LOOK AT THE FOOL

Personnel: Tim Buckley (vocals, 12-string guitar); Joe Falsia (guitar, bass); Jesse Erlich (cello); Anthony Terran, William Peterson, Terry Harrington, Richard Nash, Johnny Rotella (horns); Mike Melvoin (piano, organ, Moog synthesizer); Mark Tiernan (electric piano); Jim Fiedler, Chuck Rainey, Jim Hughart (bass); Earl Palmer (drums); Gary Coleman (percussion); King Errison (congas); Vanetta Fields, Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews (background vocals). Recorded at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California and Record Plant, Hollywood, California. The prolific Buckley's artistic growth occurred at such a rapid pace that a year in his career saw more development and change than ten years in someone else's. In 1974 he recorded two albums that were light years away from the abstract, experimental extremes of 1971's STARSAILOR and '72's funky, lascivious GREETINGS FROM L.A. SEFRONIA and LOOK AT THE FOOL were unfortunately the final chapters in the tragically short life and career of the singer-songwriter, but they represent the distances he was willing to travel for the sake of his muse. LOOK AT THE FOOL would be Buckley's swan song. While it's not as brazenly commercial as the overproduced straight pop-rock of SEFRONIA, it's still one of the most commercial albums he ever made. Buckley was struggling to reinvent himself yet again in the mid-'70s, this time as a rock star, a fact to which the cadre of session musicians that provide the solid, workmanlike backing attests. No matter the setting though, Buckley couldn't help but turn in an incredible performance when placed in front of a microphone, and the retreat towards the R&B leanings of GREETINGS leavens the pop overkill somewhat. For a more visceral look at this period, see the live HONEYMAN.