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View Full Version : (Singer-Songwriter/Adult Alternative Pop-Rock/Alternative) Jeff Buckley- Grace


br3ad_man
04-20-2004, 02:36 AM
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Jeff Buckley, son of the legendary Tim Buckley released his first full length LP in 1994. It was titled "Grace". The album featured many great moments, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Halleujah". Jeff was an outstanding guitarist and is still considered to be a guitar hero today. He was also blessed with an amazing voice, which was fairly versatile, which is shown by the diversity of the songs on his album. Sadly, Jeff died by drowning before he was able to complete another LP, but his album is still considered by many to be a classic. The album itself is amazing and contains absolutely no bad songs. Unfortunatly today, record companies are milking Jeff Buckley's performances to get as much out of him as possible. Every album you see out today, besides "Grace" is a bootleg, although there are avaliable copies of his unfinished second album. Remember that Grace is the original and you should definitely buy it before you buy any other Jeff Buckley albums. Every song on the album is well over the standard 3:30 mark, besides track 8 (Corpus Christi Carol).

Mojo Pin- Starts out with Jeff holding some sung notes, and sounds a bit like U2. The guitar riff then comes in, sounding great, and then the song changes to a different sound altogether. It then goes back to the original sound. The song changes again to a distorted rock song, with Jeff pushing his voice a considerable amount further. The tempo also speeds up. The drumming in this song is superb, and it's got a top sound. The song sounds fairly sad throughout most of it. 4/5

Grace- The mood of this song is a fair bit happier than the previous song. The song has an acoustic guitar in it, and some other instruments. Jeff's awesome voice shows in this song and his guitar abilites do as well. The riffs are good in the beginning and the verse riffs really set a great mood for the track. This song, in my opinion has moments that sound like they would have influenced the "boy bands" of the late 90s. Some effects on the guitars come in at the end and Jeff starts some high pitched screaming which sounds amazing with the rest of the song. 4/5

Last Goodbye- This song is great, it shows Jeff's amazing voice again, and it has a really sweet bass line. It's slightly shorter than the last song, but again it's a great song. It shows Jeff's unique style of music, whatever you would call it. It's great. 4/5

Lilac Wine- This song is slightly softer than the songs before it. The instrumentation is simple, besides Jeff's voice, which is again, amazing. The song is a lot more emotional than the last three songs and it's a real highlight. 4/5

So Real- The best song on the album so far. Jeff's voice and the instrumentes do a kind of question and answer thing after each line he sings. The lyrics are great and work very well for what the instruments are playing. In the chorus, Jeff sings the haunting line "Oh that was so real" and the bass and drums get louder and add to the music very well. Later in the song, Jeff half sings, half speaks the lyrics in a very haunting way. Then he sings high notes at the end of the song which very much achevies what he is trying to do. The drumming towards the end is also awesome. 5/5

Halleujah- A cover of a Leonard Cohen song, which shows Jeff's great guitar skill at the start. He then starts singing, which is amazing. The extremely simple bass line works very, very well in the song with the fingerpicked guitar. The lyrics are very good, although Jeff didn't write them. Jeff gets very passionate in the song, and you can tell when he does, and when he does, it's awesome. Jeff's guitar parts are amazingly beautiful with some good high stuff after the second last chorus, towards the end. This is the longest song on the album at 6:53 and the song never gets old. This song was featured on the movie "Shrek" which proves that everyone, ever has heard this song. Or maybe it was the original. Either way, you've heard the song and I think Jeff's version is better than the original. Great, great stuff.
5/5

Lover, You Should Have Come Over- A great track, the drummer is doing rimshots and Jeff's great voice once again comes out. It's quite a passionate song. There are some gospel style backing vocals in the song, which simultaniously add and detract from the song. The little lead guitar bits are great too. 4.5/5

Corpus Christi Carol- Jeff starts the song by singing falsetto and you could be forgiven for thinking it was a woman singing. It's a testament to how awesome his voice is. The music sounds like something you'd associate with large cathedrols. The instrumentation is fairly thin and it works well for you to just be able to hear Jeff's voice. This is the shortest track on the album at just under 3 minutes. 4/5

Eternal Life- This song simply put, rocks. It comes in with a heavy guitar and a pumping bass line. Jeff does rock vocals very well on this song, as well as being able to do softer songs like the previous track. As I said before, he was a very diverse vocalist. The song is a real contrast to a lot of other stuff on the album and is a real highlight and a treat to listen to. It's just a great song. 5/5

