Rating: 
Summary: takes away some of the mystery of the mystery white boy
Review: david browne had a daunting task when preparing to write "dream brother"--taking the life of jeff buckley, who came to fiercy guard his privacy, and make sense of it for the general public. much of buckley's life--and death--has remained shrouded in mystery in the four years since he disappeared into the wolf river, and browne ferociously attacks his research. jeff was always determined to separate his life and career from his father, 60's folk/jazz singer tim buckley, so one could imagine the reaction jeff might have had had such a book been in existance while he was still living. however, browne clearly illustrates why both buckley's lives need examining, showing similarities between the two throughout the years. any buckley fan will be interested in reading "dream brother" and discovering aspects of jeff's (or tim's) life he or she was unaware of. just as jeff's music forces the listener to pay complete attention, reading "dream brother" requires full concentration; the names and roles of people involved form a complex web that can get confusing. the book destroys some of the mystery surrounding jeff buckley, but fans will enjoy being able to learn more about the buckleys and their incredible talent--both taken away too soon.
Rating: 
Summary: A decent biography of two sorely-missed musicians
Review: 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.DREAM BROTHER gives a rather depressing view of the two musicians. Listening to his music and hearing the details of his life and terrible early death, one could believe that Tim Buckley is a true tragic figure. In Browne's book, however, he comes across as a womanizing jerk who betrayed all who trusted him. Browne acknowledges the greatness of his music, even his difficult album LORCA, but spends more time detailing his deceits than talking about the music. I would have loved to find out more about the making of Tim's album STARSAILOR, which is considered his masterpiece (and remains frustratingly out of print). Unfortunately, Browne all but glosses over it. Jeff Buckley doesn't come out of this book well either. To read Browne's account, it seems as if Jeff was a man of limited talent who, in spite of every intention to the contrary, was groomed by the record industry to put out albums that might sell because of his heritage and his Village vibe. I loved GRACE, thought it was one of the greatest albums of the 90's, and believed that Jeff had great potential for future albums even more brilliant. After reading DREAM BROTHER, I still love GRACE and Jeff's amazing vocal ability, but I can see that the world was lucky that he had people working with him who were able to keep him focused, as musically he was trying to go off in every direction as once and getting nowhere. If one is a die-hard fan of one of both of the Buckleys, DREAM BROTHER might be worth reading. It certainly helps place the music of Jeff and Tim Buckley in context and sheds light on some more obscure songs. While it is somewhat flawed, Browne does deserve points for excellent use of sources and refraining from the desire to tabloidize a biography about two musicians.
Rating:
Summary: Eternal Life
Review: Dream Brother is an ambitious book that does a good job analyzing and linking the lives of Jeff and Tim Buckley. I am an obsessive fan of Jeff Buckley, and I love knowing what inspired his songs. I loved the journal entries at the beginning of each chapter...but I wish there were more. I never knew how Jeff grew up, and it makes him life even more tragic. I wish his friends had helped him, and the book wasnt clear about why they didnt. Thank you David Browne for explaining jeff to me.
Rating:
Summary: A somewhat Satisfied Mind
Review: Having been intrigued by the music and aura of the late Jeff Buckley, I had contemplated purchasing and reading 'Dream Brother' for close to a year. My trepidation and reservations were mostly surrounding the notion that it would perhaps change my enigmatic vision of Jeff and his brief, but amazing, body of work. Regardless, I wanted to know him more, and I wanted to understand him. So, I finally decided to give it a shot...
Not very familiar with Tim's music or his life, I found his half of the story to be somewhat overly critical and less than forgiving at times. The description and overview of his body of work, methods of recording, and approach to his craft was given a good amount of attention, detail, and objection. However, the story of his life outside of the studio sometimes came off as overly subjective and sometimes leaning towards the prejudged. I felt that he may not have been given the same treatment in being covered as Jeff had been, which in all fairness, may very well be justified given the lack of contacts and accurate resources when compared to the younger Buckley. Whatever the intentions or purposes behind his actions, Tim Buckley's life is strikingly paralleled to his son's, and that alone made for a very intriguing read. I enjoyed the simplicity of the story's structure and the layout that Browne used. It is, by no means, a difficult or overly captivating read. It simply lets the story speak mostly for itself, which was neccesary, in my opinion, to keep you focused on the two subjects rather than any opinions that the author may be swaying to.
If I did have to make one complaint, though, it would have to be that at several points in the book, I simply wanted to know more. That is of no fault to Browne, assuming no facts were consciously omitted. It simply goes to prove how enamoring Tim and Jeff's lives and stories were to anyone who found themselves immersed in their tragic and brief time with us. It is, without a doubt, a great introduction to the Buckley story and a greatly intriguing, consuming read. Hopefully, it will also not be the last opportunity we get as fans and friends of their music to learn more about who they were and the haunting passion they both shared. Instead, may this book be an introduction into breaking down and coming to terms with the Buckley enigma. I doubt, though, that we will ever truly feel completely satisfied. With both no longer with us, and such a limited body of work to satiate us, it seems that we may always be left wanting more.
