The list of '60s and '70s singersongwriters is long and full of legends; but perhaps the most talented of that very talented bunch was Tim Buckley. Certainly when it came to singing Buckley was at the very top; his range was unmatched, capable of covering several octaves and acres of emotion in one breath, from sweet, tenor tenderness to hoarse, cracking anguish.
And his songwriting showed a similar wide range; in the course of eight short years Buckley went from baroque, psychedelic folk rock to jazzy, even avant-garde ravings to blue-eyed soul. This extreme eclecticism, of course, worked against Buckley commercially. But it's also one of the reasons why his reputation has steadily grown in the years since his untimely death in 1975.
Countless listeners only familiar with his early Elektra albums have found themselves floored by his later output. Which is where we find ourselves with 1973's Sefronia and 1974's Look at the Fool, the last two records Buckley released during his lifetime and probably the two most controversial albums of his career. Long-time fans decried these records as sellouts, and indeed their soft '70s funk feel is jarring to those used to his more adventurous work. But Buckley proves himself to be one helluva R&B singer on these albums, which deserved a much larger audience than they got (by this time Buckley was on Frank Zappa and Herb Cohen's label DiscReet).
Now, Real Gone Music is proud to present both Sefronia and Look at the Fool on vinyl for the first time since the late '80s, in versions newly remastered from the original master tapes by Bill Inglot. These releases mark a significant upgrade in sound from what's heretofore been available, and to celebrate, we're offering each of these records in two different versions: for audiophiles, a limited edition of 400 copies in 180-gram black vinyl, and for collectors, a limited edition of 300 copies in colored vinyl (Red for Sefronia and Blue for Look at the Fool). It's high time these albums were reappraised; these vinyl releases show them at their very best!
And his songwriting showed a similar wide range; in the course of eight short years Buckley went from baroque, psychedelic folk rock to jazzy, even avant-garde ravings to blue-eyed soul. This extreme eclecticism, of course, worked against Buckley commercially. But it's also one of the reasons why his reputation has steadily grown in the years since his untimely death in 1975.
Countless listeners only familiar with his early Elektra albums have found themselves floored by his later output. Which is where we find ourselves with 1973's Sefronia and 1974's Look at the Fool, the last two records Buckley released during his lifetime and probably the two most controversial albums of his career. Long-time fans decried these records as sellouts, and indeed their soft '70s funk feel is jarring to those used to his more adventurous work. But Buckley proves himself to be one helluva R&B singer on these albums, which deserved a much larger audience than they got (by this time Buckley was on Frank Zappa and Herb Cohen's label DiscReet).
Now, Real Gone Music is proud to present both Sefronia and Look at the Fool on vinyl for the first time since the late '80s, in versions newly remastered from the original master tapes by Bill Inglot. These releases mark a significant upgrade in sound from what's heretofore been available, and to celebrate, we're offering each of these records in two different versions: for audiophiles, a limited edition of 400 copies in 180-gram black vinyl, and for collectors, a limited edition of 300 copies in colored vinyl (Red for Sefronia and Blue for Look at the Fool). It's high time these albums were reappraised; these vinyl releases show them at their very best!
STAFF COMMENTS
Andy says: Tim Buckley gets funked up again on what would be the final album of his life. MegaTRACK LISTING
Look At The Fool
Bring It On Up
Helpless
Freeway Blues
Tijuana Moon
Ain’t It
Peculiar
Who Could Deny You
Mexicali Voodoo
Down In The Street
Wanda Lou