Customer Reviews

Grace

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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.

This could be one of the best CD's of the last decade. The songs are just beautiful and rich. Each track has lush textural arrangements and wonderful melodies. It can rock at times, ("Eternal Life, Grace") but its the slower more personal numbers that pull the listener in. Songs like "Lover, You Should of Come Over" paint a picture in your head so vivid you can hear the rain drops. The painfully powerful, "So Real" puts you in the relationship of the lovers in the song. It all comes down to Jeff being an amazing storyteller. His roots suggest a more folk approach to songs, but he leaves that behind, leaning more toward the MC5 and Leonard Cohen, than to Peter, Paul and Mary. Some people need some time to warm-up to his falseto-ish voice, but I think it's simply amazing, and so is this disc.

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.

Jeff Buckley's "Grace" may have been released in 1994, but is not of that time period in popular music; it is inherently difficult to classify or categorize, a timeless document of pure, self-indulgent artistic expression. With Buckley's death by drowning in 1997, and despite some disappointing posthumous releases, it seems certain that nothing so inconvenient as the artists' later development will ever intrude upon the perfection of this release. "Grace" is manifestly not for everyone--anyone not enamored of extended high notes, or melismatic singing, or songs difficult to dance to, will similarly not be enamored of this album. For anyone else, however, this is worth a listen, or three or four; it took several listens before it began to grow on me.

An appreciation of "Grace" might begin with Buckley's voice: he possessed an astonishing range, and brilliant purity of tone, and at the same time he was capable of inflecting that tone with fine nuances of emotion. On "Grace," his voice is applied with equal facility both to his own compositions and to several well-chosen covers: Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," "Lilac Wine," perhaps best known as a Nina Simone song, and even a Benjamin Britten carol, "Corpus Christi Carol." Even the most radio-friendly songs ("Last Goodbye," "So Real") sound unique, while other tracks ("Mojo Pin," "Grace," "Dream Brother") sound like nothing a top 40 artist would be capable of, much less like anything on the radio today.

By way of comparison, it is worth noting that Thom Yorke of Radiohead (among other singers) was influenced by Buckley during the recording of their albums "The Bends" and "OK Computer," but comparisons will only take you so far. Of all the discs is my collection, this is my clear favorite; you can do a great deal worse than seeing if it might be one of yours.

This album was Jeff Buckley's only finished full length LP, but it has earned its place in music and will give Buckley a long lasting legacy as a remarkably talented vocalist an deeply introspective songwriter. Like his father(Tim), he has an experimental vocal style that can easily move through four octaves. He immediately shows his talent in the emotional opener "Mojo Pin" where he laments about lost love and compares the feeling of his lover by his side to the need of a "Mojo Pin", a reference to heroin addiction, all of this is backed by whispering guitars and sped up organ tracks. The standout cut is "Grace" with its brilliant guitar work and captivating vocal performance where Buckley shows off his multiple octave range. This truly is a masterpiece with few flaws. In a time of grunge and "hard rock", Buckley was not afraid to write moving and emotional songs. It costed him in record sales, but his talent will always live on far past his untimely death.

