The Legacy of Jeff Buckley

A moment, an impulse and within my hands is this Legacy Edition of Jeff Buckley's astonishing debut album "Grace". Its been roughly 11 years since its release at the height of the now dubbed "Nirvana" movement, or 'grundge' if you will. The times were indeed changing, and so quickly and dramatically that a small astonishing first record that stood head and shoulders above almost everything that came out in the 90's went on almost completely un-noticed. J

immy Page, Bono & the Edge of U2, a fair amount of others from the older school of rock noticed and supported this landmark first album and fresh artist. However, inspite of the buzz and seemingly disapointing record sales... Jeff Buckly showed more promise then most artists then and even now. He barely made a second album before he drowned in the Missisipi river.

A voice so versatile and powerful, a range that touched did more then touch the hem of Freddie Mercury's garment of vocal prowess, but in all likelyhood stood proudly next too. Jeff Buckly was a rare gift to the world of music and if ever a tragic story came about for an artist who went before his time: Jim Morrison, Freddie Mercury, Janis Joplin, Jimmie Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Kurt Kobain, and countless others...

In all these artists years may have passed by, and even if their time was short they produced several songs and or albums...

While Buckley's "Grace" had just come out he was already gone. So much promise, so much talent, and above all that "it" factor that can not be described in words, its not a butterfly for a net, a creature for the wall mount, the mountain top for the climber, nor is it the crest for the surfer to glide upon... its the one thing that simply IS... and IT resided in his performances and his song writing.

Jeff Buckley IS a gift. I am humbly blessed to have heard his music. I hope someday he truly gets the recognition he deserves and the broad aclaim that is due. But for now, he stands in the shadow of something that "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Kobain's shadow will wallow a little longer, but Buckley's influence is spreading. I feel that the tides of music are changing and I hope that somehow Buckley has had a hand in it even after he has been gone for this past decade.

Spence

U2 would perform Buckley's version of the Cohen song "Hallelujah" as a tribute to Jeff Buckley after his un-timely death.


If you are curious, and you come across the "Grace" album, it is wel worth its weight in gold to purchase the "Legacy" edition with a bonus CD of previously unreleased recordings and bonus DVD that features a "Making of the Album Grace" film.

I am now making my first journal entry in "Bebo" she bop thing here. This is after viewing the astonishing triumph of a performance by Mr. Jamie Fox as the one and only Ray Charles. What a film, what a story, what a life, what a musician, what a voice. I love Ray Charles, and now even more so. He is truly pure Americana. A strikingly strong chord in the essence of what IS America. His contributions to music will hardly be matched by anyone. Ever. Thank God for giving us Ray Charles.

In humble graditude,

Spence