Lord Buckley page 2

He adopted an accent that floated freely between the patois of "the American Beauty Negro" and a BBC announcer. He created a "Royal Court" peopled with the likes of Princess Water Lily, Count Jocko Crown Prince of Morocco, Prince Hair Head and dozens of others with equally whimsical monikers. He chanted, he ranted, he raved, he founded "The First Church of the Living Swing" and generally indulged in behavior rivaled by few short of Salvador Dali (whom he vaguely resembled). There were nude marches through hotel lobbies, pith helmets and velvet capes. He once asked a cop outside Birdland

He chanted, he ranted, he raved, he founded "The First Church of the Living Swing"
to light his reefer. He took up residence in a ramshackle Hollywood pad known as the Crackerbox Palace, and later on a ranch near Las Vegas which he landscaped with mattresses. And not only was he the High Priest of Cool, he could cook!

When I first heard a recording of Buckley, on mid-1960s underground radio, I didn't even care what he was saying -- I couldn't understand much of it anyway -- it was how he was saying it that grabbed me. It was like rock 'n' roll or blues in that way; his mouth made movies out of words. I didn't know what he was all about, but I wanted to get on his wavelength.

Later, the words themselves enchanted me. Using what he termed "hipsemantic," the musical language of the jazz life, his Lordship held forth on subjects from Jesus of Nazareth ("The Nazz") and Mahatma Ghandi ("the Hip Ghan") to William Shakespeare ("Willie the Shake") and Julius Caesar, but in a fresh, vital style that vibrated with the "pounce of the now." Though he never quite broke through to the mainstream (and perhaps never would have), Lord Buckley continues to be revered by many. Novelist Ken Kesey once called Buckley "a secret thing that people pass under the table."

Over the last decade, Oliver Trager has collected Buckley-related recordings, clippings, playbills, photos and hundreds of amazing interviews with the many people who knew the Grand Wizard of Words (about 70 appear in the book). Even Trager, however, can't put his finger on him.

Though he never quite broke through to the mainstream (and perhaps never would have), Lord Buckley continues to be revered by many. Novelist Ken Kesey once called Buckley "a secret thing that people pass under the table." 


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