Tim Buckley's September 1969 concerts at Doug Weston's famed Troubadour were first compiled for release in 1994 as Live at the Troubadour, capturing the singer-songwriter holding sway over an intimate Hollywood crowd.  The performances took place just a couple of months after the July release of his third studio album, Happy Sad, and another couple of months before the November release of his fourth LP, Blue Afternoon. Now, Manifesto Records in the U.S. and Edsel in the U.K. have revisited Buckley's Troubadour shows to create two unique albums: Venice Mating Call and Greetings from West Hollywood.

These two new albums have been crafted by co-producers Bill Inglot, Pat Thomas, and Dan Perloff as standalone releases, though they're best enjoyed together, and as a complement to Live at the Troubadour.  (That original release has recently been reissued by Edsel as part of a live Buckley box set.)   They have been culled from Buckley's concerts of September 3 and 4, 1969 (two shows per night) as well as from an unmarked set of reel-to-reel tapes believed to pre-date September 3, which the producers believe might reflect an afternoon rehearsal/warm-up show.

No recordings from Live at the Troubadour have been repeated on either of these discs, although the albums do share two recordings in common with each other ("Chase the Blues Away," "Blue Melody").  In total, there are seven recordings unique to Greetings from West Hollywood, and eleven to Venice Mating Call.  The latter is a 2-CD set, and all tracks on both releases are previously unissued.

Buckley was joined at the Troubadour by guitarist/keyboardist Lee Underwood, percussionist Carter C.C. Collins on congas, bassist John Balkin, and The Mothers of Invention's Art Tripp on drums.  The up close and personal gigs found Buckley in a transitional period between his jazz-influenced folk and the hedonistic avant-garde white funk he would later embrace.  Buckley previewed songs from both Blue Afternoon and Lorca, which would arrive in May 1970, and also performed "(I Wanna) Testify," a gospel-based riff of a song that never appeared on a Buckley studio album.  The songs tended to be stretched out, some to past the ten-minute mark.  A strong improvisatory element informs the shows, making both discs essential purchases, as the artist and his tight band rework and reshape melodies and lyrics on the spot.

Venice Mating Call is available on CD in both the U.S. from Manifesto, and in the U.K. from Edsel.  Greetings from West Hollywood is only available on LP in the U.S. from Manifesto, but has been released on CD in the U.K. by Edsel.  Both albums have been mastered by Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz from multi-track tapes mixed by Brian Kehew, and feature new liner notes by Pat Thomas.  Note that the U.S. and U.K. CD releases of Venice Mating Call have the exact same contents, editorially and musically, with the only slight variation being in the design.  Both are housed in digipaks.

These titles both cast further light on the spellbinding presence of Tim Buckley.  They can be ordered at the links below!

Tim Buckley, Venice Mating Call (Manifesto MFO 40710/Edsel EDSL 0009, 2017)

Manifesto CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Edsel CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

CD 1

1. Buzzin' Fly
2. Strange Feelin'
3. Blue Melody
4. Chase the Blues Away
5. Venice Mating Call
6. Gypsy Woman
7. I Don't Need It to Rain

CD 2

1. Driftin'
2. (I Wanna) Testify
3. Anonymous Proposition
4. Lorca
5. I Had a Talk with My Woman
6. Nobody Walkin'

All tracks previously unreleased.

Tim Buckley, Greetings from West Hollywood (Manifesto LP/Edsel EDSL 0010, 2017)

Manifesto LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Edsel CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

1. Buzzin' Fly
2. Chase the Blues Away
3. I Had a Talk with My Woman
4. Blue Melody
5. Nobody Walkin'
6. Venice Mating Call
7. I Don't Need It to Rain
8. Driftin'
9. Gypsy Woman