GRACE - JEFF BUCKLEY

 Don’t think I will ever not re-post this when it pops up and jt1674 posted it this morning . . . . . . I was heartbroken and shocked when he drowned and the tragedy of the loss of his father was just too cruel it seemed. Imagine what great things he would have gone on to create and Gary Lucas re-aquaints me with this fact all the time . . . they played together on the first album and all the better for it! Stunning creative genius . . . . . 

https://www.tumblr.com/jt1674/772317712807575552

CLASSICS Revisited | JEFF BUCKLEY | Jeff Beckly - GRACE - The Late Show 1995

 

Jeff Buckley, one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices of the 1990s, left an indelible mark on the world of music with his profound lyrics and angelic voice. Born in 1966 in Anaheim, California, Jeff came from a musical lineage. His father, Tim Buckley, was an acclaimed folk-rock singer, but Jeff’s relationship with him was distant. Despite this, music ran deep in Jeff's veins, and he carved out a unique path that combined soul, rock, and folk, all wrapped in the raw emotion that became his signature sound.

Buckley’s reflections on life, like his famous quote, “I have no advice for anybody; except to, you know, be awake enough to see where you are at any given time, and how that is beautiful, and has poetry inside. Even places you hate,” offer a glimpse into his deeply philosophical and introspective nature. Buckley was not just a musician—he was a poet who saw the world through a lens that many people longed to understand. His music, especially his 1994 debut album Grace, is a testament to this worldview, combining his intricate guitar work with poignant, emotional lyrics that often seemed to reflect the beauty he found in both joy and pain.

The 1990s were a pivotal era for music, defined by the grunge movement, alternative rock, and the rise of singer-songwriters who focused more on emotional depth than polished pop production. Buckley found himself in this world, yet stood apart. He did not belong to any specific genre or trend. Instead, he created his own space, which allowed him to be authentically himself. Tracks like “Hallelujah,” his stunning rendition of Leonard Cohen’s classic, showcased his ability to transform songs into deeply personal experiences. It was not just his technical ability as a singer or musician that captivated audiences, but the way his voice and lyrics carried an otherworldly, almost spiritual quality.

His music often reflected his personal struggles and inner conflicts. For Jeff, there was beauty even in moments of pain, frustration, and doubt, a sentiment he often expressed. His quote about being awake to the poetry of the moment, even in places one might hate, encapsulates a mindset of presence and awareness that he lived by. Jeff Buckley was someone who refused to numb himself to life’s complexities. Instead, he embraced them fully, finding meaning in every facet of existence—whether it was performing for a packed audience or wandering alone through the streets of New York.

Buckley’s life was tragically cut short when, in 1997, at just 30 years old, he drowned in the Wolf River in Tennessee. His death shocked the music world, leaving a void that has never quite been filled. Though his career was brief, the legacy of his music continues to influence generations of artists. Fans still revisit Grace and his posthumously released recordings, searching for the layers of meaning woven into his lyrics and melodies.

The message Jeff Buckley left behind was one of mindfulness and awareness of life’s fleeting, yet beautiful moments. In a world that can often feel overwhelming and chaotic, his words and music serve as a reminder to slow down and find the poetry in every experience, no matter how mundane or difficult. He saw beauty where others saw struggle, and through his art, he invited listeners to do the same.

Jeff Buckley’s influence continues to resonate, not only because of his unmatched musical talent but because of his ability to articulate the human experience with such tenderness and vulnerability. His legacy is that of a true artist—one who lived deeply, loved fiercely, and created with an honesty that continues to touch the hearts of many.

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Jeff Buckley - Grace | BBC | The Late Show | London | 1/17/1995

 SONG OF THE DAY

"CRUEL"

GODS & MONSTERS

Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas

After checking out the Interview with Gary Lucas that Aquarium Drunkard featured recently it showcased this video and it is really worth a visit not least to see a v young Jeff Buckley but its a fine number and Gary's guitar work is exceptional here from 1992 in the Knitting Factory NYC

the notes say 

Jeff Buckley performing with Gary Lucas' Band, Gods and Monsters at the Knitting Factory in New York City on 22 March 1992. Notes: With Gods & Monsters, Live from The Knitting Factory. This show was broadcast on WFMU radio and hosted by Nick Hill from inside the venue - you can see him during the video with his headphones and broadcast mic. It was also videotaped from a tripod inside the Knitting Factory. Gary Lucas and Jeff play the first two songs as a duo, and then there is a break for a performance by another artist. When they take the stage again, it is as a full band. Until the encores, that is. Jeff stays on alone to sing 'Satisfied Mind' in a very public break from his collaboration with Gary Lucas. Video contains all the additional unbroadcast content. "About a year after the Tim Buckley tribute, on March 13, 1992, Gods & Monsters had a big showcase concert at St. Ann's during which the sound was bad and each fine musician onstage seemed to be listening only to himself. After that performance Jeff told Lucas he was quitting; he would play the rest of the gigs they had booked that week and that was it. Jeff Buckley's final show with Gods & Monsters, to a small audience at the Knitting Factory the following weekend, was filled with tension and barely contained recriminations. One song into the set Buckley told the soundman, "Let's hear Jeff's guitar," and proceeded to hijack Lucas' band for the remainder of the night. As Jeff led the group, Lucas filled in piercing guitar leads and counterpoint. Jeff let loose howling, primal vocals that were, ironically, like the young Robert Plant while Lucas--relieved of leading the group-- played with disciplined abandon, raising the stakes at every hand. It was an amazing set, everything that the St. Ann's showcase had failed to be. It took the grim relief of failure and the anger of a breakup to show what the musical prototype for Lucas to Buckley should have been--not Page to Plant, but James Honeyman-Scott to Chrissie Hynde. One scene-maker leaned over duing the set and said, "If all the A&R people who'd been at St. Ann's were here tonight, these guys would be going home with a record deal." When the last Gods & Monsters song ended, Maimone, Fier and Lucas walked offstage but Buckley hesitated. He then surprised everyone--including himself--by staying onstage and continuing to sing alone. It was a bravura, egotistical move, a violation of all band etiquette, and exactly the right thing to do to establish that he had the guts and the ambition to build his own vision, and that he was not going to be tied to anyone else on his way. When he finished singing, Jeff walked off the stage and across the room to his girlfriend Rebecca. They locked into an embrace in the middle of the club, his head buried in her shoulder, not speaking and oblivious to the people who came up to tell him what a great finale it had been. "It was after that night," Jeff says of quitting Gods & Monsters, "that I knew I needed to invoke the real essence of my voice. I didn't know what it tasted like at all. I knew I had to get down to work and that anything else would be a distraction. In that band there were conflicts. It was really crazy, a desperate situation. I just didn't need things to be desperate. I needed them to be natural." " -- (from the article 'The Arrival of Jeff Buckley: A Talented Young Musician Learns to Navigate the Record Business While Protecting His Music', Bill Flanagan, Musician, February 1994, p97-101).

Full show: https://youtu.be/w4IsHo9Tsdk Gods And Monsters - Cruel | St. Ann's Church, Brooklyn, NY, 3/13/92: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoKwC... #JeffBuckley #GaryLucas #KnittingFactory

and mostly just because I think this live TV performance is quite extraordinary but there's this from the BBC 2 Late Show and it came up after playing the above video of Gods & Monsters  . . . . . . .