The Jeff Buckley appreciation club.

[binnie]

you gotta remember binnie; 'demo's' is the keyword. there are some diamonds in there.. who wouldn't feel the pressure of even getting to 80% of the pure mastery of 'grace'?

Grace is a wonderful record.

However, if I were to rock the apple cart I would suggest that it is remarkably generous to label someone a 'genius' (which many people do) on the strength of one record, especially when 3 or the 10 songs on it were not written by the 'genius' in question.

Don't get me wrong: it's a good album, but people do have a tendency to get carried away with heaping the accolades on it (largely because of the man's untimely death). To my ears, the demos do not suggets that subsequent material would have repeated the trick.........

[DLR Bridge]

I couldn't say if you're the only one, but I liked a lot of it. If he went with the Tom Verlaine produced My Sweetheart The Drunk recordings as his follow up to Grace, it may not have faired as well, but it still had great songs on it.

His more tripped out (literally) demos from his time in Memphis showed true artistic promise, I think. I loved We Could Be So Happy If We Wanted To Be, Demon John and Murder Suicide Meteor Slave. The guy truly had a different idea in his head of how he wanted to be perceived. Kind of like Kurt with In Utero. He defiantly chipped away the commercial glitz the record company soaked Nevermind in. Jeff was trying to do the same thing. He was always at odds with Sony. Had he lived, he'd be on an indie label and probably a lot happier.

[ashstralia]

well, i was a huge fan from the moment i first heard 'last goodbye' in '94. actually pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut the engine off...

you're never gonna convince me.

so glad i got to see him live; elbows on the stage front row... that was life changing.

[ashstralia]

from what i've read, in memphis he was NOT in a good place mentally..

more support may have helped; we'll never know.

[DLR Bridge]

The book Dream Brother has a decect account of his mental state in Memphis. He was a bit of a mess alright. I think he was starting to see the light which is what's so damn sad. He was brimming with inspiration and so psyched to meet up with his band. You've got to hit rock bottom to bounce back up. He was starting his bounce.

[ashstralia]

that's the one i was thinking of, Bridge. it's been years since i read it tho...

[DLR Bridge]

Grace is a wonderful record.

However, if I were to rock the apple cart I would suggest that it is remarkably generous to label someone a 'genius' (which many people do) on the strength of one record, especially when 3 or the 10 songs on it were not written by the 'genius' in question.

Don't get me wrong: it's a good album, but people do have a tendency to get carried away with heaping the accolades on it (largely because of the man's untimely death). To my ears, the demos do not suggets that subsequent material would have repeated the trick.........

Genius is a strong word, I agree. I'd describe him as immensely talented. Check out the full Sin-E recordings. Proof some people are just born with it.

Regarding the songs he had not written, his takes on them were remarkably inventive for some kid in his mid twenties.

[DLR Bridge]

that's the one i was thinking of, Bridge. it's been years since i read it tho...

Have you ever read Pure Drop? It's not bad, but the author pretty much shits on Jeff's Mom for how she's handling his legacy. He gets pretty down right mean about her as a person, which is pretty pathetic.

[ashstralia]

look, not to brag, but if you'd have seen him live... holy fuck he was on.

i've kept a scrapbook for years; here's page 1 including ticket and pick...


393106_521829337876117_1284138174_n.jpg

[ELVIS]

It won't embed the vid...

[ashstralia]

Have you ever read Pure Drop? It's not bad, but the author pretty much shits on Jeff's Mom for how she's handling his legacy. He gets pretty down right mean about her as a person, which is pretty pathetic.

as you know, i've had email exchanges with Mary, i think she's done a great job with his legacy. i won't be reading that book.

[ashstralia]

well thanks, king!!

[ELVIS]

I was just finally getting around to checking out this thread...

[DLR Bridge]

The article in this magazine is great and has good news. A boxed set is in the works of all of Jeff's WFMU (radio station for Upsala College in NJ) live performances.

[Zing!]

Cool - I'd buy it!

[DLR Bridge]

I'm pretty sure his version of Dylan's Satisfied Mind on disc two of Mystery White Boy is from WFMU. That's an absolute gem. It would be nice to get a few more discs of stuff like that.

[Zing!]

well, i was a huge fan from the moment i first heard 'last goodbye' in '94. actually pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut the engine off....

I did almost the exact same thing when I first heard his live version of Hallelujah. I was hooked by the first verse. That's the version all others must compare to.

[ashstralia]

Just because.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XjO4IenAyUw