Loading...
83rd out of 276 books
—
289 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Jeff and Tim Buckley
by
David Browne
Jeff Buckley's drowning in 1997 was proclaimed a tragedy, not only because the 30-year-old singer-songwriter was perched on the cusp of stardom but also because his death so eerily mirrored the premature demise of his father, folk-rock icon Tim Buckley. In Dream Brother, music critic David Browne offers an incisive portrait of the ill-fated father and son, examining their ...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
January 1st 2002
by HarperEntertainment
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
788)
People my age (born in the 50s) are most likely to remember the folk singer/songwriter Tim Buckley, whose beautiful voice soared over jazz guitar, vibraphone, and conga percussion, and with riffs swiped from jazz greats like Miles Davis into a fusion of folk and jazz.
People 20 years younger are more likely to have known of Tim's son, Jeff Buckley, who also was a singer/songwriter, had jazz influences, and had an absolutely beautiful voice.
Jeff hardly knew his father; he ...more
People 20 years younger are more likely to have known of Tim's son, Jeff Buckley, who also was a singer/songwriter, had jazz influences, and had an absolutely beautiful voice.
Jeff hardly knew his father; he ...more
I bought this book in hardcover when it initially came out in 2001. It has languished on my shelf ever since. I tried to read it a few times before, but always abandoned it. Normally after something has sat unread on my bookshelf for that long, I'd get rid of it, but I always felt like one day I would read it.
I was a latecomer to Jeff Buckley's music, in the sense that I didn't really start listening to him until after his death. Prior to that, I knew who he was, but that was about...more
I was a latecomer to Jeff Buckley's music, in the sense that I didn't really start listening to him until after his death. Prior to that, I knew who he was, but that was about...more
I went to high school with Jeff Buckley and graduated a year behind him. We didn't share any classes and our paths rarely crossed, so I had no idea of his talent. I remember one day, though, as we passed each other as he was leaving a classroom while I was entering. We made eye contact, and he smiled and said "hi." I know I smiled, and I think I said "hi" back. Because I was a shy kid with low self-esteem, any time anyone I didn't know greeted me kindly it stuck with me....more
soooo good! This book deepened my love and appreciation for Jeff Buckley(as if that were even possible). I loved getting the really intimate perspective on both Jeff's and his father's lives. They never really knew each other, but were similar in many ways. This is the only book that has ever made me cry at the end. It really made me appreciate the kind of person that Jeff was, even if he was a bit before my time. He seemed to have had such a pure soul and wanted nothing more than to spread love...more
Browne does a thorough job of detailing the talented, too short lives of iconic musicians Tim and Jeff Buckley. The chapters alternate between the two, and reveal eery similarities between a father and son who barely knew one another. Extensively researched, the book contains information gleaned from interviews with many people who knew both men. People who knew Tim were stunned when first seeing and hearing Jeff, as his appearance and voice evoked vivid memories of his father.
Jeff spe...more
Jeff spe...more
Jesus, I'm a nerd. I go headlong into revisiting a dormant crush on the doomed son of a doomed son by checking in with my local library. This is Dave Thompson's Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward all over again!
Fortunately, David Browne wrote a pretty substantial biography on the Buckleys that twines, parallels, and misses the two young men who shared heritage but not each other's lives. I think the Jeff portion was what they were going to make the stalled biopic out of, which would be...more
Fortunately, David Browne wrote a pretty substantial biography on the Buckleys that twines, parallels, and misses the two young men who shared heritage but not each other's lives. I think the Jeff portion was what they were going to make the stalled biopic out of, which would be...more
David Browne's DREAM BROTHER is a dual biography of the musicians Tim Buckley and Jeff Buckley, Tim's son. The tale is told in alternating chapters to show the eerie resemblances and notable differences in their tragically short lives. Tim Buckley died of a drug overdose at the age of 28, Jeff Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River when he was 31. Before that, they had both left between works of great beauty and originality, but had yet to reach the mainstream towards which they both hoped.
...more
...more
What I found amazing about Dream Brother is that I was introduced to Jeff Buckley's life and music. The book itself is a good biography of Jeff and his father. Their stories are not intertwined; there is one chapter about Tim, then one chapter about Jeff and so on. I, of course, bought Grace and Live at Sine right away and now I am OBSESSED with Grace. (sigh...) I am a little embarrassed because I was only familiar with the cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, but better late than never....more
Big fan of Jeff Buckley, but after reading this account, took the shine off him. Usually the more I know, the more I can appreciate the artist and the music (e.g. Johnny Cash), but in this instance - he came across a tad sulky and ridiculous. Tim Buckey's story really hooked me and a have a deeper appreciation for his music. Either way - a good and informative read on two fine artists, David Browne did a marvy job.
