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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley

1972

Buy At Rough Trade
Greetings From L.A.
Album Summary

Greetings from L.A. is the seventh album by singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, released in August 1972. It was recorded at Far Out Studios in Hollywood, California. Like most of his other albums, Greetings from L.A. did not sell well, although this is probably his best seller (there at least 2 different US pressings: the first with removable postcard and dark green WB label, the second had no perforations for the postcard and had the Burbank WB label), getting substantial airplay in the Twin Cities on the Minneapolis FM station KQRS and selling very well at the independent record shops in Minneapolis-St. Paul and elsewhere (Detroit, New York, etc.) until it was deleted by Warner Brothers (whereupon Greetings continued to sell as a UK/European import into the '80's). The album was later re-released on November 7, 2005, in a compilation with debut album Tim Buckley by Elektra.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.88

Votes

12861

Genres

  • Pop
  • Folk
  • Psychedelic Rock
  • Singer Songwriter

Reviews

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Jul 07 2021
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1

39 minutes is a long time to scream “I have sex”. Surprised there’s no cleverly innuendo named track ‘Lick my tube’

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Sep 03 2022
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1

Each song has more offensive lyrics than the next. The racism and chauvinism age poorly.

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Nov 25 2021
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1

I was going to give it 2 stars, but then 'Devil Eyes' made me want to puke.

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May 15 2021
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2

I'm not a huge Tim Buckley fan. I like some of his earlier records much more than this one. The singing style here begins to grate on me after awhile. It's like some kind of carnival ride throwing you about this way and that. I find it exhausting. I also find the whole raunchy thing he's got going off-putting.

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Aug 08 2021
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4

I am fascinated with the music of Tim Buckley. Buckley has an unusual, rich, caramelly voice. He hits his high notes with a wail and such intensity, in a way that sounds, dare I say almost feminine? It's really cool. The album is full of high energy songs, sexy, bluesy concoctions with hodgepodge instrumentation including organs, congas, sax, guitar, also strings?! Love it. The horndog lyrics haven't aged especially well, but I'm not bothered by it. I'm actually impressed how sexually open the lyrics are. I can't even imagine how they were received at the time. Fave songs: Make It Right, Sweet Surrender, Get on Top

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Feb 18 2021
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4

He seemed like a shit person but I really liked the funky-ass album. Don’t emulate your heroes, kids.

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Apr 05 2024
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1

Bro sounds like Barney from the Simpsons in the earlier parts of the album. This was pretty annoying and dude seems like a real POS.

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Feb 17 2021
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1

- more instruments than neils young :harvest: but still boring....

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Jun 20 2024
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3

Forgive a spoiler for the second season of the Sopranos: in his final moments, the character Big Puss simulates cunnilingus to his friends, soon to be his murderers. A moving scene. Greetings From L.A.’s main revelation is that this performance is a discrete homage to Tim Buckley’s lascivious scat on the song “Devil Eyes”, soon after the words “do the monkey rub”. This is representative of the album’s schoolboy horny, dick-windmilling vibe. Too ridiculous to offend, worth it for the sheer wtf and the band’s bounce and grit. Hong Kong Bar has been added to my playlist of 70’s burn-out freak blues tracks.

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Apr 07 2021
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3

Well. Little Timmy got all drugged out and horned up since the last time we heard from him, didn’t he? Haha. Good Lord! I did not expect to hear this dude speaking in tongues and talking about licking toe jam on this record, but I wholeheartedly approve. 👍 (But what’s up with all the double artist dipping on this “random” generator so far? We’ve still got 900-some records to go. Spread this shit out!)

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Mar 29 2024
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2

This album sounds so claustrophobic. Tim Buckley sounds like a white guy trying to be Bill Withers with a stuffy funky boogie. On top of that, his voice just kind of pisses me off. Pass!

