Yes, this is Jeff Buckley’s actual dad.

Tim Buckley at this point was carving out a solo career for himself that was remarkably impressive. This album, released in 1967, is received as a classic. Without further hesitation, let’s take a listen to it, see what it sounds like.

The thundercrack of No Man Can Find The War kicks off the album and a superb listen. Tim Buckley’s voice is brilliant, being powerful, and unique. There is a variety of instrumentation here, with acoustic guitar and bongos. A good way to begin this classic album. It sounds a lot like Black Sabbath’s War Pigs but this one came first. Brilliant stuff.

Next is Carnival Song which has some toy-like sounds and organs to hear. It’s rather catchy and tells the tale of clowns and other similar psychedelic ideals. It’s a nice piece reminiscent of an era long gone by. It’s so well delivered, and sounds a lot like The Beatles song Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! Great though.

Pleasant Street has brilliant guitar playing, bongos, and harpsichord with some deep and artistic lyrics to listen to. There are some great sounds here, which fit Tim Buckley’s singing perfectly. Great stuff, and very underrated. Tim Buckley sounds a lot like a female singer, oddly enough, but in a good way.

Hallucinations is the next song, with sleigh bells, acoustic guitar, and what sounds like slide guitar as well. It’s a very good folk music sort of tune to hear and tells a romantic tale of hallucinations. There are some brilliant sound effects here, in typical 1967 style.

Next is I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain which has slide acoustic guitar, strummed acoustic guitar, and bongos. Tim Buckley sings in a glorious voice in a melancholy way, revealing a great sense of musicality. It is surprisingly catchy, and refreshing listening. They are some interesting keyboard melodies here too. Towards the end, it becomes very frenetic and speeds up. Good stuff.

Following is Once I Was which sounds like a mix between Bob Dylan and The Velvet Underground. It’s a rural tale of interesting delight. A good and refreshing listen, it builds up in a very emotional way. Nice. A reassuring listen.

Phantasmagoria In Two is a more straightforward piece that comes next. It has carefully plucked melodies and Tim Buckley’s soaring voice. If talent is passed down genetically, we can be assured that this is the case here. Good pop for the time.

Knight-Errant is a medieval tale of joy. It has banjo and organ, very 1967. Lovemaking is sung about here. It’s a short piece, but a good one.

The title track Goodbye And Hello is a great blast of psychedelia piece about travel and similar deeds. It’s more interesting than the previous sets of songs, but you’d expect that from this sort of thing. It goes into a frenetic string and horn section. It’s an extended piece over eight minutes long. The lyrics are very psychedelic and drug-influenced. It proceeds in a stop/start motion. It’s a multisectioned and well thought out piece of music.

Last is Morning Glory which is a subdued effort with piano and lovely flute. It’s a good listen, with Tim Buckley singing about a homeless man. The backing gospel vocals are very good here. A nice way to end this album.

Sadly, this album is not Tim Buckley’s best. Nor is it the best of 1967. It’s rather disappointing in that respect, and also the recording is rather boring musically compared to other psychedelia releases at the time. No diss to Tim Buckley, a good effort, but not the best. Still, it is one of those releases you can hear once, remember, and never forget.

7/10