Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley [Hardcover]

Merri Cyr (Author), Jeff Buckley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

When Jeff Buckley drowned in Memphis in 1997 at the age of 30, the music world lost one of its most original and promising voices. His 1994 debut LP Grace showcased his soaring eight-octave vocal range and fluid guitar playing, and was hailed as an instant classic, winning him legions of devoted fans the world over. Photographer Merri Cyr was there from the beginning, shooting his album covers and accompanying him on tour, capturing priceless images of Buckley's boundless charisma and many-sided personality. Now she has assembled an unforgettable and poignant collection of recollections from friends and members of his inner circle and photographs, many never before seen, of an artist whose untimely death - and the timeless music he left behind - continue to resonate. Hardcover, 340 full-color photos. Merri Cyr is a photographer and video artist. She lives in Brooklyn. "A tremendous anthology ... ravishing portraits of a singular, much-missed singer." - Rolling Stone Play Jeff Buckley's songs with our Guitar Recorded Versions tab transcription book - 00690451.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Beautiful, touching tribute, with reminiscences by fellow musicians, friends, and fans, has hundreds of photos of the singer-songwriter-guitarist. -Patrick MacDonald -- Seattle Times, December 2002

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard; 1 edition (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634035959
• ISBN-13: 978-0634035951
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,470,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tender and beautiful, December 11, 2002

By 

Cameron Glenn (South Jordan, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley (Hardcover)

I think of something so hot, you can't stand to touch it for longer then a second--but that one second leaves a burn and scar and memory that will last forever. That's how I think of Jeff, from his music, and how this book presents him. It's a book celebrating his life, which, by fate, memorializes his death. Jeff "was." He didn't make enough music before he became a past tense, but what he left is worth the continued praise and thoughts it still generates. I wish I could send every teenager who likes boy bands this book, to show them what a real artist looks like.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, December 30, 2002

By 

Jay Caldwell "pop culture geek" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley (Hardcover)

Its a "behind the scenes" of rise of a young, talented artist. Its not too often you get to hear and see an artist's perspective of another artist.

Merri was allowed to photograph Jeff when he was starting out in New York and became his exclusive photographer. The pictures are outtakes from the album artwork and live shots of Jeff in concert.

If you are a true fan of Jeff Buckley, you have to have this book.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, September 26, 2005

By 

J. Loftman (Peoria, AZ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wished for Song: A Portrait of Jeff Buckley (Hardcover)

If you have been as touched by Jeff Buckley's music as I have, then you absolutely need this book. The book's showcase, of course, is many gorgeous photographs of Jeff - studio portraits, live shots, casual-hanging-out shots, publicity photos, etc. It almost feels like this book contains every single photo of Jeff ever taken. (It doesn't, of course, but it feels that way - and it's a good feeling.)

Mixed with the photos are quotes and stories about Jeff as told by his friends and loved ones. The touching words along with the haunting photos of Jeff will really give you a sense of who he was, almost as much as his music does.

Buy this book. Drink a mug of warm chai tea, and read it while listening to Grace (preferably on a cold, rainy autumn day.) Once the album is over, your mug is empty and you've reached the last page of this stunning book, you will be changed, in a way that is both bittersweet and right.