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Mar 03 2021
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5

Really great album. Surprised more people weren't listening to this in the 70s (imo the most boring period of rock). Funky, sexy, funny and rockin. Some of the sexier lyrics havent aged very well but I think that adds to the art and showing of the times.

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Mar 21 2024
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4

Like narration of a 70's porn flick. Lyrics aside, the music and the quirky vocals are excellent. I will listen to any album with Chuck Rainey playing funky bass which is why this get 4 stars rather than 2.5.

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Jul 03 2023
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4

I was a little worried this was going to be some honky tonk bar band bullshit based off of the first track. On the back half of “Get on Top”, I’m reminded a bit of that late 70’s Can performance on German TV: they’re playing “Moonshake” off of Future Days (or maybe it’s “Don’t Say No” - same song, essentially), an exceptionally funky rendition. You may have seen the clip, they’re playing the funkiest shit you ever heard and they cut to the audience who is sitting there, perfectly still, with the exception of one college student who is causally bouncing his knee up and down to the beat. Its funny as hell and doesn’t do much to dispel the notion that the Germans are an extremely serious people. Sorry for the sidetrack, we’ll talk about Can another day… Greetings from LA sounds of its time, for sure, but it does enough to differentiate itself from its peers to make it a unique listening experience. It’s fun and funky, well produced and a little unorthodox; a worthy entry on this list.

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Feb 14 2022
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4

Andy was teaching me about Tim Buckley before we started and I really enjoyed the phrase “sex funk”. This was a fun album!

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May 17 2021
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4

This is pretty cool stuff. Love the rambling rock, sexually charged lyrics, occasional bluesyness, saxophones, and I even think I heard some bongos - its a full serving. Very surprised to read that Tim Buckley was most popular in the Twin Cities - “getting substantial play on KQRS”. Wikipedia also has an excellent descriptive that sums up the careers of Tim Buckley and many aspiring, yet unnoticed, talents: “Like most of his other albums, ‘Greetings from L.A.’ did not sell well”. 3.5 stars, and rounding up for the local history.

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Jan 20 2021
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4

Enjoyed the bluesy 70s feel to the music. Prompted me to learn more about this artist online. Another who died too young. And, same for his son!

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Sep 22 2020
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4

Great album, love the guitar and congas on these songs, very groovy. Standout tracks: Sweet Surrender, Devil Eyes, Hong Kong Bar

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Jun 20 2024
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3

About 1/3 of this is pretty good, quite different style from the folk minstrel material I was familiar with. I'm not fully convinced by the UrghSexBuckley on display here, but "Move With Me", "Sweet Surrender" and "Make It Right" are entertaining. Beautiful cover brings home the 3*

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Mar 13 2024
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2

For the love of me, I couldn't figure out how an album that has a wiki entry that says "Like most of his (Tim Buckley) other albums, Greetings from L.A. did not sell well, although this is probably his best seller" made the list of something I should listen to before I die. Sure, it's got a 1972 Jim Morrison vibe to it but, c'mon, give me L.A. Woman and get this weak shit outta here.

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Dec 22 2023
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2

Not what I was expecting from Tim Buckley after the other more introspective offerings. But here he kinda comes across as just wanging on about sex endlessly, and it sounds a bit like bad Doors songs. Half the time he sounds like a demented gibbon on acid - and not in a good way.

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Mar 20 2024
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1

