Track listing
- 1 Blue and Wonder 3:44
- 2 Rainsquall 3:47
- 3 22 3:57
- 4 Mud 3:08
- 5 Six Years 3:08
- 6 This Is Where 3:43
- 7 Gauzzy Dress in the Sun 3:09
- 8 Daisychain 3:04
- 9 Desire 3:46
- 10 Up North 2:43
- 11 Surprise, AZ 3:39
- 12 Cradle to the Angel 3:37
- Total length: 41:25
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5 Issues
11 Reviews
Richard Buckner, the artist that barely has a homepage.
First I have to pay homage to Bloodaxe for introducing me to this fantastic songwriter, you really pointed me in the direction of gold.
Since was the first Buckner album I heard, and I still consider it his magnum opus. That said, his discography is filled to the brink with greatness, and I still haven't managed to find a low point in his career. His debut album Bloomed is one of the absolute highlights, and I just can't understand why this person is so unknown to the world.
This album doesn't hit as hard as Since, but it certainly leave its marks. The opener, "Blue and Wonder", is about 4 minutes of heaven. Top notch songwriting all the way through, the bumps are barely noticeable, and after a dozen spins it flows even finer than the first time. A great debut? Who can tell, it sounds like this guy has been around forever. A lesson and a cold beer at once, great stuff..
First I have to pay homage to Bloodaxe for introducing me to this fantastic songwriter, you really pointed me in the direction of gold.
Since was the first Buckner album I heard, and I still consider it his magnum opus. That said, his discography is filled to the brink with greatness, and I still haven't managed to find a low point in his career. His debut album Bloomed is one of the absolute highlights, and I just can't understand why this person is so unknown to the world.
This album doesn't hit as hard as Since, but it certainly leave its marks. The opener, "Blue and Wonder", is about 4 minutes of heaven. Top notch songwriting all the way through, the bumps are barely noticeable, and after a dozen spins it flows even finer than the first time. A great debut? Who can tell, it sounds like this guy has been around forever. A lesson and a cold beer at once, great stuff..
Published
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The reissue of Richard Buckner’s 1993 debut album is a startling reminder of the songwriter’s ties to the Lubbock, Texas musical contingent. The crisp, sparse production by Joe Ely sideman Lloyd Maines, who also provides some tasty steel ‘n’ slide guitar playing, brings to mind the early recordings of Butch Hancock and Ely himself. Like Hancock, Buckner has a keen sense of how to turn a phrase. But while Butch’s lyrics tour the West Texas plains, Buckner travels into his own psyche with verses full of empty rooms and deserted dusty roads. Mourning over a lost relationship turns into lifelong regret in “This is Where” and has him wearily observing, “This is where things start going bad/This is where the map gets torn and tossed.” Things don’t get any easier with “Desire” where “there’s two lines in the road/One to leave you lonely/The other to leave me alone.” Ponty Bone, another Ely stalwart, steps in with an accordion solo that gives the song’s desolation an aching prettiness. This mix of remorse and beauty makes Bloomed an uneasy but irresistible journey. Add five previously unreleased bonus tracks and the trip is all the more worthy of another investigation.
Published
SRRCD44 CD (1999)
Beautiful, sparsely instrumented Americana/Singer-Songwriter album. Timeless and an instant classic in the genre!
Published
My favorite songs-
blues and wonder
Surprise AZ.
rainsquall
daisychain
this is where
blues and wonder
Surprise AZ.
rainsquall
daisychain
this is where
Published
Buckner's music has a lot of character to it. He knows what his style is here, and stay pretty true to it throughout. There is a genuine beauty to the acoustic sounds of a lot of these tracks too, and it really makes songs like "Daisychain" as great as they are.
Favorite tracks: Rainsquall, 22, This Is Where, Daisychain
Favorite tracks: Rainsquall, 22, This Is Where, Daisychain
Published
Before fusing folk and rock, Richard Buckner started with traditionalist country. Unlike his later work, his 1994 debut album "Bloomed" is only 12 mostly acoustic tracks that all exceed (egads!!!) 3 minutes in length. However like his later work, all the songs are well crafted and highly personal.
In order to truly appreciate how Buckner deconstructs his sound on later albums, the traditional "Bloomed" is essential. And truth is, Buckner's melodies and vocals were never better than on this record. Includes career highlights "22", "Mud" and "Gauzy Dress in the Sun".
Track: Blue and Wonder
In order to truly appreciate how Buckner deconstructs his sound on later albums, the traditional "Bloomed" is essential. And truth is, Buckner's melodies and vocals were never better than on this record. Includes career highlights "22", "Mud" and "Gauzy Dress in the Sun".
Track: Blue and Wonder
Published
Great voice, great lyrics, a great sense of timbre and texture... I didn't even notice that I had a bunch of bonus tracks either. Every song here is awesome.
Published
I should probably thank my uncle who put "Hand @ the Hem" on a mix he gave to me a few years back for introducing me to Richard Buckner, but Cynthia Mason's take on "Surprise, AZ" from the Believer magazine's music issue compilation that really pushed me to investigate his output. On one hand, Bloomed is a standard debut album, introducing the artist with a set of songs that play it a bit safe and cater to his budding strengths. On the other hand this might be the best album of Buckner's career, perfectly showcasing his storytelling talents and letting his vocals ring out atop a relatively simple acoustic band. It's definitely home to some of his best songs, the stark suicide tale of "22" and the aforementioned "Surprise, AZ" standing out the most with "Blue and Wonder", "Rainsquall" and "Gauzy Dress in the Sun" not too far behind. The simple arrangements also make this recording stand out from his other albums, as producer Lloyd Maines opted for a wholly acoustic set up without drums to back Buckner. The upside of this decision is that the band never gets in the way of the album's biggest asset, Buckner's full, throaty vocals and compelling lyrics, and it is hard to imagine a hypothetical electric version getting a leg up on this one. The album's only flaw is that while the best tracks on here are some of the best he's done, the other tracks really don't do anything. They aren't bad by any stretch, just forgettable. All things considered though, most artists would kill for a debut this well made.
Published
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Catalog
9 Sep 2023
3 Sep 2023
9 Aug 2023
7 Aug 2023
17 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023
9 Jul 2023
13 Jun 2023
18 May 2023
2 May 2023
24 Apr 2023
19 Apr 2023
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1
Blue and Wonder
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2
Rainsquall
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3
22
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4
Mud
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5 Six Years
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6 This Is Where
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7 Gauzzy Dress in the Sun
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8 Daisychain
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9 Desire
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10 Up North
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11 Surprise, AZ
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12 Cradle to the Angel
19 Apr 2023
13 Apr 2023
13 Apr 2023
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71 Lists
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- 1994 was a great year for rock - which was your favourite album? Music Polls/Games
- Raw, Emotional, Stripped-down Singer/Songwriter and Folk Music with Great Melodies Music
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