Legendary Ballroom

This is the most important Tim Buckley release since Dream Letter, featuring a singular performance with a jazz-rock lineup that calls to mind Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Buckley, father of Jeff Buckley, made his mark with his Southern California folk-rock sound and four-octave vocal range. But this rich weave of accessible, warm, improvisational music reveals Buckley in a light never before captured on tape, including two newly discovered songs (“Blues, Love” and “The Lonely Life”), early drafts of Buckley classics, and a stunning cover of Fred Neil’s “Merry-Go-Round.” Recorded by the Grateful Dead’s legendary soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the infamous LSD chemist, this is one of the treasures of his Sonic Journal archive. Buckley’s performance is incredible and Bear’s thumbprint on the sonics is part of the magic!

3CD set proviging an excellent showcase of The Byrds live work during the latr 60s/early 70s. Featuring three full length FM Radio Broadcasts of performances by different incarnations of The Byrds, in 1968, 1973 and 1978 (albeit by then billed as McGuinn, Clark and Hillman) this boxed set provides an excellent showcase of this ever-changing groups live work during the decade that immediately followed their pop career in the earlier part of the 1960s.

This chronological, decades-spanning collection offers revelatory peeks at little-heard tunes as well as thrilling takes on beloved setlist staples. Reaching back to 1966, we get rare outings of folk/blues covers like "He Was a Friend of Mine" and Lead Belly's "In the Pines," while a 1978 recording from the legendary Egyptian performances at the foot of the pyramids produces a collaboration with oud master Hamza El Din on his own "Ollin Arageed."