Well – that was unfortunate… Sex-Funk huh??? So this was my 2nd Tim Buckley album and I’m only about 40 albums in, so not sure what I did to deserve this… I will say that his 1967 “Hello & Goodbye” effort was the first album on the 1,001 that I would have given a “0” to, as it had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and was pretentious as hell… 1972’s “Greetings From LA” is definitely different from that previous album – so at least there’s that, and for the most part – some of the musical jams weren’t all that awful, and certainly better than “Hello & Goodbye”, but the lyrics were simply abysmal… It sounds like this departure from his early folk work really pissed off his initial fan base, and not quite sure what other fan base he was looking to appeal to with this record… While some of the vocal sections were interesting at times – as a whole however, it was simply a hot mess… Lyrically, it’s as if he didn’t bother to write any – and just sang, moaned, or screamed whatever came to mind while in some drug-induced state… "Move With Me", "Get On Top", "Devil Eyes" - just a frickin' nightmare,,, Actually surprised that he didn’t have someone give him a blow-job like Jim Morrison did, while recording the song “LA Woman” in order to pull out some degree of authenticity… Anyways, not as dreadful as the “Hello & Goodbye” – so not the "Animal House" Belushi grade point average, but maybe tad higher like a 0.25 if I could go there… Was really puzzled why “Hello & Goodbye” was on this list, and now even more puzzled that this one is on here as well… Begrudgingly giving it a 1 since I’m not allowed to go any lower, as this was simply a train wreck…

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Dec 01 2021
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1

No conozco el trabajo de este cantante, pero se nota como un album de transicion.

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Jun 04 2021
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1

Essentially, did not listen. First tune failed to get my attention in the very least.

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Jun 26 2024
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5

Tim has some really fun tunes on this.

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Jun 20 2024
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5

I feel I stumbled upon a backwoods after hours lounge. It’s a bit naughty, but the musicians are giving it their all, and I am totally captivated. I gave it three listens and I’ll be back for more soon!

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Feb 22 2024
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5

10/10 damn, Tim Buckley really delivered such an amazing and diverse discography despite it being tragically short, it really did so much

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Feb 07 2024
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5

What a strangely unique voice. Some questionable lyrics but man was this jammin. Reminded me a bit of Talking Heads which Im all for. Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album front to back. 9/10

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Jan 29 2024
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5

A little groovy, nice guitar and instrumentals. His voice is great too. Tragic to find he died shortly after this album!

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Jan 25 2024
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5

Love it. Tim Buckley had problems though, damn.

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Oct 12 2023
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5

Monkey rub down under the sheets? WTF? Anyway. Lots of groove, a bit of wistfulness, some wanton lust and free spirit. A good sound, but perhaps a bit dated.

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Jul 22 2023
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5

I thought I knew what to expect from Tim Buckley. But I didn’t expect a rock album dripping with backup gloriousness. The backup singers on that opening track “Move With Me” sounded right out of the Schoolhouse Rock “Verb” song. I loved this!!!

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Apr 26 2023
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5

Amazing, i really really enjoyed this album.

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Apr 11 2023
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5

Funk-rock. Me ha gustado bastante. Venga, le pongo un 5.

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Feb 01 2023
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5

I thought this was really strong top to bottom. He had great presence and the band did a great job keeping the songs interesting musically. Better than the other Tim Buckley album we heard, which I also liked.

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Jan 22 2023
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5

Perfect mix between folk blues and new wave. Excellent for musicians.

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Jan 09 2023
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5

Excellent Rock/Blues album, reminiscent of the doors LA woman. Killer vocals with huge range. Funky, jamming instrumentals supporting lyrical styles from from detailed stories to wild howls to playful skat. Tight guitar work on the likes of Hong Kong bar. Not a bad song. All new to me. 4.5

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Aug 15 2022
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5

Sweet surrender is great. I like that sexy vibe of 70s. Obvious and naive.

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Dec 22 2021
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5

Funk-rock. Me ha gustado bastante. Venga, le pongo un 5.

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Nov 08 2021
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5

I had never heard of this guy, but wow, this was fun as hell.

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Jun 24 2021
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5

5/5 - I had heard of Tim Buckley but never listened to any of his catalog. This is a great album.

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May 11 2021
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5

Great album will definitely be added to my rotation

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Jan 28 2021
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5

Great album. Each song needs a little bit to get going but all worth it

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Nov 26 2024
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4

Крутой альбом. Вокалист напоминает Роберта Планта из Led Zeppelin. Мне понравилось. Отличный фанк-рок от сингера-сонграйтера. 4. Точно не тот альбом, который нужно послушать до своей смерти.

