Customer Reviews

Live at L'Olympia

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You can't help but get the feeling that Sony is doing everything it can to generate Jeff Buckley album sales in light of his tragically premature demise, and in spite of a total lack of any new studio material. That doesn't seem to phase them one little bit, as they trawl through his tapes to prove true the old adage that anything old truly can be new again. So if it feels like you've heard this stuff before, you're absolutely correct.

Cynicism aside, I personally have found this a far more satisfying live release than Mystery White Boy. Where MWB suffers for the fact that it was pieced together from a variety of live performances of varying audio quality, Live a L'Olympia benefits greatly from the fact that, for all but one track, it is taken from a single live performance.

You can tell that it has been sourced from a tape because the give away hiss is ever-present, and in that respect it is inferior to some of the recordings on MWB. However, you don't notice that after a while.

More to the point, the tracks run more smoothly than MWB (and don't ask me quite what I mean by that, because I'm note sure that I could tell you precisely - it's something you sense rather than articulate). And the French (for all their faults, God love them) are unquestionably astute and passionate Jeff Buckley fans, and this comes across in the performance, particularly in response to Jeff's good natured teasing - Viva la France!

I particularly enjoyed the renditions of Lover, Dream Brother, and Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin. But on all tracks the band is tight, the audience pumped, and throughout Jeff manages to remind us what an incredible, courageous and effortless performer he was.

The sound on this CD is not the best- it was taken from a cassette that was found among Jeff's belongings after he "left us". But as many people have pointed out, it is a BETTER recording because there is a flow to it (unlike Mystery White Boy), being that it is ONE concert rather than many put together. There aren't any new songs besides "That's All I Ask", and the duet of "What Will You Say". What one might think is a Led Zeppelin cover is just one minute of Jeff messing around, playing a segment of "Kashmir" really past and singing high-pitched. It's funny, but a small let-down. Where are the songs we haven't heard? Jeff didn't play only songs from "Grace" at his concerts. Towards the end of 1996 and up until his death, he was trying to get AWAY from "Grace". Of course I will buy anything that comes out with Jeff's name on it, but if you want to hear what they've been keeping from the fans, then take advantage of the MP3's floating around on the net while they are still there. Yeah, it's illegal, but my CD burner doesn't think so.

Why do you promise us new recording's of your son's music, only to release the same songs yet again? We know you have in your possession countless recordings of material we have never heard, and sadly will probably never hear until you yourself are long gone. Even then you will probably have it in your will that the tapes be burned over your grave. Is this what Jeff would have wanted? I doubt it. I never knew him, but maybe you should ask his friends what they think he would have liked. Yes, the "Grace" songs are beautiful, and I will listen to them as many times as you force me to (what else have you given me to choose from?). I personally would like to know what Jeff played all those nights at Sin-E (covers, mostly....but I'm sure they are quality), and what his days in the band Gods and Monsters sounded like. Surely if Jeff was involved it couldn't have been bad. I know there are tapes of his performances in Memphis recorded days, weeks before his passing. Still, this is what we are offered, and beggers can't be choosers. This album is breathtaking. Like someone else noted, it is ONE concert instead of many concerts pieced together, and though the sound is not the absolute best, who cares? I sure don't.

Import-only release, consisting of highlights from two nights at The Olympia in Paris, France, with an excellent biography of Jeff and interviews with Mary Guibert and Michael Tighe inside. There are no revelations, and considering the dearth of quality live material circulating around, these releases do not supercede or fare any worse than other performances of the _Grace_ material. What helps _L'Olympia_ is the fact that it is highlights from two nights at the same venue, which provides the listener with more continuity than _Mystery White Boy_ could offer. Sourced from an ordinary casette tape found with Buckley's posessions, it actually sounds quite good (other than tape hiss and occasional imbalance of instrumentation) and is another solid addition to the growing collection of live material that will probably be the enduring bulk of Buckley's musical legacy. The best song is "That's All I Ask" which is a fantastic addition to the growing list of covers and assorted unreleased tracks creeping out from the Buckley estate. There is also a very interesting duet between Buckley and Qawwali singer Alim Qasimov on "What Will You Say".

I like the pattern of releases from Columbia, although clearly intended to milk the legacy of another tragic artist, the involvment of Mary Guibert and other members of the band, and their content indicate that the fans are definitely considered when compiling them. That having been said, I think its time to dig deeper into the archives and take a look at some live performances of other material from the _My Sweetheart_ (the Arlene's Grocery gig in particular), or maybe a collection of B-Sides and unreleased material, rather than another re-hash of the Grace material, which between the live B-sides from CD-singles (_Grace_ EP, _Live at the Bataclan_, _Live At Sin-e_) _Live at Chicago_ and _Mystery White Boy_, is already very well-represented. Given that we have been given an unusually intimate glimpse into Jeff's work, with the release of 4-track demos and now this "bootleg", I have no doubt that the tradition of quality releases will continue.

