Tim Buckley

Tim Buckley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 9, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1967
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Ada
• ASIN: B000005ISD
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,888 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #70 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > Folk Rock

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded deluxe two CD edition of the 1966 debut album from the Folk legend featuring a total of 34 bonus tracks including demos, acoustic versions and more.. Features the original songs produced by Elektra founder Jac Holzman and Paul Rothchild (The Doors producer), engineered by Bruce Botnick (The Doors and Love engineer), featuring jangle-fried guitar by Lee Underwood and twinkling, reeling keyboards from Van Dyke Parks, with strings arranged by Jack Nitzsche. Tim was a ferociously compelling live performer, so the collaboration of all of these amazing producers was probably necessary to capture his spirit so well. It's unbelievable this debut has languished out of print for so long, as Buckley was supremely precocious even when concocting richly harmonizing freak-pop confections. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars '...LISTEN TO MY MAGIC VOICE', January 13, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Tim Buckley (Audio CD)

That's the way I remember reacting to this recording when I first heard it, back in 1966 - it's as stunning now as it was then. It's incredible that he was only 19 years old when he made it - the voice, the intelligence and emotion, the songwriting, are all what you would expect from a much older, more seasoned artist. Did I mention his voice? Of course I did - but that voice is one thing that set Tim apart from so many of his contemporaries (and from so many current artists as well). He had amazing control and an unbelievable range - he could soar upward and upward, seemingly without limits, without slipping into an obvious falsetto. The songs on this recording are a foreshadowing of the incredible work that was to come - and perhaps of the apogee that his creativity (and his life) attained too soon. Like all of his fans, I was crushed when he died in 1975 at 28.

The songs here - all written by Tim, or co-written with lyricist Larry Beckett - shine like diamonds. Recorded and released during the folk-rock era, the arrangements and instrumentation reflects that influence, but with an individuality and earnestness that raises them above the crowd. The opening lines of `Song of the magician' sum it up nicely: `When I sing, I can bring everything on the wind flying down from dizzy air...' Buckley's voice always had that power - and combined with some of the most beautifully poetic lyrics ever set to music, the songs on this album (and most of his subsequent releases), it's demonstrated again and again.

Highlights? Almost every song is a highlight, but my favorites are `I can't see you', `Wings', `Song of the magician', `Valentine melody', `Song slowly song', and `She is'. The only two here that don't completely work for me are the more straightforward `Understand your man' and, to a lesser extent, `Grief in my soul' - but I can't recall ever listening to this cd and skipping over them. There is magic in this music - a magic that continued to smolder and burn in Tim's work, through all of the stylistic changes he would manifest. It's an incredibly powerful, moving start to a breathtakingly creative career.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless gem of 60's folk, August 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tim Buckley (Audio CD)

I am a Tim Buckley fans and I love "Tim Buckley" most. It's hard to imagine a 19years old guy can offer the world such a passionate, romantic and beautiful record. The lyrics are heart-telling and very poetic. "Wings", "Songs of the magician" and "It happens every time" are my all-time favourite. I would rate this album above "Goodbye and Hello", and this is one of the best record of the era.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Musical Magic, April 27, 2006

By 

David R. Teves (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tim Buckley (Audio CD)

Simply put, "Tim Buckley" is a spectacular album. It had an enourmous effect on me when I first bought it, nearly 40 years ago, and seeing it on CD is a joy almost beyond words. In my opinion, none of Tim's follow-up CDs can hold a candle to his first one. And that's not an easy thing to say, being a fan. If you appreciate songs of beauty and romance sung by someone with the voice of an angel, "Tim Buckley" is the record for you!