Tim Buckley Dream Belongs To Me: Rarities & Unreleased 1968-1973 CD

Fanatical followers of folk-rock troubadour Tim Buckley have seen half of these tracks before on the internet-only limited edition disc WORKS IN PROGRESS, which collected some thrilling and illuminating studio outtakes from 1968, a vital point in the creation of Buckley's artful folk/rock/jazz amalgam. For the rest of the world, these tracks will serve as a reminder that the mercurial Buckley's artistry was constantly in flux; one day's embryonic fragment would be part of tomorrow's complex song suite, full of ghostly/angelic singing and underlined by Lee Underwood's warm, jazz-schooled guitar work.

The second half of THE DREAM BELONGS TO ME consists of raw, unadorned demos of songs from Buckley's '73 release SEFRONIA. While that album has been much maligned for its commercial pop-soul slickness, the rough versions here are considerably more listenable; grittier and more soulful sans the glossy overdubs. While neither the '68 sessions nor the '73 demos are recommended to non-fans, their pairing on this disc creates an interesting and unique juxtaposition between Buckley's early, stellar flights of fancy and the more pragmatic, earthbound end of his career.

Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch (Digiprep).

Recorded at Mayfair Studios, New York, New York on March 4 & 5, 1968 and Sunset Studios, Hollywood, California on February 12, 1973. Includes liner notes by Randy Bookasta.

Personnel: Tim Buckley (vocals, guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar); Lee Underwood (guitar, electric guitar); Joe Falsia (guitar); John Miller (acoustic bass); Buddy Helm (drums); Carter C.C. Collins (congas, bells).

Recording information: Mayfair Studio, New York, NY (03/1968-??/1973); Sunset Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/1968-??/1973); TTG Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/1968-??/1973).

Personnel includes: Tim Buckley (vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar); Lee Underwood, Joe Falsia (guitar); David Friedman (vibraphone); John Miller (acoustic bass); Bernie Mysior (bass); Buddy Helm (drums); Carter C.C. Collins (congas, bells).

Compilation producers: K. Lee Hammond, Randy Bookasta.

Q (7/01, p.131) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A godsend for fans after some of what's gone before..."
CMJ (6/4/01, p.35) - "...Paints a rough but excellent sketch of why Tim matters..."
Mojo (Publisher) (6/01, p.126) - "...The most important and worthwhile Buckley archive release since DREAMLETTER."
NME (Magazine) (5/12/01, p.41) - 8 out of 10 - "...These deceivingly complete-sounding versions actually emerges as superior to their later incarnation, as Buckley's voice is given more space to perform its renowned somersaults..."