Partially because I'm obsessed with Jeff Buckley, and partially just because his life was interesting, this is a great read. Browne intertwines the events of Tim and Jeff's lives in an interesting way, albeit they spent very little time together. They were eerily connected regardless. I'm honestly sad this book is over.
My all time favorite Bio. It gives so much insights and knowledge into the current state of international music recording industry.Inspirational but a bit sad though.
This is a well-written, intimately detailed, double-barrelled American tragedy in two acts. I'm surprised at how little I really knew about the father or the son and the resonances with my childhood experiences in SoCal, OC and Riverside and my later musical adventures. It would be easy to view this work as another sad story of commerce destroying art and artist but author David Browne has taken the time and effort to delineate the complexities of these two remarkable individuals and their respe...more
A pretty decent glimpse into the lives of father and son Tim and Jeff, if you're into them at all it's worth your time to read it.
Good read. I think the Buckleys have been quiet about this for a long time, so it is good to get a story about Jeff and Tim.
As a fan I enjoyed the book and re-read it several times. I like the subject more then the writing though.
Great book about the parallel lives that Jeff and his father, Tim Buckley lived although they barely knew one another.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Very thought provoking and definitely a great insight into their lives.
Not something I would normally read, I found myself drawn to Dream Brother after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. I might have been more interested in the journey the author took in researching this book if I wasn't vaguely familiar with Jeff Buckley. What can I say... that I named a pet after the legend might clue you in to how much I admired him during my youth. But I don't think this book is a good one for fans... at least those of us who haven't quite come to terms with Jeff's de...more
A book that will stay in my soul forever. One of the most in depth novels about two of the most regarded artists. The research is extensive and David Browne doesn't romanticize or cut corners in the telling of the two men who were bound by unfortunate fate.
I love music doc books, this is definitely one of the best. Even if you're not a huge Jeff/Tim Buckley fan, the call and response chapter between Jeff and Tim's life offer a superb interplay that points to a life course with parallels (I'm sure intentionally set up as so) between father and son, musician and musician. Plus it's kinda nice that the only time they really spent together was at Huntington Beach, after Jeff caught Tim's Golden Bear (HB residents may remember that landmark) show. He w...more
so good i read it twice. but i only read the jeff buckley parts the second time, haha
A good bio of Jeff Buckley, an amazing voice and talent gone too soon.
Well, that was intense. I just finished reading Dream Brother: The Lives & Music of Jeff & Tim Buckley this afternoon and I feel a bit more in love with the music, somewhat eviscerated by the sad details of untimely deaths, and pensive over all the history that I didn't know. I highly recommend the book to fans of Jeff or Tim Buckley, or even to just your average music lover. It's a story of a father and a son who, in spite of hardly knowing his dad, follows in his footsteps with an eerie resona...more
view 1 comment
This book is a biography of both Jeff and Tim Buckley. Most the reviews on here seem to be from Jeff fans. When I started it I was a devote Tim fan (mainly "Starsailor"). But as I read through it I decided to check out Jeff and became a fan of his music too. It gives a lot of information on both people and shows the parallels in their lives and definitely isn't the happiest read as neither person had an easy or "great" life, but, I really enjoyed it for the most part and I th...more
This book even if you have never heard of Jeff or Tim Buckley is still worth reading and it will make you want to discover their music. Both father and son died strange deaths at young ages and both were extremely talented and had to deal with the demons of difficult family lives or lack there of. The author did a good job of relating their stories and it leaves you hoping that they were able to meet up in the afterlife to mend their torn relationship.
This book intertwines the two lives and does a great job explaining how similar they were without telling a story that Jeff would hate. The ends of both of their lives are tragic and sad, but perhaps that is part of their appeal. Jeff Buckley, especially.
If you loved/love Jeff Buckley, you have to read this book!!! I'm a huge fan of Jeff Buckley, and this captures his life and music so beautifully. Reading the chapters about his father helped me understand a little bit more about some of the songs Jeff sang. I don't think anyone would be very interested in this book if they don't/didn't know who either Jeff or Tim Buckley were- but for the fans...this is a must read!
I devoured this while on a trip in Florence..you know, the long waits at the station, in the hotel lounge...and even by night, I was dead tired by walking all day but grabbed the book and read..read..read.
LOVED this book...how it took me into father and son's tormented lives...it helped me understand more of their works and made me love Jeff even more, if possible.
LOVED this book...how it took me into father and son's tormented lives...it helped me understand more of their works and made me love Jeff even more, if possible.
I've read this book three times. A fascinating story of father and son who only met once. A true tragedy of a story. I don't use that word lightly here.
I can't really tell you how much I love Jeff Buckley and his music. Reading his life story only make me love him more and wish that I knew him. He's just magnetic and unimaginably talented. This is really well written and also covers his father's life as well.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers Also Enjoyed
music journalist
More about David Browne...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