Dream Brother- The song has a mysterious sound and is reminiscent of Indian style music. It has a fairly dark sound and Jeff's vocals are brilliant as usual. THe drumming really drives the song, and like the last track, this song has a very contrasting sound to the rest of the album. There are effects on Jeff's voice to make it sound strange, and they definitely work. A fine way to end a great album. 4.5/5


This album is an absolute classic, but it isn't 5/5 material. Due to songs such as "So Real" and "Halleujah", this album receives a 4.5/5.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

OrbDragon
04-20-2004, 03:39 AM
Great review...I was hoping when someone would review this cd...because it's a gem al by itself. It's only flaw is the over-arranging on "Grace" near the end of the song. I agree 100% on "Halleluja"....anything short of a 5 is a crime with that track.

I think "Lover, You Should've Come Over" deserves a higher rating though...that organ intro is too beautiful.

RollerQueen
04-20-2004, 08:15 AM
Amen, brother. Grace is an amazing album that more people should get into. It's a decade old but most of it doesn't sound it, especially the beautiful "Hallelujah". And to think this is the same guy who did "Your Flesh Is So Nice". Excellent and just review of one of the best albums of the 90s.

el doctor
04-20-2004, 02:06 PM
:eek: I can't believe this hadn't been reviewd already. Amazing album. There's much more to it than just Hallelujah, although it is a beautiful and timeless song. Lover, You Should've come over has actually been one of my favorites off of the album for awhile. I think I'd agree with your overall rating, although I say this album is a must listen no matter who you are.

I also meant to add, the band itself goes incredibly unnoticed a lot. All the instrumentation in the album is just great, and really complete that incredible feeling paired with Jeff's voice.

Bartender
04-20-2004, 02:17 PM
I borrowed Grace from a friend of mine, in return for me lending her Angel Dust (which she didn't like :()...it was good, probably a 4/5, but I didn't think it was all that amazing. I really liked some songs, like Grace, Eternal Life and So Real, but there were a few tracks that just dragged it down for me. Still, good album.

br3ad_man
04-21-2004, 02:48 AM
I think "Lover, You Should've Come Over" deserves a higher rating though...that organ intro is too beautiful.


Now that I listen again, I agree


Cheers for all the nice comments guys.

moderaterock222
04-21-2004, 12:14 PM
I agree that 'lover you should have come over' deserves a higher rating, and id give dream brother a 5, and last goodbye also. Other than that a superb review for one of the all time greats in my opinion. A charachter and voice that will be sorely missed

Tomahawk
04-30-2004, 12:14 AM
I got this album not long ago, it's not bad. My favourite song on there is probably Dream Brother, or Grace. He has/had one hell of a voice. But almost a third of the album (3 songs) are covers, that seems a bit much. I also think that sometimes the songs can be a bit melodramatic, and almost cheesy (ie: "I love you, but i'm afraid to love you" in So Real, and basically the whole song Lilac Wine, even though that's a cover). But still a good album though.

Good review, even though I don't totally agree with it.

el doctor
04-30-2004, 02:12 PM
Just curious, which songs are covers? I know Corpus Christi Carol and Lilac Wine are covers, but what is the third? I also agree with it being melodramatic. I actually think the album is rather pretentious for a debut album, but that's one of the reasons I really like it, is the fact that the album really seems as if he gave it his all and held nothing back.

RollerQueen
04-30-2004, 03:17 PM
"Hallelujah" is a Leonard Cohen song.

kAtzE_MisSTakEr_cT
07-04-2004, 12:10 PM
just love it

Tangy zizzle
07-04-2004, 05:28 PM
Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah > All other versions.

Nice review br3ad.

lilsolsman
07-05-2004, 01:07 PM
One of the best albums i've ever heard.. Totally make sure you hear it :)

moderaterock222
07-05-2004, 01:55 PM
Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah > All other versions.

Nice review br3ad.
I like Rufus Wainwright but i like Jeff's cover more. For me that song is one of the ultimate showcase's of what one man and a guitar can do. Rufus does pwn in his own right though.

KazooVirtuoso
07-05-2004, 09:35 PM
Great album.

There's a great "acoustic" version of Eternal Life that I like better than the original. When I first downloaded the album, the guy had it in place of the original and I didn't realize it. I was disappointed when I finally heard the real version.

br3ad_man
07-05-2004, 09:39 PM
Yeah, he used to play that song a fair bit live.

Badmoon
07-05-2004, 10:20 PM
Definitly one of my favorite albums. And a lot better than his heavier stuff.


