Track Listing

1. Song for Janie
2. I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain
3. Wings
4. Phantasmagoria in Two
5. Just Please Leave Me [#]
6. Dolphins
7. I Can't See You
8. Troubadour
9. Aren't You the Girl
10. What Do You Do (He Never Saw You) [#]
11. No Man Can Find the War
12. Carnival Song
13. Cripples Cry [#]
14. In the Rain Comes [#]
15. Country Boy [#]
16. I Can't Leave You Loving Me [#]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4348 in Music
• Released on: 2009-08-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

CD Description
Occasionally a recording surfaces that represents not only a holy grail for fans of the artist in question, but stands as an important historical document of an era. For those listeners fascinated with the strange and wonderful career of Tim Buckley or those with an interest in the `60s Greenwich Village folk scene, LIVE AT THE FOLKLORE CENTER NYC: MARCH 6,1967 is such an item. Recorded at one of urban folk music'smost important breeding grounds on a 2-track tape machine with no amplification, in front of a casual audience of a fewdozen people in a living room-like setting, the disc captures Tim Buckley in between the release of his first and second albums, a watershed moment in his unusual development as an artist. Here, the listener can hear the first inklings of Buckley's later blossoming as an uncompromising, highly influential, and totally enigmatic singer. Though still firmly in the singer-songwriter mold of his debut self-titled Elektra LP, the late Orange County, California native is starting to explore the concept of his incredible voice as an instrument, letting his vocals fly freely above his energetic guitar strumming with a bristling energy and powerful enthusiasm that must have been electrifying to behold. In addition to wide-eyed, still innocent-sounding renditions of compositionsfrom TIM BUCKLEY and the follow-up/psychedelic masterpiece GOODBYE AND HELLO, Buckley performs six songs never previously released either on studio or live albums, including the driving, catchy, shoulda-been-a-hit "I Can't Leave You LovingMe" and the gentle, yearning, "Norwegian Wood"-like "Cripples Cry," both of which capture his voice at its most crystalline and heart-piercing. Perhaps the show's most poignant moment, however, is Buckley's version of Fred Neil's song "Dolphins." The difference between the performance captured hereand the studio version from 1973's SEFRONIA is striking; in1967 the singer seemed to be searching for meaning in the song, still hopeful, but just beginning to intuit the vast challenges and heartache that the world had in store for him. By 1973 however, less than two years away from his tragic death, Buckley sang the song with the voice of a man tortured by demons and wizened by years of trying to make his way in an ever-critical, unforgiving commerical environment. Recorded in the year of SGT. PEPPER'S and ARE YOU EXPERIENCED, thealbum is a snapshot not only of one man in creative transition, but of a shining moment when a few brave popular musicians were fully putting aside financial considerations in thepursuit of great art.

Customer Reviews

Essential early solo live performances from the Magician that Once Was

The "Folklore Center", which opened in 1957 in Greenwich Village, was a store selling musical instruments, books, records and everything related to folk music. It became a focal point for the American folk music scene of the time. The shop also welcomed musical performances.

This CD (running a bit over 55 minutes) documents the entire Tim Buckley solo performance which took place there on March 6, 1967 [a few months after the release of his first Elektra album].

This CD is, currently, the earliest commercial release of a Buckley show. It is of further interest as it is a purely solo performance.

Buckley's musical persona appears clearly defined at this stage. His beautiful singing voice is in full command of the material, sailing from soft sorrow-tinged tenderness to adrenaline-fuelled wailing anguish. He backs himself competently by strumming a 12-string guitar [that sometimes takes a quite percussive character] and also by cleverly inserting well-chosen short single notes runs.

Buckley did not use any P.A whilst playing for about three dozen people in the small, intimate venue. What we hear is no ordinary "soundboard" recording. Izzy Young, the "Folklore Center" owner, had previous experience with live recording. He recorded Buckley on a quality Swiss Nagra reel-to-reel recorder and used a single microphone. This explains why the sound quality is that good for a live recording or that vintage. The lower bass and the higher treble are maybe rolled off but this a minor criticism.

