Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Introduction
2. Buzzin' Fly
3. Phantasmagoria in Two
4. Morning Glory
5. Dolphins
6. I've Been Out Walking
7. Earth Is Broken
8. Who Do You Love
9. Pleasant Street/You Keep Me Hanging On

Disc 2:

1. Love from Room 109/Strange Feelin'
2. Carnival Song/Hi Lily, Hi Lo
3. Hallucinations
4. Troubadour
5. Dream Letter/Happy Time
6. Wayfaring Stranger/You Got Me Runnin'
7. Once I Was

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #106979 in Music
• Released on: 1995-09-05
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Live

Album Description
Originally recorded in 1968, this is the classic, critically acclaimed double live album. First released in 1990, it was a landmark in the re-discovery of the creative genius of Tim Buckley. Contains performances of 'Morning Glory' and 'Once I Was'. 17 tracks over 2 CDs in a slimline double jewel box.

Amazon.com
It's been said that Tim Buckley was the most powerful singer of his generation. Even if that appraisal forgets Bob Dylan, this two-disc set makes a hell of a defense. At the very least his voice could do things few could: it soared beyond any familiar register and held notes long past the breaking point. He had learned from jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughn, but he put technical prowess into the service of a strange, trancelike state. On this evening, before a hushed, receptive audience, he seemed to be composing visionary poetry with every vocal surge. His band created an Astral Weeks-like sound, and included Lee Underwood on guitar, David Friedman on vibes, and Danny Thompson on bass. They follow his every subtle and explosive turn with effortless energy. --Ray Francis Kasten

Customer Reviews

A VOICE LIKE NO OTHER
I "discovered" Tim Buckley only after hearing his sad and beautiful voice on the song "Once I Was" during the closing scene of the film "Coming Home." By that time, Buckley's music was hard to find, and many hours were spent in used record stores searching for anything available.

Thankfully, many of his recordings were later released on CD, including this tour de force of the young and extraordinarily gifted singer mesmerizing an audience in London.

Tim Buckley was an artist whose style was as broad as his vocal range. This is a jazz concert, a folk concert, a rock concert, and at times all three styles were evident within a single song.

Buckley is a prime example of the voice being an instrument, of the belief that these sounds were coming from an otherworldly source and Tim was merely the medium through whom they passed. Nobody could possibly sing the way he did.

His playfulness and his free form stream-of-conscienceness permeate the songs. Every track is excellent. "Buzzin' Fly," "Once I Was," and "Dolphins" are standouts. This is an experience not to be missed.

The backing band is solid, but in truth, Tim Buckley probably could have performed a capella and created a sound nearly as full.

This is a "must have" for any true fan of great music.

THE POWER AND SPARK OF LIVE PERFORMANCE
I was never privileged to hear Tim Buckley perform live (the one chance I had, and missed, turned out to be the last show he ever played) - I've been a fan since I heard his first album in 1966, and I've marveled at the changes and growth his art undertook over the years. His incredible intellect and yearning for exploration and expansion sometimes left fans behind - but those left in the dust were usually those who weren't willing to take the leap of faith he asked of them with his music. The ones who hung in there were in for the musical journey of a lifetime.

This album surfaced several years after Tim's untimely death - and it's a sparkling jewel that reflects the bright spark that was Buckley's creative spirit. The songs here are from GOODBYE AND HELLO (1967), HAPPY SAD (1969), LORCA (1970), BLUE AFTERNOON (1970), a great live version of Fred Neil's `Dolphins' (a cornerstone of many of Tim's live shows, which finally appeared on SEFRONIA (1973), and several tunes that were never recorded elsewhere. Stylistically, most of the concert leans toward the HAPPY SAD and BLUE AFTERNOON studio recordings, but with the freedom to improvise much greater here than in the confines of a recording studio. The mix of songs from various albums is a treat - especially hearing the solo versions of some tunes, and the jazzy (a la HAPPY SAD and BLUE AFTERNOON) treatments of some of the ones originally given more straight-ahead `folk-rock' arrangements on GOODBYE AND HELLO. Tim leads the group through numbers with which the audience is familiar, tossing in his (and the band's, I'm sure) other favorites to spice things up a bit - it's easy to hear the more improvisational leanings that would lead him into his most exploratory period later, to the LORCA and STARSAILOR albums (which he - and others - consider to be his greatest artistic achievements).

Tim is accompanied in fine style by Lee Underwood on lead guitar (who played on most of Tim's studio albums, as well as touring with him for many years); David Friedman on vibraphone; and the great British double-bassist Danny Thompson (from Pentangle). The missing link from Buckley's regular band of the day is the incredible percussionist Carter C. C. Collins - financial considerations wouldn't allow bringing the whole band over on this trip. Underwood and Friedman perform beautifully, completely in sync with Buckley's spirit, as always - and Thompson shows his brilliance by sounding as if he's played with Tim for more than the short pre-show rehearsal time he was afforded.

The recording quality is excellent - it's hard to believe when listening to this album that it was recorded over thirty years ago. I can't say if the quality was there in the original recording, or if it's been `cleaned up' for its contemporary release - but whichever is the case, it's a treat to hear it. Tim has been called `the voice of his generation' - and as clichéd as that might sound, it's actually an understatement, in my opinion. Buckley music was so much more than a young man opening his heart and conscience by singing love songs and protest songs, strumming on a twelve-string guitar - his music was about truth, first and last, beginning to end. Tim was always true to his spirit, and it shone through his music in a way that few others were able to accomplish. This recording is a great testimonial to that spirit. If you're already a fan, it's essential to your collection - if you're new to his music, it should take you gently by the hand and lead you on a voyage of further discovery that will amaze and delight and move you to unspeakable heights.

And, finally: Lee Underwood's notes in the CD booklet make for interesting and enlightening reading - Tim was appreciated by many critics and fans in his lifetime, but the recognition that should have been his in light of his stunning creativity never came his way in the broad manner he deserved. His death was shrouded in mystery, rumour and innuendo for many years - there are still horrific pieces of misinformation mixed with some pretty obviously personal opinions floating around out there today. The memoir written by Lee Underwood, BLUE MELODY, is a caring and truth-based source for what Tim was really like - I heartily recommend reading it.

The best live album of all time?
I'd say yes. Most live records are little more than souvenirs for converted fans. "Dream Letter" is something else entirely: the single finest piece of product you can buy with Tim Buckley's name on it, whether you're a newcomer or a longtime fanantic. Stylistically, it splits the difference between the "Goodbye & Hello" and "Happy Sad" albums, but it's superior to both. The song selection is wonderful, Tim's voice is in full, soaring form and the band--including the great British bassist Danny Thompson--are beautifully in tune with Buckley's muse. It's so gorgeous and essential that it just about demolishes me every time I play it. You really, really, really need to hear this.