Good job :thumb:

The Ashtray Girl
07-06-2004, 06:24 AM
Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah > All other versions.



It is a good one (and also the one used in Shrek, by the way) but I think Jeff Buckley's is that bit more heartfelt. Maybe it's just me.

Distorted Vision
07-06-2004, 11:24 AM
Real good album, Jeff was such a talent. It's not something I can listen to in all moods but there are some great songs here. Last Goodbye is my favourite track, and Lover, You Should've Come Over is probably my favourite ballad ever.

He was a stunning vocalist in his time, and he will be missed. But songs like CCC with the falsetto vocals grate on me after a while.

OrbDragon
07-06-2004, 12:34 PM
Irony of 90's legends:

If Jeff Buckley were still alive he would've become a legend.

If Kurt Cobain were still alive he would've never become a legend.


Has anyone heard Jeffs cover of "Satisfied Mind"? It's just too **** good.

RollerQueen
07-06-2004, 01:47 PM
^^^ That's on Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, correct?

OrbDragon
07-06-2004, 02:08 PM
Yes, I think so.

laranra
07-10-2004, 06:31 PM
AWESOME ALBUM, but some objections to the review: I don't think hallelujah's version is better than cohen's original. They're just different. You can't compare the spare bones version by Buckley with the church-like sound of Cohen's. Maybe the fact I'm a huge cohen's fan influences this opinion.
On the other hand, I definitely don't like song-by-song reviews. Do you think they could interest anyone who hasn't listened to the album?

br3ad_man
07-10-2004, 07:13 PM
I just like Jeff's version more than Leonard's, I like the instrumentation, the vocals and the emotion better. I don't see how it is impossible to compare them, it's the same song.

They interest me more, because I know which parts of the album to check out. If I see a non track by track, then I don't usually read the whole thing unless I am really interested in the album, or I have heard it and I want to see the reviewer's opinion. Maybe that's just me, but I don't think it is.

laranra
07-11-2004, 04:09 AM
I love Jeff's hallelujah version. It's one of the best covers I've ever listened to. It makes justice to the original absolutely.
Perhaps I haven't explained myself. I meant that Leonard's original is also amazing.
Ah, the version appearing in Shrek is not the original. It's a cover by Rufus Wainwright, and I don't like it at all.

Knifeboy
07-11-2004, 04:23 PM
I'd give atleast half the songs on this cd a 5/5... and the whole album is definatly a 5/5..

First time I heard it I thought "meh" and only really liked last goodbye, and grace... But after listening through the whole album several times, I slowly fell in love with every single song on it.

Iai
10-02-2004, 04:09 PM
Bumping this because this issue of Grace is now obsolete - it has been taken of the market and replaced with a new version. It's basically exactly the same, but with Forget Her included as Track 11.

I'm confused as to why this is, considering the Legacy Edition has Forget Her. But maybe the Legacy Edition is limited, I don't know.

Hopefully br3ad will see this, and add a track review of Forget Her, for completeness. (Or even just quote mine :amaze: ) I'll update my review of the Legacy Edition to reflect this.

br3ad_man
10-02-2004, 09:16 PM
I'll find the track somewhere and listen to it, then add it in.

Iai
10-03-2004, 01:02 PM
Hit me up on MSN and I can send it to you.

br3ad_man
10-03-2004, 10:57 PM
I'll do it when I get home tonight :thumb:

Tomahawk
10-04-2004, 12:28 AM
Bumping this because this issue of Grace is now obsolete - it has been taken of the market and replaced with a new version. It's basically exactly the same, but with Forget Her included as Track 11.
That kind of pisses me off... I mean, Jeff didn't want it on there, right? It doesn't belong on Grace.

It's a good song, but it belongs on the bonus disc.

xspoonmanx
10-12-2004, 02:11 AM
Hands down, my favorite album of all time. Love the voice, the musicianship and the songwriting.

he was a beautiful man who wrote beautiful music. RIP :upset:

Paranoidd
10-12-2004, 10:39 AM
One of my all-time favorite albums, and an essential classic. Great review.

zed4321.pumpkin_pie
11-17-2004, 05:08 AM
Absolutely beautiful album.

Hallelujah, Last Goodbye, Lover you should have come over, Lilac Wine... what can you say? Brilliant.

Definately 5/5 ...

Such a unique and emotive voice. Such interesting arrangements. Such sad, yet beautifully powerful songs. Such a talent - so real.