MORNING GLORY NOTES
CONTIUNED
II. Starsailor
Undaunted by Lorca's instant extinction in the marketplace, Tim continued developing his new concepts, recording Starsailor in 1969/70. Replacing folk and jazz influences, Tim's new reference points now included contemporary classical composers Olivier Messiaen, Stravinsky, Penderecki, Luciano Berio and Luciano's vocalist, Cathy Berberian.
Starsailor was an avant-garde soundscape filled with vocal pyrotechnics the likes of which had never before been heard in pop music. Larry Beckett returned and complemented Tim's striking lyrics with his own. Many of the sonic concepts, vocal layerings and multi-tiered vocal and instrumental criss-crossings were brilliantly conceived and directed by bassist John Balkin. Shrieks, moans, whoops, howls and groans transcended verbal rationality and conventional melodic parameters, and became Tim's primary modus operandi for the next two-and-a-half years.
Buckley's new song forms, expanded vocal techniques, odd-time signatures and dissonant instrumental improvisations thrilled open-minded listeners, who recognized and adventurously embraced his stunning artistic innovations. Unfortunately, they were few in number, and Tim lost ground.
However, Starsailor was not entirely rooted in avant-garde abstractions. In fact, two of the three songs included here showcased heartwarming, comprehensible words and charming melodies. "Song to the Siren" was originally co-written by Beckett and Buckley in 1967 and performed by Tim on the Monkees last TV show. Buckley then recorded it in 1968 with his group, but those sessions were set aside (released posthumously on Works In Progress). After changing Beckett's line "I'm as puzzled as the oyster" to "I'm as puzzled as the new-born child," Tim resuscitated the song and utilized it on Starsailor in 1970.
In 1984, Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins sang "Siren" on This Mortal Coil: It'll End In Tears, at which time the song gained significant international popularity. Perhaps more than any other single factor, Fraser's version began the resurgence of interest in Tim that exists today.
Tim's wife took him to see Moulin Rouge, a touching film about the French painter Toulouse Lautrec, after which Tim got together with Beckett to write the lilting French/English song, "Moulin Rouge." Beckett taught Tim the French lines by rote.
"Monterey," one of Starsailor's more fierce and fiery Beckett/Buckley collaborations, showcases a duo performance between Buckley and Maury Baker, the drummer whose outstanding percussion work played a vital role in Tim's music throughout this period.
