Tim Buckley-Starsailor (1971)

Tim Buckley is often overlooked and omitted from rock music encyclopedias, yet this brilliant singer-songwriter is shrouded in an aura of legend and mystique. A tremendously ambiguous artist, Buckley was a pioneer of vocal technique, experimenting with styles as diverse as free jazz, psychedelia, folk, and even avant-garde sounds. From a young age, he learned to play guitar and modulate his voice, and after countless experiences alongside figures like Buffalo Springfield bassist Jim Fielder, he received a call from Herb Cohen, a talent scout who was also Frank Zappa's manager. Some time later, he landed his first record deal with Asylum Records and released his debut album, "Tim Buckley" (1966), which created an atmosphere clearly indicative of the psychedelic and folk music of the era. A second album, "Goodbye and Hello" (1967), didn't quite fit Buckley's philosophy due to producer Jerry Yester's overly elaborate arrangements. In the following years, Buckley released the trilogy "Happy/Sad" (1969), "Lorca" (1970), and "Blue Afternoon" (1970), where he reached his artistic maturity, shifting his psychedelic and folk style towards a more jazz-influenced direction. The next brilliant album, "Starsailor" (1971), along with "Greetings From L.A." (1972), were his most commercially successful works. After two more albums in a downward artistic direction, "Sefronia" (1973) and "Look at the Fool" (1974), he temporarily withdrew from the music world. But his fragile personality and his continuous depressions would lead him to the grave on July 26, 1975, due to a fatal overdose of morphine and heroin.