86. Tim Buckley - Goodbye and Hello

Artist: Tim Buckley
Album: Goodbye and Hello
Year: 1967

Tim Buckley's another artist that takes some getting used to from a vocal standpoint. There's something androgynous about his voice that makes him a little offputting but mostly beguiling.

I wasn't specifically familiar with Tim Buckley before listening to this album. I am much more familiar with his son, Jeff, who would rise to become a minor alternative rock star before meeting his untimely demise in a drowning accident. Like son, like father, I suppose--the elder Buckley also expired in his 20's, a drug overdose being the cause.

Buckley reminded me of a Britpop singer of the late 90's, a gentleman and former choir boy by the name of Andrew Montgomery. Montgomery was the lead singer of the band Geneva, who managed to pop out a couple albums and a few charting singles in the UK but never making much headway in the U.S.A.

Anyhow, I was not crazy about this Buckley album...on first listen. I know this is an album that if I listen to it repeatedly, it will begin to work better for me. For now, I can't really get into Buckley's voice. It feels like a rather pretentious, theatrical album. Many of the songs kind of meander, like the title track, for example. That song has all kinds of pretty parts, some moments of melodic genius, but it just goes on and on without rhyme or reason. Most of the album felt very much that way to me.

There are two huge exceptions that made this album very much worth listening to. The closing track "Morning Glory" is a fantastic folk song, a plaintive, pretty song with fantastic lyrics and choral accompaniment. The other track that really caught my ear was the absolutely amazing "Phantasmagoria in Two." This one has instantly become one of my favorite songs; I listened to it on repeat for about an hour. It feels strangely modern to me, for some reason the guitar on this song reminded me of Radiohead, maybe a more upbeat "Exit Music"? Maybe something like Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms." I don't know. I'm surprised this song isn't often covered. Oh snap, I just Youtubed the song and NEIL HALSTEAD covered it!!! The mastermind behind one of my favorite bands, Slowdive. Now that's a closer comparison. Buckley's blend of pastoral folk and psychedelia isn't too far off from the post-Slowdive band, Mojave 3.



The original is even better.

I'm gonna give Buckley more of a chance in the future. I will need time to adapt to his voice, and time to really listen to and absorb his lyrics. For now, I'll give this a very mild thumbs up, with the hope that further listens will yield greater dividends.

Rating: Worth a listen