Tim Buckley: biography and best live performances

Not a single one folk musician in history has never thrown his shabby guitar into the passenger seat of, say, a Ferrari. This genre is, as one critic beautifully put it, "the province of grief-stricken enthusiasts picking at a pile of woes in search of some glee". And one of the most colourful representatives of this genre was and still is Tim Buckley.

Most of the songs on his eponymous debut album, released in 1966, were written while he was a student in high schoolincluding "Grief in my Soul". With this innate emotional intelligence and a sincere desire to constantly use it, he quickly caught the attention of the general public and earned a high-profile name! But alas, he never managed to reach Olympus.....

With the introspective poetry and depth of Bob Dylan, but with good looks and virtuoso vocals, Buckley has been hailed as a as a young self-taught virtuoso. with an outstanding voice and a wounded but still beautiful soul... His childhood was ordinary, but in 1966, aged just 19, he entered the world of music with his eponymous debut. Despite warm criticism, he himself didn't like it. Tim was disappointed with his first performance, yet it showed great promise.

In today's article, we've decided to pay tribute to this brilliant and truly interesting man, and to remember top 5 highlights of his live performances. But first, a bit of history...

One man's short but sparkling fate

Buckley grew up early: he became a father just as he was beginning his musical career: his son Jeff Buckley saw his father only a few times, but in the future he too would become a famous musician, and he too would leave this world early due to a tragic coincidence. But that's another story. We're going back to Tim's career…

Tim left his familyto venture into the world of music, just months before the birth of his son. With each new recording in the period that followed, Buckley gradually became underground icon. With a sizzling octave range and exquisite intonation, he could have made any passage of text a pleasure to listen to, but instead he indulged fans with the gilded prose he lovingly composed with his co-writer Larry Beckett.

"His voice was as sweet as honey melting in a cup of hot tea! But along with it, his own soul melted under the onslaught of his inner feelings. But he always used his sadness as something deeply spiritual, something from which inspiration could be drawn..." - the critics wrote.

However, the key word here is. underground. None of his works were destined for commercial success. The fate of obscurity befell him more than any failure. His uncompromising craftsmanship and avant-gardism were a world away from the radio waves that were necessary if you wanted anything other than underground success.

At some point he began to dabble in a more jazz-influenced realm, inspired by visionaries such as Miles Davis. Subsequent records were. complex and alienated some of his fans. He also made the commercially disastrous decision to release "Lorca.", an album teetering on the brink of creative frenzy, along with the "Starsailor"almost simultaneously reverting to a folk style. Rather than demonstrating diversity, each of these works diminished the success of the other....

After that, Tim's already small audience dwindled. He married Judy Fern Bregeaud in April 1970 and adopted her son Taylor. The stability of the marriage gave him strength, and Buckley seemed ready to spread his wings. However, the three albums that followed, Greetings from LA, Sefronia, and Look at the Fool, took on a soulful style that confused many and further challenged the thinning ranks of fans...

When he managed to sell out the concert 1,800 seats in Dallas, Texas, in June 1975, it was cause for celebration, but as always, with Tim Buckley's celestial grace, triumph and tragedy were never far apart. That night he returned home to his wife from the after-party in a drunken state. Later that night, Judy discovered that Tim. passed away... The cause was substances. He was only 28 years old. As his tour manager Bob Duffy would later say:

"His death was unexpected, but at the same time it was like watching a film: it was his natural end."

Now we're left with beautiful realms of dreamswhich he created out of his sadness, unfortunately intertwined with his own fate. His music somehow contains all of the above, and because of this he is still alive in his works. As he himself said in the stirring masterpiece "Once I Was": "Sometimes I wonder, if only for a little while, will you ever remember me?"

"I was once a soldier
And fought for you on foreign sands.
I was once a hunter
And I brought home fresh meat for you.
I was once a lover,
And I looked for you behind your eyes,
And there will be more soon
One to tell you that I was just a lie.
And sometimes I wonder:
Will you ever remember me?"

Tim Buckley's top five live moments

Tim Buckley's story is the story of a man full of of sadness and eagerness to create. Unfortunately, he was not able to realise his full potential. However, he was wonderful as a musician: handsome, emotional, talented and had an incredibly soulful, powerful voice....

Anyway, ah. Tim Buckley gave the world one of the most extensive catalogues of the 1960s - from psychedelic folk to avant-garde jazz! During his short but influential 28 years old The artist was a source of poetry and emotion, embodying it all in his enchanting vocals and versatile playing. Here are the top 5 archival personnel of the late performer, on which he weaves together joy and sorrow, comfort and suffering in word and play during his live performances....

I'm Coming Home Again (1968)

Emerging from the puffs of smoke, a young Buckley mesmerises with a rendition of his song "I'm Coming Home Again" 1968. He stretches out each word, laying out the intonation along with plucky guitar and crisp bongos. He performs the song beautifully, playing by feel, never once opening his eyes. Truly a mesmerising sight.....

Song to the Siren (1968)

With his eyes squeezed shut again, Buckley delivers another mesmerising performance with the song "Song to the Siren". He sits, swaying only slightly to an acoustic aria, and yet is a sight of inner delight....

"I have long sailed the deserted oceans
I did my best to smile.
While your singing eyes and fingers
Didn't lure me to your island..."

I Woke Up (1970)

Departing from his simplistic folk that first cemented his fame, Buckley's 1970 performance of "I Woke Up" Includes some of the jazz textures he began adding to his work during that period....

"Now the sun sits on my arm,
Oh, where are you?
Walking on the wind, I fly over the shore of the city
To the hills where I hear
The ringing of harbour bells..."

Dolphins (1974)

Singing your song "Dolphins." live at the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1974, Buckley electrifies his sound, adding the spiritual intonations that would come to characterise his later work. His vocals switch to a deep, dirty baritone to show emotion, giving the song an aching note...

Honey Man (1974)

Buckley entertains with a song "Honey Man." during a live performance at the Old Grey Whistle Test. His winding tune is rousing and guttural! It's hard to tear yourself away from this video.....

"And when the bee is inside the hive,
You'll be screaming in the thick of love.
I'll buy you everything I can,
That honey man will get you again;
But your little eyes never twinkle,
I wanted me to be so great for you,
Because then your love just doesn't matter at all..."