Tim Buckley regarded his voice as an instrument, incorporating jazz, psychedelia and soul into his avant-folk sound. Buckley had a tragically brief career spanning the late 60s and early 70s. His 1970 album Starsailor is considered a lasting document of his immense talent. In 1969 Buckley began work on three albums simultaneously: the abstract Lorca; Blue Afternoon, a half-hearted bid for commercial success; and masterpiece Starsailor. Once Lorca and Blue Afternoon vanished without a trace, Starsailor was given his undivided attention. Darkly compelling, the album was utterly unique. Buckley chose words from many languages for their phonetic sounds rather than meaning. The public remained indifferent, and the album was a failure. Buckley fell apart, his depression and increasing substance abuse rendered him a risky proposition to the music industry. By 1975, Buckley had fatally OD’ed. Starsailor has drifted in and out of print due to legal troubles. However, the success of his estranged, late son Jeff in the 90s revived interest in his work. In 2006, Starsailor was released on the iTunes Music Store.

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Official Website
Buckley’s guitarist Lee Underwood
The Tim Buckley Archives