Send "Tim Buckley " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Tinymixtapes |
 In the 1960s, the idea of music as an outlet for those struggling to find their place in a materialistic and corrupt world was becoming especially pronounced. Goodbye and Hello, in this sense, is certainly a product of its time; these melancholy folk tunes highlight the feelings of disappointment and disenchantment resulting from the tumultuous ’60s. Still, on this album, Tim Buckley delves beyond folksy reactions to politics.That depth resides in Buckley’s soft-spoken, lyrical delivery. With a multi-octave range of possibilities and the gently wailing, melodic capability of his voice, he transcends the then-familiar sight of a man and his guitar, speaking to a people, a country, and a time. In “No Man Can Find the War,” the poetry is undeniable throughout. Yet when he finally asks “Is the war inside your mind?” we shift from the political to the individual, from the physical manifestation of war to a metaphorical one. There is a war in Tim Buckley’s mind. In fact, Buckley is at his very best when confronting the torment buried within, rather than in the politics or war going on around him. “I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain” references his failed marriage with Mary Guibert (mother of Jeff Buckley), the “Flying Pisces.” The tune is undoubtedly epic, filled with queens and charming dancers and seascapes. Ultimately, however, Buckley abandons the fantastical for safe and steady ground, as the song culminates in a series of pleading howls: “Please come home.” Who pleads is not made clear — the Flying Pisces? the abandoned child? Buckley himself? Yet the grief and desperation remains personal and, above all else, human....full text |
| Rateyourmusic |
| Some outstanding moments mark this album's true brilliance. A perfect freeze-frame of Tim when he was still clearly learning about the world, but also allowed his almost naïvety/arrogance to create some really wonderfully deep vulnerabilities, from which he's plucked some magical moments. While the lyrics are approaching those of his psychedelic-infused works to come, the music is still pretty much standard folk/folk rock.... But whilst it's not experimental, it's consistent: were Carnival Song and Knight-Errant removed there'd not be a track worse than outstanding on the entire record. Purge the album of these and you find a much more powerful album. The harsh tones of I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain are the highlight of the album, but the eery, ethereal stylings on Hallucinations, the sumptuous love song Once I Was, the pained refrains of Pleasant Street and the similarly excellent Phantasmagoria in Two create one of the strongest middle-sections of any album I've ever heard. For an album so steeped in personal failings -- both consciously and unconsciously -- it seems bizarre that the album gives off nothing but a massive sense of growth from his debut, but that's exactly what it's done....full text |
| Artistdirect |
| Often cited as the ultimate Tim Buckley statement, Goodbye and Hello is indeed a fabulous album, but it's merely one side of Tim Buckley's enormous talent. Recorded in the middle of 1967 (in the afterglow of Sgt. Pepper), this album is clearly inspired by Pepper's exploratory spirit. More often than not, this helps to bring Buckley's awesome musical vision home, but occasionally falters. Not that the album is overrated (it's not), it's just that it is only one side of Buckley. The finest songs on the album were written by him alone, particularly "Once I Was" and "Pleasant Street." Buoyed by Jerry Yester's excellent production, these tracks are easily among the finest example of Buckley's psychedelic/folk vision. A few tracks, namely the title cut and "No Man Can Find the War," were co-written by poet Larry Beckett. While Beckett's lyrics are undoubtedly literate and evocative, they occasionally tend to be too heavy-handed for Buckley. However, this is a minor criticism of an excellent and revolutionary album that was a quantum leap for both Tim Buckley and the audience. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide...full text |
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