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Nov 25 2024
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4

Musically fun and with excellent vocals, this was a very enjoyable one to listen to.

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Nov 25 2024
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4

This is a strong veer from Tim's usual shitty folk fare...This is more bluesy/funky mixed with rock and sexually charged lyrics. It surprised the hell out of me. This was actually the most tolerable album Tim ever made. Favourite songs: Get on Top, Nighthawkin', Move With Me Least favourite songs: Make It Right 4/5

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Oct 15 2024
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4

first listen it's definitely groovy

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Oct 02 2024
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4

Vibrant. Horny. Intense, impassioned, largely incomprehensible vocals, luxurious strings, and lots of libido, horniness and funkiness

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Sep 05 2024
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4

A fun, funky and horny set (a lot of songs are about sex including one that mentions licking toes!) of jazzy rock songs with lots of jamming. The band has a big sound, including strings! Tim Buckley brings a lot of energy with his vocals on this album. I can’t believe this is the same guy that made the sleepy album “Happy Sad” that was also on the 1001 list. The whole band sounds like they’re having fun in the studio and it’s infectious. This was a pleasure.

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Aug 28 2024
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4

Never heard of this guy. His voice is weird, but I really enjoyed most of the songs. Listed to the album a few times.

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Aug 26 2024
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4

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” - me when I saw this was my album for today. I have had two other Tim Buckley albums thus far, and I’m honestly shocked to see that he has at least three on here. Lord tell me he doesn’t have more. I could name ten albums not on this list more deserving of his spots than he is. I sincerely hope my listen makes me feel better about this album because I do not feel good about it right now. We’ll see. ~~~~~~~~~~ Where has this version of Tim Buckley been this whole time???? Goddamn. He was energetic, he was alive, he had soul and a full band, he sang his heart out and then some. Sure the lyrical content was questionable at times but whatever. This was such a departure from the prior two albums that I damn near want to give this five stars. But I won’t overreact. I’ll give it four. That’s what it probably deserves. This reminded me of early CCR. Big “Susie Q.” vibes, if you see what I’m getting at. High energy folk rock with some soul and some kick. A fun time, made even more fun if you had to suffer through two of his lesser albums. Four stars. Thank goodness. Standout Tracks: Move with Me, Get On Top, Nighthawkin’, Devil Eyes

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Aug 14 2024
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4

Really enjoyed this tbh what a fun time

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Aug 11 2024
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4

4 - Really enjoyed and quite a performance. Something's stopping this from being higher and I'm not sure what.

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Aug 05 2024
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4

Jarenzeventigsingersongwriterkrijsmuziek? Je kunt alles wel in een hokje douwen. Lange nummers, Tim laat zichzelf lekker gaan, het resultaat kon ik meerdere keren luisteren, maar ik kon er niet goed de vinger op leggen wat ik nou gehoord had. Wellicht is dat ook niet altijd nodig.

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Aug 05 2024
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4

O jee. Tim Buckley. Die heeft van mij al twee tweeën gehad. Voor goed gezongen aanstellerij en voor een belachelijk gezongen achtbaanrit. Dit album houdt het midden. Hij brengt wat emotie over, maar het is niet aanstellerig. Het is niet te eentonig, maar schiet ook niet alle kanten op. Hij schiet wel eens uit met bijvoorbeeld een flink trillende stem, maar niet zo vaak dat het irritant wordt. Tim moet blijkbaar niet te gek doen om een mooi product te leveren. Wellicht omdat die fratsen de aandacht van zijn talent wegnemen? 3,5 ster.

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Aug 02 2024
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4

This was a bit of a surprise to be honest. I’ve heard of Tim Buckley as being the father of Jeff and similar demise. I suppose I was expecting more Jeff than this sex crazed Oedipal funk machine. Lotta lotta mamma love going on but I draw the line at licking stretch marks and between the toes. Don’t care if it’s a celebration of mature woman hood or just sicko Tarantino territory. Less is more apart from those funky Latin vibes!

