Tim Buckley Look At The Fool, Discreet Ds2201

Tim has returned on Discreet with an album of originals, and a soulful strut in his voice. That is definitely Buckley's sexiest album to date, and that's saying a lot for a guy who recorded a song called "Get On Top Of Me, Woman". The lyrical images that have always been his forte as a writer and his (for lack of a better word) unique voice are both displayed to full force. My sole objection is that sometimes there is a misplaced effort to keep the album soulful. The title cut just has too much going on at once, as does "Tiajuana Moon" which has the background vocals mixed closer to the front than Buckley's lead. Buckley is still sending us the occasional postcard from L.A., as in "Freeway Blues", and all in all has a strong hold on words, music and rhythm. If you can stand him, and many can't (and this album is hardly one to introduce the nonBuckley crowd to his sound, which is an acquired taste), this will tickle you fancy something fierce.

--Paul S. Grant