Less a journalistic triumph or a literary masterpice, this book is, instead, merely accomplishing what it seems to have set out to do: Celebrate the lives and legacies of two of the most mysterious and talented musicians we may ever know. For that, it is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Insightful and informative
Review: I absolutely love this book. I am a recent 'convert' to the music of Jeff Buckley and he possessed a passion that I haven't heard in any other music. David Browne has done an excellent job of showing who Tim & Jeff Buckley were & why their music touched people in such a unique way. I would recommend this book and their music to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Dream Brother
Review: I bought this book to read while vacationing in Florida after reading a review in People magazine. I have never read a "rock" biography before and knew nothing of Tim or Jeff Buckley. This book left me totally haunted by both of them. I thought the book was very well written. I had to get the music. I found Jeff Buckley's Myster White Boy (I think that was the name)and did not like it...way to eclectic. I don't even know how the album could be classified. I would like to get Grace and see how it differs. Last night I found Tim Buckley's album that was a recording from Live at the BBC and loved it. Wow! I graduated high school in 1971 and never had even heard of this guy, but then my musical tastes have changed and grown over the years. Will definitely buy another. Back to the book...such tragic lives. I agree with the one reviewer that I didn't feel I got to know Jeff Buckley but then again it doesn't appear any one did, not even his band members or so called friends. At the very end when David Browne wrote what was found in Jeff's attack (the ritual and satanistic items) really proves this. Nothing had even led up to this dimension of his life. The boy was obviously in serious trouble and it is a shame no one did anything to help him. I hope no one I ever know goes into the music business, let alone one of my sons. What a waste of lives and talent.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Book
Review: I have been a fan of Tim Buckley for about six months(not long at all!). But I wanted to learn more about his life, and of Jeffs when I found out he had a son... It satisfied my curiosity of Tim and Jeffs life. I have also recently become a fan of Jeff as well. This book gave a whole lot of details on their childhoods and such. I particularly like the interviews mixed into this book from family members and friends. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a really good read. I don't think you'll be disappointed for buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Listen
Review: I have been a Tim Buckley fan for over 30 years, and never knew much about him. After 300+ pages, I knew the facts, the families, the flaws and failings of this incredible artist whose work has been overlooked for so long. And I learned the sad consequences of his frailities on the life of his son Jeff, another unique talent. Their story, when it's all said and done, is the same sad saga that has been played out in so many families since time began. What made Tim Buckley so incredible, and important enough to warrant a book about him, was the music. If you want to know about Tim Buckley or Jeff Buckely, read Dream Brother. If you want to know them, listen to their music.
Rating:
Summary: very well done
Review: I have to admit I was wary of this book at first. Having known Jeff Buckley a bit from 'round the neighborhood during that magic Sin-e summer of '93, I knew that a dual-bio with his father Tim would have been among his worst nightmares. But Browne has artfully woven their stories together with an admirable degree of distance and sympathy. Though Browne is very even-handed in his treatment of the elder Buckley, Tim's actions speak for themselves: often a fearless and innovative musician, he was also horribly self-centered, indulgent, and selfish. Jeff comes off as the sweet one, which (mostly) he was. His loss was immense and breaks my heart to this day, and I'm glad that Browne has avoided the bottom-feeder approach of his contemporaries (like Victor Bockris) and written a book that is caring, accurate, and moving. If you like either or both Buckleys, this is a bracing read that will enrich the experience of listening to their music.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Sensitive, beautiful biography
Review: I have truly been a fan of Jeff Buckley's for quite sometime now, and was thrilled to hear this book was in the release process late last year! One thing that scares me when hearing about a new biography is whether or not the author will be truly sensitive to it's subject, or in this case subjects, while telling their stories. And while I can only offer my opinion, I congratulate David Browne on successfully researching and devoting a not-so-short period of his life to the writing of this book...It strikes me as ironic that this book was written to possibly give more insight into the lives of Tim and Jeff Buckley, but it in a way it only adds to the mystery and fantastical lives both of these men led. Although I'm not that big of a Tim Buckley fan, and agree with one of Jeff's journal entries revealed in the book; "I didn't dig the choices my father made stylistically." I was still incredibly interested in every chapter following the life of Tim. Likewise, I was more than interested and incredibly touched by the life Jeff led, and reading of his struggles in not only the music industry, but in his journey towards his self-realization, I felt as if I got a small but satisfying look into this individual I would have loved to have met and just chatted with! Particularly while reading of one incident that took place at a grocery store in Memphis, TN...He had a great sense of humor. So, I know that any true fan of either of these talents needs to read this book! The same is true for anyone who has been on that road of "finding themself". It's nice to learn from the experiences of others, and I found this book to be such an educational experience!
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