Brothers grim: death comes to life
- Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim & Jeff Buckley
- Previously unreleased in the US, Rykodisc releases a tribute to Tim and Jeff Buckley, the tragic unsung heroes of American folk. If it doesn't make you swoon, you should probably check your pulse.
- Purchase the CD
- Buy David Browne's Book
Set to release in the US in late January, a collection of the late Buckley’s songs entitled “Dream Brother” features many indy bands and singer/songwriters doing their best at channeling the spirits of Tim and Jeff to produce a tribute CD worthy of the family’s legacy… a legacy of woeful sorrow, heartfelt and beautiful music, and ultimately tragic death.
Folk great Tim Buckley died with little to no money or possesions at the age of 28, from an overdose induced by a comibination of alcohol and heroin. Before his tragic death, he recorded 9 studio albums and a slew of other live and assorted tracks. He also had a son, Jeff, who became a force in the 90’s NYC scene. Jeff, like his father, wrote and performed heartfelt folk music. Stylistically, Jeff was a little bit more rock and roll, perhaps, and if we wanted to discuss their music in depth there would be a lot to say about their similarities and differences… but their legacy isn’t simply about their music, it’s about tragedy. As Tim had died at a young age, so did his son. Jeff, only 30, drove his car into the Memphis Harbor in 1997, ending his career with only one full length studio album, a live CD, an EP, and scattered other recordings. Father and son, both wrote about the beautiful and the mundane in this life with diverse songs ranging from soft ballads to bluesy rock tunes.
Forging on to this CD, this reviewer will first state that the artists truly do a great job at encapsulating the mood and feel of the Buckley’s songs without simply reproducing them. This is what makes a great tribute or cover song: first, you make sure to honor the spirit of the original recording and then, you make it your own. A cover song that sounds the same as the original is dull, one that is too different loses the meaning and feeling… it’s a dangerous and fine line. When I think of great cover songs I think of songs like Cash’s “Hurt” or Stretch ArmStrong’s “Melt With You”, the first an acoustic version of an aggro-industrial song that still portrays the same mood and tone and the latter a hardcore version of an 80’s classic that retains the feel of the song yet is able to remove it from it’s original musical genre altogether. I will admit that I do not know every single original song that is featured on this CD (specifically Tim Buckley’s songs) so I cannot judge each song in such a manner, but the CD as a complete project certainly does capture the Buckleys without imitating and impersonating them.
The artists featured on the CD include Sufjan Stevens, The Magic Numbers, Micah Hinson, The Earlies, Bitmap, Clayhill, and Kathryn Williams, among several others. There are a few standout tracks among the 13 featured on this compilation. The most enjoyable for me are Micah Hinson’s “Yard of Blonde Girls”, The Earlies’ “I Must Have Been Blind”, Adem’s “Mojo Pin”, and Bitmap’s “Dream Brother”. The Bitmap track would be my pick as the best stand alone track, although it may be an unfair advantage to have the title track of the CD as their song. Bitmap’s version captures the dreamy feeling that Jeff originally had, but they truly make it their own, with some more intense and experimental sounds. I could listen to the track on repeat for hours.
This all being said, there isn’t a single track you’ll have to skip through on this CD. The Magic Numbers start the CD off strong, Micah Hinson steps it up a notch, and then indy darling Sufjan Stevens turns Tim Buckley’s “She Is” into what I could assume may become a college radio hit. The CD follows suit from there.
It goes without saying that this is a must-own for Buckley fans in any form, but I think it’s also a great way for fans of today’s indy scene to be introduced to the legacies of these great musicians. The liner notes include words from David Browne, author of a book by the same name of this CD, about the lives of the Buckleys. Might I suggest that those of you who don’t know anything of this musical family to go out and pick up this CD, read the liner notes and fall in love with the music. You’ll thank me.
January 16th, 2006 at 8:19 pm
um, i know this may seem a little trivial, however i am a MASSIVE jeff fan & i hate it when untrue things are written about his death. jeff did not drive his car into the memphis harbour & drown! he did drown, however he was actually swimming in the wolf river at the time & a tug boat went past & is thought to have created a whirlpool effect which pulled him under the water. just thought i’d clear that little piece of misinformation up!
January 16th, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Apology. The person from the record company liked the review and didn’t correct anything.
JeffBuckley.com indicates… “The night Buckley died, he was on his way to meet his band to begin three weeks of rehearsals for my sweetheart, the drunk; producer Andy Wallace, who’d helmed the boards on Grace, was to join them in Memphis in late June to record his new album.”
and another site, which I cannot now find, published an article about his death that discussed a car accident. I did find the information you speak of just now on several other sites and thusly, I apologize for the misinformation.
The Buckley legacy still holds true, nonetheless. And this CD is outstanding.