Fans have rightly complained about too many posthumous Jeff Buckley releases, but this import-only live album is something special. Buckley considered his Summer 1995 performances at the Paris venue L'Olympia, once the haunt of his idol Edith Piaf, to be among the best of his career. Incredibly, Buckley had a cassette tape of the performance which, except for a little hiss and some slightly unideal miking, sounds quite fine.

The first Buckley live release, MYSTERY WHITE BOY, was a mishmash of American concert dates. Though they show Buckley still in fine vocal form--by the L'Olympia dates his voice had been weakened from excessive smoking--the selections for that album are tame and unexciting. On the L'Olympia recordings, however, he really lets loose. The album starts with an extended version of "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" that improves over even that on GRACE. The electric version of "Dream Brother" complements the album version well, and some added lyrics make its allusion to Jeff's father Tim Buckley all the more poignant. "Eternal Life" is played savagely, easily moving into a cover of MC5's "Kick Out the Jams". And the wild performance of "Grace" here lacks the control of the album, but goodness, he's doing such vocal acrobatics live!

There's also a great rapport between singer and crowd here. A brief break has Buckley playing Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" as if it were a 33 RPM record played at 45. In "Hallelujah", he makes a slight change in the lyrics to "I used to live with Leonard before I knew you." And, as insensitive as it might occasionally seem, Buckley taunts the crowd with mentions of Piaf and the little French he knows. And very touching is the way this crowd adored the singer. Buckley found instant fame abroad while he remained an underground figure in the US. At one moment Buckley has to interrupt his sound to say as if overwhelmed, "You people, you crazy people".

I suppose this album was import-only because MYSTERY WHITE BOY was selling sluggishly in the US and the label thought there was insufficient market for Buckley there. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of the singer, you absolutely must seek this out.

I was so excited to have this particular piece to add to my collection, I had it air freighted from France. I can honestly say I've not been disappointed with the music if taken by itself. For the artist, this period of time seems to be most rewarding and satisfying, if music is admitted as evidence.

Most of the songs on this CD were not professionally recorded, but instead copied from Jeff's personal tapes by his ever-present mother. Michael Tighe and Jeff's ever-present mother produced and arranged the tracks.

That said, I think the true tragedy in Jeff's death is how the music is now managed and produced. I hear clips and segueways (sp.) that are now or before taken out of context.

My advice for the future, find the tapes, clean them up a bit, release them. Let the work stand alone without senseless meddling.

It may be coincidental that my favourite Jeff Buckley songs were written by others...'Lilac Wine' and 'Hallelujah'. But in the usual banter we have when comparing him to his father, it's Tim trumping the prodigal with his lyric skills, which is by no means an attempt to diminish Jeff's gifts. 'Grace' is unquestionably a more listenable, intimate and coherent album than any of his fathers'. And if you wanted added proof of his virtuosity then this concert, held in July 1995,is a fabulous testament. The warmth of his voice is astonishing. But my prompt to get the album is the incomparable, final track, with my idol, Alim Qasimov, not from the concert at L'Olympia. It's tacked on, fairly seamlessly, from a concert of Sacred Music, held two weeks later, in the small village of Saint Florent Le Vieil in Western France. The latter had heard Jeff and invited him to the event. When he heard Qasimov rehearsing he was so overawed by the master's supreme purity, Buckley endured a period of great doubt before agreeing to join Qasimov for this duet. What a find! Or a find that these two matchless souls could unify, if only briefly.'What Will You Say' is the evidence. A treasure to pursue!

I'd like to comment on the heck of a job the audio people did in creating this CD. They pulled the songs off of some old tapes and yet the quality is pretty good. It's awesome to hear Jeff really 'get into' the music on these songs. This CD is quite unique I'd say. Sounds like he really owned Kick Out the Jams on this version.

Not as good as I expected, although my expectations are high on any Buckley product. In any event a must buy for any Buckley fan and I already have bought another for a friend. His material is timless and hauntingly beautiful. His version of Zep is quite funny. Jeff's songwriting is amazing and none of his records leave my player very long.

Jeff Buckley's "Live A L'Olympia" is a work of art! You can just feel the happy atmosphere in the concert, and it's like you're actually there. Jeff's Zeppelin parody is hilarious, and every song will have you either laughing or crying!
I have total respect for Mary Guibert, and for even allowing us to have this capsule of time of Jeff is too nice of her. "Live A L'Olympia" is one of my all-time favourite CD's, and you will love it too!!