Grace

Jeff Buckley | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 1994)
• Original Release Date: August 23, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029DD
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (648 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,312 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #3 in Music > Alternative Rock > Singer-Songwriters
  • #3 in Music > Folk > Contemporary Folk > Alternative Folk
  • #58 in Music > Rock > Folk Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Resembling at times a soft-sung Robert Plant, Buckley was an intuitive vocalist capable of dizzying arabesques and choir-boy sweetness. He is joined here by a tight band for 10 tracks highlighting his stylistic range--Pearl Jam bluesy on "Eternal Life," impossibly serene on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," art-school noisy on "So Real," Led Zep daring on "Mojo Pin." Unorthodox, this was the debut of '94. --Jeff Bateman

Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 23-AUG-1994

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 160 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful tragedy March 4, 2000

By Sadiqa L. Dickens

Format:Audio CD

There are certain songs or artists you remember hearing for the first time, the impression is/was so strong. Jeff Buckley is one such artist. At first you hear the voice-That Voice!-expressive, far-ranging, wailing falsetto and heart melting vibrato.A close clock on his voice is like combining the apex of robert plant with some van morrison and a little of his own father's(tim buckley) monstrous instrument. Next you hear the music-plaintive, melancholy , pleading, ethereal-Free. Stylistically he harkens back somewhat to 80's alternarock ala cocteau twins-but really his sound(other than cover songs) is all his own; highlights are the soaring, epic "grace" and the rainy-day blues of "lover you should've come other" to the wistful "mojo pin". The third and most important ingredient to this masterpiece is his honesty- when you this album , you hear Jeff Buckley, heart and soul. Every song , every note-whether his own or borrowed, is another thread in the weaving of his own personal story, musically and otherwise.All in all, rarely has a debut artist come onto the scene with impact of a jeff buckley. Alas the tragedy is that his musical legacy was impromptly halted. Jeff Buckley accidentally drowned in May of '97. Which makes this album and his subsequent, unfinished release "sketches for my sweetheart the drunk"-that much more precious, and that much more graceful-A.N.

114 of 123 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Worth Getting for Original Grace Owners, But... September 20, 2004

By R. Lee

Format:Audio CD

One Small Problem...

The first time I popped in the Legacy Version, I noticed something- "Hallelujah" didn't give me the same spine-tingling sensation that the version on Grace did. The reason? Simply put, the version of "Hallelujah" on the original Grace album had a much better balance, level wise, between Jeff's vocals and guitar playing. If you do a side-by-side comparison, you will find that Jeff's vocals are too harsh and forward on the remastered version of Hallelujah, when compared to the version found on the original Grace CD.

However, all the other tracks on this reissue actually sound BETTER than their previous incarnations.

There's more impact on the drums, deeper bass, more detailed instruments and better separation (listen to the strings on "Last Goodbye"), and Jeff's vocals (his greatest strength) are clearer and higher up in the mix.

The unreleased song, "Forget Her," is definitely the highlight of the second disc. The remainder of the second disc proves to be an interesting listen that demonstrates the versatility of Jeff Buckley as an artist.

The Bonus DVD showcases the music videos, which range from average-well done, and a 25 minute documentary that features interviews with Jeff, Steve Berkowitz, and "behind the scenes" footage. Buckley makes some interesting quotes about the impact of music on his life, that will undoubtedly find their way on an Internet fan site some day. A welcome addition.

My other suggestion for Columbia would have been to include more information in the included booklet- perhaps more commentary on the Grace album as was done with the tracks on the second disc.

Overall, well worth the purchase for Jeff Buckley fans, and any music lover looking to be challenged and inspired. Just remember to extract track 7 ("Hallelujah") onto your hard drive before you give away or sell your original copy of Grace.

UPDATE:

This is in response to S. Johnson's "are you people HIGH?" review. Buddy, I read the same article by Rip Rowan a long time ago so please don't try passing off his arguments as your own (including his examples comparing Rush CDs over the past few decades). Next time quote your source.

Now if you don't feel that the remaster & remix job is any better, all power to you. I actually agree with Rip Rowan's remarks on how music today is geared towards radio-friendly compressed loudness. In fact I think everyone should give the article a good read (just google it).

However, when in comes down to it, I trust my ears over anything else. I've purchased many "24 bit digitally remastered" over the years and end up returning about half of them because they just don't sound as good as the original CD master. I'm anal about music to the point where I'll do A/B tests between remasters and original masters using anything from Alessandro and Beyerdynamic headphones to an Eastern Electric Minimax Tube CDP to a regular car stereo system as a point of reference- before I make a decision on which version to keep. I don't analyze soundwaves for compression or normalization or loudness- I trust whatever sounds better to my ears.

If you prefer something different, that's perfectly fine with me. But if you want to act like a condescending audio-snob and insult everyone who prefers the overall sound of this remaster, that's another story...

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely essential - haunting, romantic, spiritual March 9, 2004

By Strobe Lights And Blown Speakers

Format:Audio CD

Jeff Buckley released but one fully realized album during his all-too-brief stay with us on earth, but that album is one of the most passionate and spiritual albums I have ever heard. Imagine a fiery young singer/songwriter who is influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Smiths. Oh, and this dude has the most amazing voice ever. Also imagine his band (bassist Mick Grondhal, drummer Matt Johnson, guitarist Michael Tighe) knew his playing inside and out and acted more like a backing band for John Coltrane or Miles Davis than a traditional rock ensemble. Then you have a rough idea of the amazing album known simply as _Grace_.

_Grace_ beings with the beautiful "Mojo Pin," fading into a soft guitar line along with Buckley's gentle crooning. With Zeppelin-esque intensity the track grows stronger and louder to it's climax. The wonderful guitar work ties the song together while Matt Johnson's drumming accentuates each change of pace. "The welts of your scorn, my love, give me more/Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more" Buckley's singing builds, "Well it's you I've waited my life to see/It's you I've searched so hard for," soaring into the ether with the last phrase. This flows into the next track, "Grace", which serves as a beautifully fiery compliment to the atmospheric "Mojo Pin." The climax found within is glorious, with sweet guitar strumming and then Buckley belting out with incredible emotion: "And I feel them drown my name/So easy to know/And forget with this kiss/I'm not afraid to go" His voice now more intense than ever, nearly screaming "But it goes so slow". He holds the last note for what seems like an eternity.

The Gospel flavored "Lover, You Should've Come Over" moves from a harmonium opening to a solemn acoustic guitar backdrop grounded by Grondahl's tasteful bass playing. Over the sweet Hammond organ and the R&B styled backing vocals, Buckley builds the song to a desperate crescendo: "It's never over/My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder/It's never over/All my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her," his own fine guitar work adding to the beauty of the lyrics, "It's not too late."

The highlight of the album comes with Buckley's emotionally-jarring rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". It is as if Cohen wrote the song specifically with Buckley's voice and style in mind. As tender as the heart that broke to write this song, just Buckley and a guitar, he confesses to us: "Well maybe there's a God above/But all I've ever learned from love/Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you." The song is impossibly gorgeous - easily one of my all-time favorite songs. A minimal stripped back performance but with such a spiritual, devotional vocal. It has been known to draw tears to the eyes of lumberjacks.

_Grace_ has this incredibly spiritual, romantic feel to it that I can't describe. Buckley's extreme intensity and emotional sincerity make _Grace_ what it is - a flourishing achievement in every conceivable way.