Honeyman [Live]

Tim Buckley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 13, 2010)
• Original Release Date: September 11, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: MANIFESTO RECORDS
• ASIN: B000005DE2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,152 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

By the early 1970s, the surreal adventurism of albums such as Lorca and Starsailor began to threaten Tim Buckley's commercial survival. Honeyman, the third of Buckley's posthumously released live albums, bridges the gap between the patchy penultimate album and his frenetic live persona. Originally broadcast live on New York's WLR radio station in 1973, Honeyman is the least remarkable of the live trilogy, reaffirming why the critical tide was beginning to turn against him. The arrangements of "Devil Eyes" and the four songs taken from Sefronia (Fred Neil's "Dolphins," "Sally Go Round the Roses," "Stone in Love," and "Honeyman") are sparser and more focused, but still don't represent his best work. As ever, the best live Buckley material dates back to the '60s. However, Happy Sad's "Buzzin'Fly" and Goodbye & Hello's "Pleasant Street" strut much more beautifully on Dream Letter: Live in London. --Reuben Dessay

Product Description

By the early 1970s, the surreal adventurism of albums such as Lorca and Starsailor began to threaten Tim Buckley's commercial survival. Honeyman, the third of Buckley's posthumously released live albums, bridges the gap between the penultimate album and his frenetic live persona. Originally broadcast live on New York's WLR radio station in 1973. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a keeper!, January 26, 2005

By 

Don Schmittdiel "running_man" (Clinton Twp., MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honeyman (Audio CD)

As with Tim Buckley's entire career, this CD will go relatively unnoticed, but that is much more a loss to potential fans of Buckley's work than anyone else. Reuben Dessey's review of the disc for Amazon states that 'Honeyman' is "the least remarkable of [Buckley's] live trilogy", but that is certainly subject to the tastes of the consumer, and I for one am much more enamoured with Buckley's post-'Starsailor' works. There is no question that Buckley became disillusioned with the lack of success his more high-minded, avante-garde folk work had produced in the 1960's. In fact, Buckley took a yearlong sabbatical to rethink and reshape his career, which he resurrected in 1972 with his more commercially successful 'Greetings From L.A.' piece. What Buckley went through is reminiscent of Bob Dylan spurning his folk roots to go electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Both received criticism for pursuing what was viewed by some as a lesser musical genre... but of course many others embraced the change as the next logical step up.

If you enjoy the Tim Buckley of 'Greetings From L.A.', 'Honeyman' is the perfect complement. This live radio broadcast features three songs from that disc, and the live versions are significantly altered from the studio renditions. The most significant change is to the steamy 'Get On Top', whose instrumentation, while still charged, sounds nothing like the original. Buckley's vocals are less intense, and thus clearer, and the track runs about two minutes shorter than the studio track by omitting the coda. 'Sweet Surrender', the closer, runs about a minute and a half longer here. Along with 'Devil Eyes', these tracks are a welcome addition to fans of Tim's 1970's persona.

This performance was recorded around Thanksgiving Day in 1973 at New York's WLIR studio's in support of Buckley's 'Sefronia' album, so it isn't surprising that four of the nine tracks are drawn from that disc, and aside from 'Stone In Love', which has an unusual cadence, they're all winners. The recording of 'Dolphins' is a bit more subdued than the BBC version included on the 'Once I Was' disc, but very nice nonetheless, while 'Honeyman' and 'Sally Go Round the Roses' are solid, funky rock compositions. I don't believe Buckley's bandmates are as talented as the outfits he put together in the 1960's, but Joe Falsia lays down some nice solo's on my favorite instrument, the wah-pedal guitar. I do miss Carter C.C. Collins conga's, but Mark Tieman's keyboards add a previously missing dimension to Buckley's live sound.

There are two tracks drawn from Buckley's pre-sabbatical days, 'Pleasant Street' from 1967's 'Goodbye & Hello' album, and 'Buzzin' Fly' from 1969's 'Happy Sad'. 'Pleasant Street' is a folk-electric blues number that morphs into a pleasant and extended instrumental ending, but it's my least favorite track on the disc after 'Stone In Love'. 'Buzzin' Fly' however has a great beat, so I give it an 85 (anyone too young to remember American Bandstand can ponder that last statement).

Given that this performance took place in a radio station's studio with only a very small audience present helps to insure that this disc is of the highest quality. It runs about an hour in length, and features some interesting liner notes from Randy Bookasta, the Executive Editor of Raygun, including quotes from Buckley himself regarding his career. Many of the CD's I review are quickly returned into the marketplace, but I won't be letting go of this one. It's a keeper.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!!!, August 6, 2000

By 

Bad Metal Jeff - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honeyman (Audio CD)

What a voice........absolutely astounding in it fluidity. Tim Buckley was a true master of the live atmosphere. He takes takes chances and stretches his voice to it's limits. Stand out cuts Pleasant Street and Sweet Surrender are 8 minute plus excursions into euphoria. Emotionally charged, this CD rocks!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ahead of the Curve, August 18, 2009

By 

Murray M. Gilkeson III (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Honeyman (Audio CD)

This live album from 1974 is of remarkably good sound quality. Don't be misled by the one negative review here.
Tim alienated a few fans who wanted him to be a folk singer forever, but he was always ahead of the curve. This cd has some great renditions of songs from that era of funk which he proved he could do as well as anyone in his own distinctive style. It captures a time when he was trying to stay commercially viable after years of no compromising with music industry, and he is letting it loose and enjoying himself.