Despite what many believe, yes it is possible to wear out a CD! There are only three CDs of my 400 that I have played to the point where they had to be replaced; The Smashing Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream", Led Zeppelin's "Houses on the Holy", and Jeff Buckley's "Grace".
I was introduced to him by a co-worker and budding musician who had discovered him through the internet. He said that he found this MP3 by this "dead rock/folk guy" and "stayed up every night for a week trying to learn to play all the songs." Knowing how talented my co-worker Jim is at guitar (his influences are as eclectic as Michael Hedges and Jimmy Page) I knew I had to take a listen. The sound quality was mediocre and I couldn't focus on anything, so having an extra $10, I went to my local music store and picked up a used copy and sat myself down for a good listening session.
It was weeks before I listened to anything else, and I still find myself choosing it over older favorites when I'm in the car. It's been almost a year and I still can't say that I own an album more satisfying than this one.
I was a little awestruck that I found such delight in a style such as his, since my other purchases of that time were albums by Tool, The White Stripes, and Depeche Mode. More worrying still was what my friends thought about someone who used to be known for my "evil" wardrobe and my dark and gothic personality listening to uplifting vocal music. Let me tell you, you're not buying Justin Timberlake or Maxwell, here. This is good rock with an unlikely but ironically complimentary vocal accompaniment. It's not just some dreamboy singing about girls, it's a bashful musicial singing about life and loss. Any timidness in his singing should be looked at again after reading "Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley", which sheds a bit more light on the situation.
He had low self-confidence and most of the people who knew him didn't even know he could sing until he put out an album. He was shy and introverted. You can sense a little more coming out of him in "Sketches..." where he gets a bit more bold, daring, loud, and testy. Really, the only track that shows his indulgence is "Eternal Life" during which he truly lets loose with a little rage. There is a highlight during "Grace" that's worth mentioning, however. After the last vocal refrain when he crescendos orgasmically into a very high and long-endured note like an opera tenor reincarnation of Robert Plant.
It's not quite the vocal acrobatics that his father produced, but his father was an egotist and careerist and spent seven albums building up enough confidence to weigh down his reputation. Had Jeff been given a seven album career, you could expect nothing less from him, though I know he wouldn't have made the same ill choices.
It was a bit moody for someone like me who is usually just in the mood for something to have in the background while I relax. It's impossible to keep this in the backgroud because it keeps coming forward with some incredible note or lyric that slips into your mind when you least expect it and reminds you that it's there. It also doesn't do a good job of relaxing me because I always feel envigorated and renewed after hearing this music. It's like going in for a Shi-atzu and getting a colonic by mistake; still helpful, but in a different way.
There's something in this album for everyone to enjoy. The accompanying band is so harmonic that it makes me wish that they were all still together somewhere, even without Jeff. Jeff's guitar work is haunting for a fusion-influenced folk artist like himself. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. It's not like a roaring classic rock solo, but it's so acoustic and soul-searching that it doesn't have to be. This isn't guitar-solo music. His style fits it all so well. It's rare that you see a band that is so complete. Fair warning, however. This album may change the way you see music.

Funny thing about "Grace"-you either love it profoundly or you've never heard of it and don't care. I guess that's Jeff Buckley's eternal punishment for being truer to the art that is music than he was to the business of the same name.

Though it has taken me years to admit it, "Grace" is not for everybody. Buckley's delirious fans certainly don't find "Grace" depressing, yet those who don't get it will endlessly brand it such. It is the direct opposite of a party record (though I do believe Buckley had a party record in him, had his life not been cut short). "Grace" does what its title hints at: It swims into the grey intangibles of existence, knowing full well that there are no easy answers to be had. In one sense, it is a testament to toughness.

It is also a testament to musicality. Buckley was not only a vocal and compositional genius, but a sort of backward guitar hero-he was actually such a strong guitarist that his challenge was finding trickier (and more interesting) ways to play standard chord progressions. If you don't believe me, try figuring out the guitar part for "Last Goodbye," arguably the simplest song on "Grace." One of Buckley's most astounding attributes is that he scores equally high in execution and emotion; "Grace" is a prime example of form with function.

Of course, guitar-talk is irrelevant. What matters about "Grace" is that it, like love or good red wine, will change your life. Forgive what will sound like hyperbole, but listening to "Grace" is interacting with the supernatural; the more I listen, the more convinced I am that Buckley knew he would die soon and would only have time for one full-length album. While the number of death references in the lyrics is downright spooky, it undeniably contributes to the power of the listening experience.

Perhaps the bottom line on "Grace" is that it turns the rare trick of sucking the listener into a collective. By making the personal universal, Buckley recorded an album that will never become unimportant. Buckley sings, "Drink a bit of wine, we both might go tomorrow," in the title track, and I will die believing he was talking to me.

