Happy Sad

Tim Buckley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Ada
• ASIN: B000005IU0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,491 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #15 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > Folk Rock
  • #68 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > General

Editorial Reviews

One of the best albums of the late '60s and Tim Buckley's most underrated album, Happy Sad was a change-up pitch for the eclectic L.A. singer/songwriter. Sounding like Fred Neil's albums, Buckley and his small, acoustic-based ensemble create beautiful, jazz tinged folk-rock. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JAZZ-TINGED VIBES FROM 'THE VOICE', April 3, 2002

By 

Larry L. Looney (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Sad (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite albums by Tim Buckley, and marks his first forays into a 'jazzier' style. Each of the albums he recorded in his brilliant, too-short career has a distinct personality -- the closest relative to HAPPY SAD would have to be the sadly out-of-print BLUE AFTERNOON (PLEASE, someone, make this available again!!!), released shortly after on Frank Zappa & Herb Cohen's Straight Records. Buckley, unhappy with his relationship with Elektra, had signed with Straight -- and the label began releasing albums by him before his contract with Elektra was fulfilled, causing a bit of confusion in the marketplace at the time. HAPPY SAD (Elektra) was followed closely by BLUE AFTERNOON (Straight), which was followed closely by LORCA (Elektra), then STARSAILOR (Straight again). Too much product in too short a time proved more than the market could bear -- and Tim's record sales (and to a lesser extent, his radio play) suffered. The fans he already had delighted, however -- more of his brilliance to enjoy.

The album features a small ensemble, several of whom would remain the core of Buckley's band for several years to come. Subdued electric guitar, bass, vibes, marimba and percussion surrounded Tim's trademark 12-string and his incredibly capable soaring voice. The first two tracks, 'Strange feelin' and 'Buzzin' fly' draw the listener in gently but firmly as Tim weaves his spell, the rhythms gently swaying, the tunes melodic and memorable. The third track, 'Love from room 109 at the Islander', is much more dreamlike in mood and tone, more freeform in style -- but again, Tim's art is magnetic. 'Dream letter' and 'Sing a song for you' are similarly slow-paced, with the frenetic, extended workout of 'Gypsy woman' in between, giving Tim (and the band) a chance to 'stretch out' a bit more.

Buckley's life was tragically short -- how many great artists could you say THAT about...? -- but his legacy is, thankfully, preserved in some great, timeless recordings. He moved along the musical highway from folk-rock to poetic pop to jazz to all-out free-form experiments, then back to a more 'commercially viable' jazz-funk-pop sound on his last recordings. His music was always intelligent and imaginative -- and always as challenging as it was rewarding.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buckley's Masterpiece, May 7, 2001

By 

William M. Feagin "music dealer/geek" (Upstate New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Sad (Audio CD)

...or so critics have called it, and I must agree. This is music for a series of dreams, lovely romantic dreams, dreams of loss and regret, dreams of redemption...dreams that remain vividly imprinted on your mind upon waking in the half-light of dawn.

This was not the first of Tim's albums that I bought--that honor goes to "Dream Letter: Live in London, 1968," which stands as one of the best all-time live albums ever released and as a testament to what an underrecognized talent Tim was. Four of the tracks from "Happy Sad" appeared in shimmering, beautiful live versions on "Dream Letter," which prompted me to seek out "Happy Sad" on CD. And what a find: "Buzzin' Fly" speaks of warm memories of love ("Walkin' hand in hand/Along the sand/The seabird knew your name...") and regret for having lost it ("Ah, but sometimes, honey, in the morning/I miss you so/That's how I know I've found a home..."); in "Dream Letter," he wonders about his young son and what sort of man he'll become; in "Love from Room 109 at the Islander (on Pacific Coast Highway)," he sets down a long and dreamy elegy wherein you can almost picture him sitting on a porch overlooking the beach as the tide rolls in.

Note about "Love from Room 109": In a piece on Tim's life and career in the December 1991 issue of Musician magazine, Jerry Yester (the producer of this album and "Goodbye and Hello") tells of how the surf effect came to be used as part of the backing track. It seems the sound engineer somehow forgot to turn on the Dolby NR mechanism before committing "Love from Room 109" to tape, and consequently, there is audible tape hiss. Yester broke the bad news to Tim, who was understandably upset, then hit upon the idea of using the surf to cover the background noise (since they were roughly the same level, in any case) as it fit in somewhat with the theme of the song (being "on Pacific Coast Highway"). If you listen closely, you can still hear the tape hiss under the surf. One of the things that struck me most about this album is that, with the exception of Lee Underwood's guitar and David Friedman's vibraphone, the instrumentation is entirely acoustic. This contributes to the mellow, dreamy feel of the music--just wonderful. "Happy Sad" is a must-have for any Buckley fan; if you are just starting out on Tim's music, buy this or "Goodbye and Hello." You won't be disappointed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy to own this album, sad that he's died young, June 18, 2000

By 

fu wai (Hong Kong, not applicable Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Happy Sad (Audio CD)

Tim Buckley made strings of album that worth 5 stars (up to Starsailor). Each of these albums are unique to others. For this one, it's his first venture into Jazz folk... Strange Feelin' is the weakest track in this record,(only relative to other superub stuff)but have its merit. BUzzin Fly's vibraphone accompliment makes this joyful tune full of verve. Love from room 109~ seems boring at the start, but after 2 minutes once you immerse in the sea of benign you would find that how relaxing and how great it is. Dream letter's dreamy soundscape make it one of the most romantic song ever. Gypsy Woman is quite different from rest in the record, it's quite soul in its spirit... buckley yell and cry and shout... with Lee Underwood's excellent guitar (buckley can't be without him) and last cut "sing a song for you", simple yet impressive.

What a pity that Blue Afternoon and Starsailor is out of print now. Try "Lorca" if you like something more experimental.