dream letter".
    The shopkeeper is a bit surprised because, "the record is beautiful, but very unknown. I can't sell it, only sold one copy, until now...."

    I explain to him that I read something in the XYZ magazine.
    "Ah, well, I see that I can find a copy, so I too read it..."
    "No use," I tell him, "I have a photocopy of the article here."
    He takes it, read it, nods, approves what is written on it, attaches it to the front door.
    so other customers can also read this nice article ... "

    OK, I'm going home, intrigued, I insert the first of the two CDs (it's a double) in the CDP .. I am amazed.
    WOW! what stuff, what special music, what a wonder! the second CD is, perhaps (if possible) even more beautiful.
    For many days I listen to these songs, it's really a great record!
    Very "intimate", yes, of course, but it is also, at the same time, one of those discs that hit your heart right away.
    You fall in love with it ...

    After a while I go back to that shop, buy something, talk about music.
    As always, I am recommended some CDs, as is logical in those places.

    I tell him that "that Buckley live" is one of the best records I've bought in recent times.
    He ... agrees ...
    "You know, siebrand ... That article of yours, do you remember that I put it on the door?
    Well ... it was read by a lot of customers.
    I sold all the copies, yesterday I got the second supply: another 10 pieces ... "

    [​IMG]

    Take a listen to it, guys.
    No... don't take a listen. Just buy it. and enjoy!
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
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