Though a frequent customer of Amazon.com over many years from "pneumatic adhesive dispensers to Japanese food", I rarely write reviews, however in this case I feel OBLIGATED as it would deprive SO MANY of such beautiful work. Jeff Buckley sadly only leaves a small legacy due to his untimely and tragic death. This album is a 10+ no matter which style of music you prefer (classical to hip hop). His voice, lyrics and the production of this album are absolutely exquisite.

Jeff Buckley will live forever in the hearts of many including myself :-) He has given us food for the soul. God Bless you Jeff Buckley :-)

I stumbled upon this CD by accident, and it was the best accident I've ever had. The unmistakable falsetto voice of Jeff Buckley sounds almost ethereal at times on this CD.

The opening track is "Mojo Pin", one of my favorites for the raw emotion you can almost feel while listening to it. Next is the title track, "Grace", another highlight. It's haunting and the lyrics sound strangely like a foreshadow to his untimely end.

The third track is "Last Goodbye", which is sheer longing and another beautiful track. "Lilac Wine" sounds otherworldly, and is "heady" in the way it overcomes you. "So Real" is raw, emotion rock.

The next two tracks are the absolute standouts of the album. First is "Hallelujah". I love the original version and hate to discredit Leonard Cohen, but this is the way the song should be sung. Jeff's haunting voice fits perfectly with the haunting lyrics of this song. It's very different from another popular cover by Rufus Wainwright (another amazing artist) and it is perhaps the most beautiful song I've heard as of now. Next is "Lover, You Should've Come Over", another favorite that reminds me of past experience. A song about regrets and being afraid, it has some of the best lyrics on the CD, like "And maybe I'm too young/To keep good love from going wrong/But tonight you're on my mind/So you never know". You can feel pure raw emotion on this track and get lost in the song.

"Corpus Christi Carol" -- the voice on this song. Wow. I cannot think of any other way to describe it other than heavenly. It simply sounds as though it was sung by an angel. The next song "Eternal Life" is a great contrast to "Corpus Christi Carol", but a good one. It shows another side of Jeff Buckley, that he is not all mournful and weepy music. More edgy and rock.

Last is "Dream Brother", which makes you feel sad listening to it. I've heard it was about his father (who also died young) and the relationship they never had, and this could very well be true. In either case, you feel the emotion. Best is the lyric "They're waiting for you like I waited for mine/And nobody ever came..."

This is no pop CD, nor is it one you should listen to if you like your music to fade into the background. Listening to this CD is a moving, almost religious experience. I cannot look at music in the same way and I know this will be in my player for years and years to come. It makes me want to mourn the loss of a man who died five years before I'd ever heard of him. This album is simply the story of the making of a man who never got to reach his destination.

As I write this six years to the day that Jeff Buckley drowned in the Wolf River, I can never quite get over how great a loss he was to music, and to musical intergrity. It also seems a shame that so many people - even great music lovers - never got to see the man perform, or completely fulfill his awesome potential.

Buckley was quite simply one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time, and also a marvellous songwriter and guitarist.
As for 'Grace', I'll never forget the first time I heard it and many years on it still sounds just as fresh, rich and exciting. 'Last Goodbye' demonstrated his genius for writing classic pop tunes instilled with passion and heart, while the Leonard Cohen 'Hallelujah' is breathtaking in it's vocal delivery. 'Lover, you should have come over' is one of many magical moments, especially as Jeff soars mesmerisingly to "she's the tear that hangs inside my soul forever". There is no real weak point to the album, aside from the 'hedge-trimmer' interlude in 'So Real'. Even geniuses aren't perfect.

Just one slight qualm.. if any of you have ever heard 'Forget Her', a song that Jeff omitted from the the final album edit at the 11th hour, you'll be sad that one of his greatest ever songs was never released. But hey, in ten songs on 'Grace' he achieved what few artists fail to achieve in a lifetime. So we'll let him off.

Happy anniversary Jeff...and thanks for the music.