All this doesn’t necessarily mean he wanted to die, but it does seem to indicate he was dealing with some serious issues. This album comes with an insert sheet; one side black/white picture of Jeff Buckley with others - other side with track list and credits. Today, 10 years later, Jeff’s music continues to inspire and influence fellow musicians, artists and fans around the globe.

Jeff Buckley – Grace (2023, 180g, Vinyl) - Discogs

So under increased pressure from his label, Buckley began nursing a contrarian streak and attempted to trade in Grace’s gorgeous softness for something spikier and confrontational with his second album. He already had Grondhal, met drummer Matt Johnson through Grace executive producer Steve Berkowitz, and, midway through recording the album, brought in guitarist Michael Tighe (who eventually contributed "So Real", to which Buckley added a chorus and put on the record in place of the bluesy "Forget Her"). Significant tracks include the now-classic cover of Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, Buckley’s own “Last Goodbye” and “Lover, You Should Have Come Over”.In Buckley's case, it was a steady stream of collaborators, girls, gigs and an impressive reserve of torch songs from way back when. Even if all had gone according to plan, and the finished My Sweetheart the Drunk was released at the end of 1997, it would have entered a shifting pop landscape. A routinely great artist, much of Sufjan's universal appeal comes from his skills as a gifted narrator, pairing personal musings on love and devotion with commentary on American culture, whilst welding folk and electronica, the ambient and existential.

Jeff Buckley – Grace (2009, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs Jeff Buckley – Grace (2009, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs

They had a point: For all its swells of emotion and midnight dynamics, Grace was not a record to rally the post-grunge alternation. Featuring Buckley’s definitive cover of "Hallelujah" and frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. Lost the cd among many others while moving town and changing schools, left a gap in my heart, especially once I heard the news of his early death on the radio. Grace's strengths have been well-documented over the years: The flawless choice of cover songs, including the definitive reading of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (that we learn on the documentary was actually chosen based on John Cale's 1991 version from the Cohen tribute I'm Your Fan); the mystic, blue textures of "Mojo Pin", "So Real" and "Dream Brother" that seemed as related to Led Zeppelin as to Scott Walker as to Buckley's father; Wallace's sympathetic, intimate production and the band's equally sensitive following of Buckley's lead.His version of Big Star's "Kanga-Roo" nails its weary grandeur, but goes overboard on the ensuing 11-minute jam session, effectively transforming it from intimidating wall of drone into a meandering, albeit unfinished and tentative giant. Particularly during “Hallelujah”, there is a background noise that really takes away from the intimate experience. In addition, this fantastic bonus DVD features all four videos done for the album and a new video done for the previously unreleased track “Forget Her. It sounds astonishing in every way, the vinyl quality is superb and it’s becoming increasingly scarce.

Jeff Buckley: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk Jeff Buckley: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

Worst of all I've noticed on quiet tracks that I can also hear a faint, distorted echo of the music from around 1. I actually thought a couple of tracks sounded great, and picked up some details I haven't noticed before on them. His artsier tendencies sometimes clashed with Columbia’s bottom line, but in general he was given the room—and cash—to make his own choices, with the label figuring they’d eventually recoup on their investment later on. After the February session, Buckley realized Verlaine was not the man to bring his album to fruition, and it was decided that Grace producer Andy Wallace would sit in the control booth when the time was right. New Year’s Prayer” is similarly low-key, a mantra between light and dark inspired by Buckley’s infatuation with Sufi devotional music, while “You and I” comes off like an unsettling plea from a damp forest in the middle of the night.It has a little bit of an edginess to the sound, which may or may not be pleasing to you, but that was smoothed out a little on the ORG, which sounds better to my ears. This was years before the Strokes would put Verlaine’s band—and its scuzzy postpunk lineage—back in the spotlight, and the producer was about as far as you could get from a typical hitmaker. His musical brain started to flow and, by the spring, he felt like he had finally figured out what his album should be.

Jeff Buckley – Grace (2010, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs Jeff Buckley – Grace (2010, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs

His full length debut on Daptone Records is equal parts raw feeling and elegance and exudes confidence and charm. Jeff Buckley’s debut album, Grace, has been heralded by many journalists and musicians as one of the best albums of the ’90s. With its bittersweet resignation and one of the better hooks Buckley ever put to tape, “I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)” has traces of a rock radio hit; “Murder Suicide Meteor Slave,” with its careening structure, ugly discordance, and self-lacerating lyrics, barely has traces of a song.According to Discogs database this pressing use the same stampers from the now legendary Dutch original LP release. With a treasure trove of material (most perviously unseen and unheard), Grace (Legacy Edition) is the definitive document of a brilliant artist and talented performers – an essential recording for fans and collectors. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Opener “Sky Is a Landfill” is the closest Buckley ever came to agitprop, a denunciation of capitalist and media systems that now reads prophetic, if a bit overwritten.