LP, Straight Records, 1969
Produced by Tim Buckley
All music and lyrics by Tim Buckley
Blue Afternoon continues the flowing jazz-folk of Happy Sad while occasionally detouring into the avant-garde atmospheres that manifest more fully on Lorca and Starsailor. The arrangements are characterized by fluid vibraphones, lobbing upright bass, and the virtuosic jazz guitar of Lee Underwood, but what really ties everything together are the vocals and songwriting. Buckley’s voice is so versatile that he is able to express a wide range of emotions, sometimes blurring them from one moment to the next. The songs and lyrics refuse to be boxed into one category as “joyful” or “lonely” or “sad” and instead reflect the intangible multi-dimensionality of feeling. This is one reason I can listen to his music in any mood, something in the music will resonate with me regardless.
Recommended Tracks: Happy Time, Chase the Blues Away, I Must Have Been Blind
Personnel:
Lee Underwood: Guitar, Piano
David Freedman: Vibes
John Miller: Acoustic & Electric Bass
Jimmy Madison: Drums
Tim Buckley: 12-string Guitar, vocals
Carter Collins: Congas on ‘Blue Melody’
