Jeff Buckley - Grace: Legacy Edition (Bonus Dvd) (Spec)
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Free Music Notes for Grace: Legacy Edition (Bonus Dvd) (Spec)
Free Music Review: happiness
Hit: 5 Stars
_Grace_ has been my favorite album for about a year now. When I heard about the remastered legacy edition, I was apprehensive - the production on the original version is perfect; its dynamics fit perfectly with the mood and atmosphere of the album itself. The good news is that I have no problem with the remastered version. Anyway, I didn't care so much about the production - I always have the original copy to fall back on. I was mainly interested in Disc 2 of this release - the rare, b-sides stuff or whatever that Buckley fans will buy this album to hear.
So, is it worth getting this album again to hear Disc 2? My answer is a resounding 'yes'. "Forget Her" is a beautiful piece that sounds like it was a hidden track on the original version of _Grace_ (in fact, I believe it was supposed to be included on the album, but was taken off at the last minute for a reason unknown to me). It has the same "feel" as everything else from the album (aka: the song is freakin' awesome). The alternate take of "Dream Brother" is quite interesting, and reminds me of the live version from _Mystery White Boy_. Buckley's cover of "Mama, You've Been On My Mind" is a wonderful little tune.
The very Gospel/doo-wop song "I Want Someone Badly" is pretty sweet (complete with lady background singers doing little "oohs" or "wops" or something - it reminds me of the Back To The Future ice cream parlor scenes). The "road version" of "Eternal Life" is intense and heavy - it's so metal. I think there are even a couple of harmonics and/or pull-offs (!), plus the "death" breakdown before Buckley wails "WHAT IS LOVE!" Great stuff!
The centerpiece of the second disc, though, is "Kanga-Roo", a brooding, 14-minute epic that for some reason reminds me of Tool jamming away. The song is played on the "Live In Chicago DVD", and I love that version for its intensity and "live"ness, but this version is totally supreme. The buildup is even more intense and wrenching, and Matt Johnson's drumming is even more amazing (which is probably the reason the track reminds me of Tool).
Basically, if you like Buckley and want to hear more of what he was capable of, get this ASAP. If you don't have _Grace_ (for whatever stupid reason), just go ahead and get this. And just to make this review a bit longer, I will now paste my review for the original version of _Grace_ (in case someone hasn't heard it and is wondering, since I've concentrated on the bonus stuff):
"Jeff Buckley released but one fully realized album during his all-too-brief stay with us on earth, but that album is one of the most passionate and spiritual albums I have ever heard. Imagine a fiery young singer/songwriter who is influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Smiths. Oh, and this dude has the most amazing voice ever. Also imagine his band (bassist Mick Grondhal, drummer Matt Johnson, guitarist Michael Tighe) knew his playing inside and out and acted more like a backing band for John Coltrane or Miles Davis than a traditional rock ensemble. Then you have a rough idea of the amazing album known simply as _Grace_.
_Grace_ beings with the beautiful "Mojo Pin," fading into a soft guitar line along with Buckley's gentle crooning. With Zeppelin-esque intensity the track grows stronger and louder to it's climax. The wonderful guitar work ties the song together while Matt Johnson's drumming accentuates each change of pace. "The welts of your scorn, my love, give me more/Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more" Buckley's singing builds, "Well it's you I've waited my life to see/It's you I've searched so hard for," soaring into the ether with the last phrase. This flows into the next track, "Grace", which serves as a beautifully fiery compliment to the atmospheric "Mojo Pin." The climax found within is glorious, with sweet guitar strumming and then Buckley belting out with incredible emotion: "And I feel them drown my name/So easy to know/And forget with this kiss/I'm not afraid to go" His voice now more intense than ever, nearly screaming "But it goes so slow". He holds the last note for what seems like an eternity.
The Gospel flavored "Lover, You Should've Come Over" moves from a harmonium opening to a solemn acoustic guitar backdrop grounded by Grondahl's tasteful bass playing. Over the sweet Hammond organ and the R&B styled backing vocals, Buckley builds the song to a desperate crescendo: "It's never over/My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder/It's never over/All my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her," his own fine guitar work adding to the beauty of the lyrics, "It's not too late."
The highlight of the album comes with Buckley's emotionally-jarring rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". It is as if Cohen wrote the song specifically with Buckley's voice and style in mind. As tender as the heart that broke to write this song, just Buckley and a guitar, he confesses to us: "Well maybe there's a God above/But all I've ever learned from love/Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you." The song is impossibly gorgeous - easily one of my all-time favorite songs. A minimal stripped back performance but with such a spiritual, devotional vocal. It has been known to draw tears to the eyes of lumberjacks.
