... CD

Incredible stuff – and one of Tim Buckley's greatest albums! The record's got a style that's a wonderful mix of folk and jazz – using acoustic guitar on most tracks, but also throwing in some vibes by a young David Friedman, which gives the record some warm chromatic hues. Buckley's vocals have never sounded better, blending together with the guitar in the light rhythms of the tunes – and although the song structure's a bit freer than before, it's never sloppy or self-indulgent – just wonderfully expressive! Titles include "The River", "Cafe", "So Lonely", "The Train", and "Happy Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album that Tim Buckley ever gave the world – and a great leaping-off point for speculation about what he might have done, had he not left the planet too soon! Tim's actually beginning to explore a bit of funk in his music here – still using that amazing voice with all of its range from the early Elektra years – but often set to backings that feature heavy drums from Earl Palmer, tight bass from Chuck Rainey, and keyboards from Mike Melvoin – all cats who can be tight, but never slick – and whose groove is more than loose enough to let Buckley direct the whole proceedings. Given that Tim has an occasional raw rasp, and a very offbeat way with his lyrics, the mix of elements is actually not that far from the funk of Betty Davis on her first two albums – with a similar shrug towards any easy genre categorizations. Titles include "Freeway Blues", "Look At The Fool", "Tijuana Moon", "Mexicali Voodoo", "Down In The Street", "Wanda Lou", and "Bring It On Up". LP, Vinyl record album

An assortment of material from Elektra and Warner albums – with titles that include "Dolphins", "Strange Feelin", "Morning Glory", "Once I Was", "Move With Me", "Understand Your Man", "I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain", "Aren't You The Girl", "Sweet Surrender", and "Make It Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from the legendary Tim Buckley – and one of the records that truly shows why his music was unlike anything else that ever came before! The blend of folksy and jazzy roots really takes off here – stretching forth at times with a spacious feel that's airy, yet full of feeling – as Tim's magnificent vocals are backed by key instrumentation from Lee Underwood on guitar and organ, plus a small lineup of tenor, flute, trumpet, and bass – all bringing some jazzy phrasing to the mix. Tim himself plays 12 string guitar, at a level that's both complex yet completely organic – and titles include the sublime "Song To The Siren", a heavenly tune that perfectly sums up his genius, and which would be enough of a legacy, even if it was the only cut he ever recorded – plus "Monterey", "Come Here Woman", "Jungle Fire", and "Starsailor". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic material from Tim Buckley – rare tracks recorded in 1968 and 1973, both presenting two different slices of his too-short career – and standing together as a great addition to his too-small catalog of recorded work! The first half features small sessions from 1968 – with Tim on those amazing vocals of his and Lee Underwood on lead guitar – plus a bit of vibes from Dave Friedman, in a manner that echoes the great use of that instrument on his Elektra albums of the late 60s. The songs are dreamy, open, and have that sublime blend of blueness and flow that really set Tim apart from his contemporaries – titles that include "Danang", "Happy Time", "Buzzin Fly", "Song To The Siren", and "Ashbury Park" – all done in unusual versions. The second half of the record features material recorded in 1973 – songs that are a bit more tight, with more of an overall group feel – almost jamming in the way the whole thing comes together! 1973 titles include versions of "Honey Man", "Falling Timber", "Quicksand", "Stone In Love", "Sefronia", "Because Of You", and "The Dream Belongs To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure for any fan of Tim Buckley – material from two different sessions recorded in 1967, both of which include a few songs that never appeared elsewhere! As the title implies, the recordings here are acoustic – mostly with guitar and Buckley's vocals very much upfront in the mix, at a level that traces an even deeper line back to folk music – but which, throughout, is always graced by that amazing sense of phrasing that made Tim unlike any of his contemporaries! The stripped-down setting is a fantastic one for his vocals – which are possibly even more mindblowing without any sort of studio arrangement or fancy production. Material comes from one rare reel-to-reel tape, only recently discovered – and a rare acetate of another session – and the sound quality for both is great. The package comes with detailed notes on the material, and an in-depth interview with co-lyricism Larry Beckett – and titles include "Sixface", "Contact", "Pleasant Street", "Lady Give Me Your Key", "Once Upon A Time", "Marigold", "Carnival Song", "She's Back Again", and "I Can't Leave You Lovin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include the cool "Fragments" medley – plus versions of Tim Buckley's "Aren't You The One", "Hobo", and "Wings", a version of Mike Nesmith's "Some Of Shelly's Blues", and a version of Laura Nyro's "Stoney End". CD

Pure 70s genius from Kenny Rankin – and an album that's filled with beautifully compressed tunes that squeeze together jazz and soul into a unique sound that's Kenny's own! There's a gentleness to the set that's extremely refreshing – a floating quality to the vocals that's a bit like that of Tim Buckley, but never as overdone as in Buckley's work – and which Kenny takes to a whole new level here with a breezy scatting sort of approach. Gary Burton plays some great vibes on some of the album's best tracks, and titles include "Inside", "Lost Up In Lovin You", "Sunday Kind Of Love", "Up From The Skies", "The Feeling", "Marie", "You", and a great cover of "Creepin". CD

One of the strongest recordings ever made of the mad mad Lord Buckley! The album was issued in the late 60s for Frank Zappa's Straight label – but it features material recorded more than a decade before – at a time when Buckley was still alive, and one of the most bad-rapping comedian's to ever hit a stage. The approach is somewhat freer than some of Buckley's earlier sides – allowing the ersatz comedian a chance to really riff on a variety of subjects – talking with almost a jazz improvisational energy, in the way that made him a big favorite for the beat generation. The overall nature of the record is kind of hard to pin down – as it's not really comedy, just more of a freewheeling spoken session that's a bit jive, a bit beatnik, and plenty darn crazy! Titles include "The Raven", "The King Of Bad Cats", "Governor Slugwell", and "The Hip Einie". CD

A really beautiful collaboration between Jameszoo and the Metropole Orkest – that large Dutch ensemble who seem always able to shift into the right sort of mode with their key collaborators! That's definitely the case here, as Jules Buckley masterfully leads the group – so that they flesh out all these great strands of sounds coming from the core quintet – with lots of keyboards and electronics from Jameszoo himself, plus more organ, Fender Rhodes, percussion, and saxes – sometimes used in ways that are spare and jagged, but which take on this richness next to the strings and woodwinds of the Metropole ensemble! Titles include "Nail", "Flu", "Crumble", "Meat", "Lose", "Toots", and "Soup". LP, Vinyl record album