I’m a huge Tim Buckley fan. Shortly after I discovered Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” (shortly after his tragic death, via an article in Rolling Stone about the accident), I discovered his father’s music – and was spellbound. A voice that could be played with the virtuosity of a violin, coupled with poetic lyrics, and a varied discography ranging from folk to folk rock, experimental avant-garde and the surprisingly funky R&B on "Greetings from L.A." – which, to my knowledge, is Buckley’s most successful but not his best album. Buckley was an innovator, someone who was always curious to explore new areas of music; R&B was just one facet of his musical personality. With "Sweet Surrender", the album features the only minor hit Buckley ever had. The highly sexually charged lyrics don’t really seem to suit Buckley. Unlike his earlier albums, Buckley’s later work feels dated and less compelling. The artistic and lyrical depth of his earlier albums had been lost. The album is cool, no question, but there are better ones by Buckley (virtually all his previous albums and, above all, his posthumously released live album “Dream Letter”) and, if we’re honest, others did R&B and funk more convincingly. Good, but not outstanding.