_Grace_ has this incredibly spiritual, romantic feel to it that I can't describe. Buckley's extreme intensity and emotional sincerity make _Grace_ what it is - a flourishing achievement in every conceivable way."
Free Music Review: "He had a million ideas... and infinite ability to do with it as he chose..."
Hit: 5 Stars
"...it's such an eclectic album too... he had such a short recording career its great that there is that album that shows so many different sides of him musically..." ~Tighe
There are two CDs in this collection, the first is a supposedly re-mastered edition of Buckley's first CD release, Grace. I honestly cannot tell a difference between the original and this one; they are both rather quiet compared to other CDs I own. The cover art and a lot of the inside of the CD consist of photos used in the original Grace, but this CD includes a larger booklet with more photos and written commentary on disk two by Steve Berkowitz of Columbia and Buckley's mother Mary Guibert.
The second CD included in Grace (Legacy Edition) is a gathering of several unreleased and rare Jeff Buckley tracks. The first song is the most controversial of Buckley's career. Forget Her was the song that he never wanted to see released due to its incredibly personal nature. Guibert, had to make a difficult decision. Should she release it and satisfy the want from fans who had somehow found a less than perfect copy and sent it over the internet or should she keep it to herself and fulfill her son's wishes? Obviously, she released it, sparking mixed feelings with Buckley's fans. Did she do it for the money or did she truly think Jeff would have been okay with it? Either way, it is now officially released and what an incredible song it is! Forget Her is a haunting, gorgeous, conflicted song filled with passion and Buckley's remarkable vocals. I avoid listening to it too much both to respect Buckley's request and so as not to wear it out. It is one of those songs that is so addicting, it is hard to turn away. There are also alternate versions of songs released on other albums like Dream Brother, Kangaroo, Eternal Life, and Kick Out the Jams. Some of the other songs are less accessible than these. Lost Highway is a cover of a country song, Alligator Wine has Jeff imitating a very strange style of singing, and I Want Someone Badly is sort of a soul/gospel type song. The most outstanding songs on this album aside from Forget Her are the covers of Bob Dylan's Mama, You Been on my Mind and Nina Simone's The Other Woman. They're downplayed but emotional and poetic complimented brilliantly by Buckley's incredible voice.
There is also a DVD included in the package. This DVD includes the Electronic Press Kit included on the Live in Chicago DVD with extra scenes edited in to make it much longer, music videos, and a discography of Jeff's vastly expanded collection since his death in 1997.
The new EPK is incredible. It doesn't matter how many times you've watched the first one, this one is highly watchable and different enough that the old one does not become obsolete (that is, if you're a Buckley fanatic like I am). First off, there are several new Buckley quotes to laugh about, to think about, to obsess over wishing desperately Buckley were still alive making music and delighting us with his wisdom. Secondly, there are interviews both from the past and the present with people close to Jeff including Steve Berkowitz of Columbia Records; Matt Johnson, Buckley's drummer; Mick Grondahl, the bass player; Andy Wallace, the producer; and Michael Tighe, guitarist. These interviews explain the process of making Grace very well and help give insight into the mechanics of the album. Last, there are home videos of Jeff in the studio, out with friends, and at shows.
The music videos leave something to be desired. Buckley was not a fan of videos to illustrate the music; he did not want to get fans due to the way he looked or anything funny in a music video of his. Therefore, the Grace video is a red tinted black and white series of clips from an in-studio performance of the song filled with artistic close-ups of Jeff and random objects like cats and clocks. Last Goodbye is basically a video of the band in front of a screen featuring images of various scenes from nature like flowers, the moon, and water. So Real is the most like a traditional music video and is perhaps the most entertaining, although it is also quite strange. It features Buckley on a bicycle riding through a town. He stops at a diner where the rest of the band is working, eating, and filming. This is when things get weird. Men dressed in monkey suits are outside stealing Buckley's bike; when the distorted guitars come in, there is a trippy party shot out of focus. At the end, Buckley runs down the street, discarding clothes as he goes. The Eternal Life video is not really a video. It is an amalgamation of images from the Live in Chicago DVD. The song isn't the album version either; it is live. The Forget Her video is a combination of psychedelic shots, home videos, and footage of Buckley inside of a car. All of the Jeff footage makes the video appear to be a tribute although the song is not appropriate for this kind of homage at all.
