Original Album Series

This box set comes complete with Tim's early works from his self titled debut to Locra. It is a great value (only 15 dollars plus shipping for five Tim Buckley albums). This collection is a great glimpse into the beginning and middle periods (though sadly Starsailor is not included, thus this does not feature all of Tim's jazz albums but it has most of them). It's perfect for anyone who is just introduced to Tim's music. From Starsailor onward, Tim began to lose a lot of his fan base but nonetheless remained relentlessly innovative. Many new to Tim's music may be put off by his later work without giving it a proper chance. I would recommend starting with this box set and moving though Tim's more approachable material before delving into his deeper cuts (Starsailor, Look At The Fool, even Locra though it is included). Tim's voice was truly extraordinary and his songs allow for an escape. In this world of manufactured pop acts (mostly), this type of music is a gem. Good music exists, you just have to look for it. Sometimes when you're looking you come across something truly extraordinary. Tim Buckley certainly fits that definition. He was on a journey and lucky for us he left a treasure trove of great music for us to enjoy for years to come.

Buckley's first five albums are, in my opinion, his best. His first, which I believe he recorded at the age of 19, demonstrates the mellifluous voice and Hello and Good-bye continues in the folk-rock vein as Larry Becketts talents as a lyricist unfold. 'Morning Glory' became an instant classic. Then with Happy Sad Tim went from folk-rock to folk-jazz. His band with congas, vibes, stand-up bass and jazz guitar set the background for Tim's vocal acrobatics. This and the following two albums manifested Buckley's voice-as-an-instrument style and his tremendous vocal range. Blue Afternoon, a collector's item in and of itself, may be my favorite but that's a tough call. Happy Sad has the fabulous 'Gypsy Woman' and Lorca features cool stroll of 'Driftin'. The fact is these are five great albums at a nice price.

This is an excellent and very reasonably priced box set of Tim Buckley's early and mid-period work. I give it 4 rather than 5 stars because in reproducing LP covers on cd jackets, the print is virtually illegible, and the albums that were originally gatefold covers now have only a front and back. A booklet with the covers, and personnel listings, would be a much-appreciated addition. These are minor points compared to the music, which shows Buckley's creative development, stopping short of his final, straight rock albums. Also, regrettably, Starsailor is missing from this set, and is apparently unavailable on cd (as of when I write this, July 24, 2012).

Today I just ran across this listing in Amazon and ordered it within seconds. So I cannot comment on the packaging or sound quality, but being issued by Warner Brothers UK, I am confident that both will be excellent. What I can comment on is: finally, to my ears, the single best Tim Buckley album "Blue Afternoon" is back in print after years of being unavailable. "Blue Afternoon," although comprised of so-called "leftovers" as far as Buckley was concerned, has always been my favorite Buckley album, which I purchased when it came out in 1969. Parts of it have been anthologized, but Buckley was always an "album-artist" and is always best appreciated hearing him in that context. "Blue Afternoon" is full of highly melodic, moody and totally accessable tunes (perhaps partly explaining why Buckley himself dismissed it.) In fact, his next album "Lorca," also contained in this collection, is where Mr. Buckley lost a whole bunch of fans who had followed him through his thrilling musical growth, albums one through four. "Lorca" is highly experimental and contains only some sonic similarities to his prior work, but melodic and accessable...forget about it. But that was the artistic growth pattern that Buckley followed. Quickly, his first album is spare, folky, somewhat naive but highly interesting in what it suggests for the future. "Goodbye and Hello" has much more developed, inventive songs, showing a wonderful range of talent. "Happy Sad" is probably his most popular album with the haunting "Dream Letter," the gorgeous "Sing a Song for You" and the completely successful experimental suite "Love from Pacific Coast Highway." Then comes "Blue Afternoon." Just listen to the passion of "I Must Have Been Blind," the smokey seduction of "Cafe".....if these are "leftovers," I'll take another helping. Having Buckley's first five albums in a complete package for a quite reasonable price is an absolute joy. This is how he should be heard. Later: I received my cd from the UK, so I can add a couple updates. Five separate discs are housed in cardboard exact reproductions of the original lp covers....except, "Goodbye and Hello" and "Blue Afternoon" were fold-out covers, and that is not reflected here. One negative is the total lack of documentation as to anything but the song titles and producer's credits. A single paper insert would have been most welcome. The sound quality is excellent, and again, there are no credits for remastering, but this is a Rhino/Warner product, and they issued the outstanding "Tim Buckley Anthology" in 2001, with full remastering for all the songs contained there. So, I will keep my copy of "Anthology" for its excellent annotation and post-"Lorca" tracks, and keep "The Original Album Series" so as to have all of Buckley's early work.

Tim's finest lps covering his formative years

Always loved Tim Buckley. This is great set.of albums. Only complaint is that it has multiple of same songs on different albums

Not a bad purchase. Bought this along with another release from this artist and his son. My sibling enjoyed the sound of this era.

Buckley's first four albums are among my all-time favorites and it's incredible to get this 5-cd set, let alone at such an amazing price. He started going in a different direction with Lorca, but his first 4 albums are melodic, passionate and unique, simultaneously soothing and exciting. And what a voice with incredible range. I was a fan in the late 60's and his music doesn't just hold up but surpasses most of what followed. Timeless.