Morning Glory (The Anthology) - Tim Buckley

As many of you may know I'm a big admirer of Jeff Buckley, Tim's son. Though they shared little of their life time together, they shared some remarkable traits (they looked almost identical, and both were blessed with musical ability that was almost inhuman), as well as a tragic end, Jeff Drowned, Tim Od'd on Heroin both with many years ahead of them.

Despite this both have legacy's that still hold strong today, and here is evidence ...
...dating from his 1966 debut album "Tim Buckley" through to his 1972 album "Greetings from L.A.". (Missing 2 of Tim's studio albums out altogether, in Sefronia (1973) and Look at the Fool (1974)).

So a track by track review of 33 songs would get boring (trust me, after around 15 songs they become boring to write, so doubtless boring to read), so instead I'll just give an over-view of the track listing and what i think ... more

As many of you may know I'm a big admirer of Jeff Buckley, Tim's son. Though they shared little of their life time together, they shared some remarkable traits (they looked almost identical, and both were blessed with musical ability that was almost inhuman), as well as a tragic end, Jeff Drowned, Tim Od'd on Heroin both with many years ahead of them.

Despite this both have legacy's that still hold strong today, and here is evidence of Tim's, this 2 disk 33 anthology of his work, dating from his 1966 debut album "Tim Buckley" through to his 1972 album "Greetings from L.A.". (Missing 2 of Tim's studio albums out altogether, in Sefronia (1973) and Look at the Fool (1974)).

So a track by track review of 33 songs would get boring (trust me, after around 15 songs they become boring to write, so doubtless boring to read), so instead I'll just give an over-view of the track listing and what i think of a select few songs.

Full track listing:
Disk one
"Wings" (Tim Buckley) 2:33
"She Is" (Larry Beckett, Buckley)3:08
"Song Slowly Song" (Beckett, Buckley) 4:16
"It Happens Every Time" (Buckley) 1:51
"Aren't You the Girl" (Buckley) 2:05
"Pleasant Street" (Buckley) 5:17
"Hallucinations" (Beckett, Buckley) 4:55
"No Man Can Find the War" (Beckett, Buckley) 2:59
"Once I Was" (Buckley) 3:23
"Morning Glory" (Beckett, Buckley) 2:54
"Goodbye and Hello" (Beckett, Buckley) 8:40
"Buzzin' Fly" (Buckley) 6:04
"Strange Feelin'" (Buckley) 7:40
"Sing a Song for You" (Buckley) 2:41
"Phantasmagoria in Two" (Buckley) 4:42 (live)
"I've Been Out Walking" (Buckley) 8:20 (live)
"Troubadour" (Buckley) 5:45 (live)

[edit]
Disc two
"Happy Time" (Buckley) 3:17
"Chase the Blues Away" (Buckley) 5:13
"I Must Have Been Blind" (Buckley) 3:45
"The River" (Buckley) 5:48
"So Lonely" (Buckley) 3:29
"Blue Melody" (Buckley) 4:55
"I Had a Talk With My Woman" (Buckley) 7:27 (live)
"Moulin Rouge" (Beckett, Buckley) 1:58
"Song to the Siren" (Beckett, Buckley) 3:29
"Monterey" (Beckett, Buckley) 4:31
"Sweet Surrender" (Buckley) 6:47
"Hong Kong Bar" (Buckley, Joe Falsia) 7:07
"Make It Right" (Beckett, Buckley, Falsia, Jerry Goldstein) 4:10
"Saly Go 'Round the Roses" (Buckley) 3:46
"Who Could Deny You" (Buckley) 4:23
"Song to the Siren" (Beckett, Buckley) 3:15 (from The Monkees TV show)

The first disk is primarily concentrating on his early career, from the "Tim Buckley" and "Hello and goodbye" albums mainly with some from "Blue afternoon" and "Happy sad". This disk seems to try and focus more on his folk based music and the stand outs imo are the following:

Wings, My personal favourite from the "Tim Buckley" album, with simple but astonishing lyrics about how Tim left his wife. Although not the greatest of subjects perhaps, the lyrics give the song a soft and easy feel of love of the mother of his child, but also a feeling that he can't go back to her. Beckett's lyrics here really do stand apart from most lyricist's since. A song anyone would be proud to do a half decent cover of, due to how well Buckley produces the goods. 10/10

Pleasant street, This should have opened the "Hello and goodbye" album, a blissful song thats an absolute pleasure to listen to. It's the first song on the original album that it was taken from to actually have a chorus as such and it shows the useage of such a section in a song. The singing is as always delightful, but this time it seems Beckett has given Buckley the perfect lyrics that his voice longs for. Easy contender for song of the album. 10/10

Goodbye and hello, A marathon, a stunning tour, a feast. Buckley at his godly best. Starting off with slow music and peaceful singing, The musical "chorus" kicks in and sounds soft but yet you can almost hear theirs a lot more to come from the song. As the next verse approaches theirs a little change in music, before a speeddy interlude with Buckley seemingly going off on a tangent that yet fits so wonderfully and makes you wonder why so few people have replicated the effect that he does a little later in the song. Then back to the musical "chorus", then back to the pacey god send with a slightly high tone this time Tim takes on slightly more complex verse. Then back to a chorus, and so on. This song nears to 9 mins, and theirs not a wasted second. Almost a compendium of musical bravura, all some how fitting into a single peice. It has everything a perfect song has, originality, ease to listen to, lyrical perfect. Only song on the "Hello and goodbye" album that really gives "Pleasant street" challange for the best song on the album.10/10

The second album takes much more from his "Advant garde", "Jazz" and "experimental phrase" and highlights include:

"Moulin rouge" a short fast and lyrically brilliant merge of french and English. Apparently a project Buckley had been wanting to do for years finally got a release on the 1970 "Starsailor" album.

"love is a leap she sighed
someday I'll be your bride,
When I leave the moulin rouge
Je vais marier ma fille de danse
Et habiter en france"

A class above most other albums from this peroid of experimentation in Buckley's career. 10/10

"Song to the siren" Is another gem from the "Starsailor" album (yes thats where the band got their name from). A daunting song, but by far the most accessible, from the bizzare album, where a musician wants to do whats he wants to do. The song has beautiful lyrics, and This mortal coils cover, helped bring both the song and Tim Buckley back to the forefront when they covered it.

"Long afloat on ship less oceans
I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving into your eyes
And you sang, "Sail to me, sail to me, let me enfold you.
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you."

9/10

Overall the album is good look at Tim Buckley's ever changing musical style, though it does lack his latter albums, which show him coming back to a more folky sound.
8/10 for the album
Summary: A good view at Tim Buckley's career 

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