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Aug 01 2024
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4

I liked this quite a bit, probably because of the horns and piano. It had a fun honky tonk sort of vibe.

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Jul 24 2024
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4

I am incredibly mad at the fact this was picked instead of "Starsailor", not because Starsailor is an incredible, genre-defying masterpiece, but because the reviews for it would have been really funny to read. This is very safe Tim Buckley. You can tell he was just goofing around on this one. No avantgarde mind-meltingness, just one of the best vocalists of all time flexing on everybody for 40 minutes. I can respect it. Still would have preferred Starsailor or Lorca though. 4/5.

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Jul 23 2024
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4

It's no Starsailor but it gets the job done. RIP TIM BUCKLEY, you would have loved posting on r/ihavesex

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Jul 14 2024
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4

++: Move with Me, Get on Top, Nighthawkin', Devil Eyes +: Sweet Surrender, Hong Kong Bar, Make It Right 9,0/10

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Jul 11 2024
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4

this album is strange to me. for fans of buckley like myself its not as interesting as his early works and for people who dont like him its still too weird for them. its not bad but it isnt a favorite of mine like most of his other stuff. 7/10

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Jul 04 2024
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4

did not expect the funkiness of this album at all get on top is awesome

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Jun 24 2024
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4

Second Buckley album on this list, this time by Buckley Senior. I didn't even know father was a singer as well, and he had as tragic story as the son. The record itself was a really fun trip, Tim's vocal was pretty good at times, but mostly I was impressed by the instrumentation. Amazing riffs, melodies and guitar solos. Very solid album, I will give a four for now, but let it be known it's a really strong four.

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Jun 20 2024
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4

Great music. Sex funk, another new genre for me.

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Jun 12 2024
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4

My favorite album of his. Totally different in style from his previous stuff it shows the range of his vocals and flat out rocks.

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Jun 11 2024
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4

Tim Buckley has a great, distinctive and unusual voice that uses a lot of technique and may not be everyone's cup of tea. Personally I love it, I always remember being gobsmacked when I heard a track called 'I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain' on a comp a friend did for me years ago. Although much of his music has a jazz-folk tinge, this particular album has a much more dirty funk rock sound, with risque lyrics. He's uncompromising, which often veers into sheer self indulgence but to a degree it is expected, given his particular brand of art-rock. It's not his best album, but it is a very good one.

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Jun 11 2024
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4

Yeah funky cool and breezy highly enjoyable.

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Jun 11 2024
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4

I surprised myself on how much I enjoyed this one. I'll give it another listen some time.

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Jun 08 2024
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4

I actually enjoyed this album, I'm not the biggest fan of ol Timmy from the ones we have gotten on this list, but this one got me. I think the vibe of LA with a more rockish type energy on some of these songs is what did it. He still goes into some spots that can I can't really follow, but for the most part I found myself connecting.

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Jun 08 2024
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4

Another from Buckley, Sr. and it's great. Some really interesting stylistic choices on here, which I'm just now realizing remind me of Tom Waits, but just not as cheesy. There was a lyric on here that really struck me, on "Move With Me" he's signing about a girl drinking alone in a bar and says "what a waste of sin." Not sure why I found that line so profound but I really like it. Tim Buckley definitely has the sauce, all three that we've had are four and above for me. Keep 'em coming. Favorite tracks: Move With Me, Get On Top, Hong Kong Bar. Album art: An inset picture of the LA cityscape, quite hazy too. Nothing crazy but the bold yellow backdrop is nice. 4/5

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Jun 06 2024
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4

Album 432 of 1001 Tim Buckley - Greetings From L.A. Rating : 4 / 5 2 days in a row with a Tim Buckley album. The music gods are trying to push him on me. This one is much more upbeat and enjoyable. Maybe not something I'm going to get an urge to listen to again but a fine album. This list really likes Tim Buckley. His story is an interesting one.

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