Happy Sad

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
At the top of the list of doomed cult folkies with the angelic Nick Drake, Tim Buckley built his reputation on his remarkable vocal range, sensitive, moody songwriting and refusal to compromise artistically even when it maddened and confused his most ardent fans. IHappy Sad/I recorded in 1969 with production duties shared by the Lovin Spoonful's Jerry Yester and Zal Yanovsky, showcased what was to become an increasingly jazz tinged direction with intricate song arrangements underpinned by vibes and intricate lead guitar work. The mellow "Buzzin Fly" is the lightest moment here but IHappy Sad/I, only six songs long, is fashioned around two centrepiece numbers, the 10 minute "Love From Room 109 At The Islander [On Pacific Coast Highway"], a darkly romantic meditation set against a backdrop of rolling breakers and the 12 minute stoned groove "Gypsy Woman" in which Buckley sets that incredible voice loose. --IMike Pattenden/I

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Customer reviews

review by: Sherlock Holmes and the Underpants of Death date: 2008-08-04 rating:
One for the right mood
Moving, elegaic music - this can soundtrack the right hour perfectly, but it is very much for the right mood. If you like him, check out Nick Drake and vice versa.

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review by: motherfer date: 2007-07-10 rating:
The title is Happy Sad
This album is incorrectly listed here. Amazon can you fix this error? Happy/Sad is a great album if you like melancholic, jazzy, improvisational singers, which I do. Tim is comparable to Astral Weeks and Common One type Van Morrison. Others (like my wife) find Tim a droning bore and that's ok too. It's not compulsory to like Tim, and it doesn't mean you have poor taste if you think Starsailor is unlistenable noise.

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review by: Starsailor date: 2007-02-10 rating:
Off the Rails Folk/Jazz/Rock Brilliance
Buckley was never going to be a star after releasing this gem. Too far before his time and (in my opinion) to good for this world. br /With 2 songs reaching over 10 minutes (Love from Room 109 Gypsy Woman) many deem this to hard to listen to, but those same people rave about it... why? br /In my opinion Buckley is the man (with quite possibly only Nick Drake, Dylan Shawn Phillips who can hold a candle to him) and this (or Lorca) are his best albums. His voice is, as usual, marvellous especially on Sing a Song For You (my favourite!) br /This is a good start to buy Tim Buckley and is definetly 1 of his best

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review by: date: 2006-12-28 rating:
The Soul of a Man
Herein lies the restless spirit of a young man searching ; chasen by loneliness and chasing love. The fey baroque chamber folk of his first two offerings are replaced on this, Tim Buckley's third album, by a sound more substantially soulful. Folkjazzrock, maybe, and out of the sixties, but this is a timeless and genreless classic collection. Tim's voice and 12-string acoustic guitar are joined by a small band of musicians (electric guitar, vibraphone, bass, and on one track, congas) who gell to make an exciting and original whole. br /The first two songs are rhythmically skimming and skipping ; teasing us with joy. In the third there are darker concerns of loneliness and longing, while "Dream Letter" is an affecting missive from absent father to infant son. br /The musical and vocal tour de force, "Gypsy Woman", follows. Urgency and depth are provided by the addition of Carter Collins' congas and by David Friedman switching to the more funky bass marimba. Lee Underwood's electric guitar is allowed to stretch out and there's even a quasi-Eastern episode with de-tuned acoustic. On this twelve minute work-out Buckley is dealing with erotic desires, his naughty boy voice whoops and hollers. The men don't know, but the little girls understand. br /The final thump and chord of this dies and we are left with his sweetest tune here, "Sing A Song For You". More delicate, honest exposure and a fine end to this, perhaps Tim Buckley's best album.


review by: philjeffcott date: 2004-11-03 rating:
Eerie excellence
This album completely blew me away! "Strange Feelin" opens with some suitably queasy atonal chimes on the vibraphone and even before Buckley's first vocal line you know that this is music that's going to take you to a different place. brThe first two tracks are jaunty enough but the mood intensifies with the astonishing "Love From Room 109", which contains enough melodies and ideas to fill an entire album alone. Even this jewel is then surpassed by the haunting "Dream Letter", which reaches levels of purity that most popular music doesn't even know exists. br"Gipsy Woman" is undoubtedly the weakest piece here - somehow, it just feels undercooked - but even an under par Buckley can't help but astonish with the agility of his voice. "Sing A Song For You" closes on a suitably wistful note, including the line "just too young to know any more" - an ironic statement, given the maturity displayed in the singing throughout the album.brBuy this album. If it fails to move you in any way, you probably have no pulse.

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