When listening to this album, one really feels like being transported into the venue alongside the original audience.

Buckley's debut and sophomore albums were very sophisticated. It is easy to imagine that the new found songs could also have nicely fitted in sophisticated studio album form.

This set features, as could be expected, a much rawer-sounding Buckley than the one heard on the studio LP's. It is also more Spartan than the BBC "live in the studio" recordings made for John Peel in February 1968 (less than one year later!). On the "Peel Sessions" he benefitted - of course - from a quieter studio background and from a higher quality recording. Besides, he was expertly backed by Lee Underwood and Carter C. C. Collins. The CD under review brings the "folk" side from Tim Buckley's music much more to the fore. Moreover, these solo interpretations are a testament to the inherent strength of Buckley's material even when presented in skeletal form (compared to the studio productions).

Buckley reprises four songs from his eponymous album [tracks 1, 3, 7 and 9] and previews four others from [the then forthcoming] "Goodbye and Hello" [tracks 2, 4, 11 and 12].

The only "cover" is Buckley's good, cheerful rendition of Fred Neil's "The Dolphin" [a song which he eventually released in studio form on the "Sefronia" LP from 1973].

The very good "Troubadour" was first heard on the 1968 live BBC recordings that saw the light of day in 1990 when released on "Dream Letters"

Of utmost importance to Buckley's fans are the six unknown recordings (tracks 5, 10 and 13-16]. From these, "In the Rain Comes", "Cripples Cry" and "What Do You Do (He Never Saw You)" are distinguished by beautiful melodies which are set against evocative, quiet guitar playing. "Just Please Leave Me" is also melodic but receives a more energetic delivery, as does "Country Boy". The latter has some kind of country-folk feel. The energy level is higher still on "I Can't Leave You Loving Me" which ends the album on a real climax.

The CD package includes an unpublished interview with Buckley conducted by Izzy Young on March 17th and 18th, 1967, along with additional notes from Young.

Like many writers, Buckley must have been quite prolific at the beginning of his career. I hope that other live tapes of forgotten Buckley songs will appear eventually. For the time being, let's revel in this much-needed early account of Buckley's music.

This is a Buckley CD that his many loyal fans should not miss in much the same way as, say, no Neil Young's fan should miss "Live at Massey Hall".

What a treat!
If you are a Tim Buckley fan and discounted this release as scraping the barrel just for release sake, think again. This is fantastic! And if you think you got to knowing and understanding Tim's genius, this will open new doors of discovery and excitment. This live gem was recorded 3 months before he entered the studio for 'Goodbye and Hello' in June '67, so it is a delight to hear his songs like, 'Phantasmagoria in two' , 'I never asked to be your mountain, 'No man can find the war' and 'Carnival song' being played completely stripped. The most striking thing for me about this whole release which one never really got to hear and realise before, is what an incredible fingerstylist Tim Buckley was. It is evident on the songs especially from his first album such as, "Song for Jainie' and 'Aren't you the girl'. He tears through them with such amazing precision which makes you think, why didn't he play like that on later albums?

The biggest surprise for any fan are the six unreleased songs, especially 'Cripples Cry' and 'What do you do (He never saw you)'. His vocal is on form and epitomises his youthful "Irish Tenor" phase of his career. For me the only drawback of the whole concert, is the girl who coughs during one of Tim's priceless performances in 'Cripple Cry'. This is the best live discovery since Dream Letter - 'Live in London '68.

The Legendary Tim Buckley
The rare for the rare - this is the third official live Tim Buckley album which I have purchased and it is the earliest recording of Mr Buckley senior at the tender age of just 20. Whilst this album may not always hit the vocal range of "Dream Letter" and "Honey Man" this is a uniquely precious gift to Tim's fans and the previously unheard tracks of "Country Boy" and "Leave You Loving Me" illustrate why I am probably not alone in believing that one is listening to possibly the greatest popular singer who ever walked this fragile earth. Go on Jeff Buckley fans give yourself a treat and listen to Jeff's father, the king of the troubadours !