The discography is in order from the date of release. They include a track list and are set on a background of photos.
This latest addition to the Buckley collection leaves fans wanting more, but the scary thought can't help but arise: how much more is there to release and when will we run out of proof of Jeff's amazing talent?
Free Music Review: Grace: Legacy Edition
Hit: 5 Stars
So, ten years later, we have a spruced up re-release of what some people would call one of the greatest albums of the 90's (I would be one of those people). Most reading this have probably already heard Grace and have a copy of it. So the real question is, is it worth getting the Legacy Edition?
The First Disc:
What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's magical. I couldn't tell any difference between this remaster and the original.
The Second Disc:
The second disc starts of with "Forget Her", an oft-bootlegged tune that was cut from Grace in favor of "So Real". "Forget Her" is gorgeous, although I understand the personal decision Jeff made not to release it. What follows is a slew of rare tracks - some can be found on EPs, promo CD's (and one from the First Love, Last Rites soundtrack), but some are completely new. Amazon's track listing is incorrect, by the way - the second track is an alternate take of "Dream Brother" - it's between "Forget Her" and "Lost Highway", for a total of 12 tracks.
Stuff like "Alligator Wine" makes you smile, when you hear Jeff laughing and fooling around in the studio. There is a version of "Alligator Wine" that Jeff did on WMFU that's floating around somewhere, and which I like more...on this he forgets the words and starts ad-libbing, and I don't think the drum beat really adds anything.
This disc will probably get JB completists like me riled up after they hunted down stuff like Peyote Radio Theatre, or the First Love, Last Rites soundtrack, but there is still plenty of stuff they didn't put on here. There's his awesome collaboration with the Jazz Passengers (actually I'm surprised they didn't put "Jolly Street" on here) and his work with Chris Dowd.
In what is sure to disappoint many fans who read the Columbia press release, "Strawberry Street" is NOT on here. I don't know what happened. You can find a bootleg taken from his Babylon Dungeon demos if you look hard enough, but it would have been nice to hear a high-quality version of it.
The DVD:
The DVD has the original music videos for "Grace", "Last Goodbye", and "So Real". They are all pristine and much better than anything you could download. They also included a "video" for "Eternal Life", but it's just the road version of the song poorly synced to low-quality footage of his performance in Chicago (which can be found on the Live in Chicago DVD). There's also a video for (an edited down) "Forget Her", which has some random Jeff footage - some has been in the many documentaries about him, most of it new.
Also on the DVD is "The Making of Grace". When it started I was disappointed, because the first few minutes are just the Grace EPK (which is also on the Live in Chicago DVD). But then! New interviews with Steve Berkowitz, Andy Wallace, and the bandmembers (you finally get to hear Mick talk!). Also some new footage of Jeff in the studio, Jeff live, and Jeff talking about the record. Good stuff. It's about 25 minutes long.
The Verdict:
If you're a fan of Jeff, this is a must-buy. Even if you've gotten all of the released rare tracks, downloaded the music videos (which haven't been *officially* available until now), and have the Live in Chicago DVD, the *totally new* recordings and the new footage in "The Making of Grace" make it worth the price of admission. If you haven't seeked out those rare-but-released recordings, then this is a no-brainer - it will all be new to you.
Although the new stuff/old stuff ratio isn't as great as the Legacy Edition of Live at Sin-e (which I'd highly recommend as well), it's still solid and still worth getting. Hopefully in a few years we can look forward to a Legacy Edition of Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, but until then I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Free Music Review: Another release for completists to moan about...
Hit: 5 Stars
I must admit, I was waiting a while for this reissue to come out, and ever since the first time I read the press release I've been excited about it. Did it deliver, now that I have it in my hand?
Yes. Even though I've scraped my way into owning nearly everything I can (within fiscal limits) that has been put out about Jeff, and the fact that I already had versions of many of these songs did not taint the fact that I was no longer stuck with versions that were in 128 kbps or less with everything above 12khz garbled horribly, but could now listen to Jeff in crystal clear 44100 kbps and enjoy every nuance that the recordings have to offer. Sure, some of the tracks have been included on other releases such as the Grace EPs box, but only three of them, one of which (Lost Highway) is now in better context with its pared-down brethren, were available before, and the chance to own the previously unreleased cuts along with the DVD make the release worth it.
Everyone has made a big to-do about the fact that "Forget Her" was included on the second disc, but what I think are the real worthwhile cuts on the extra material are the Shudder to Think collaboration (which even though it was done extraneously to the sessions for Grace is still a great song that highlights the ever-floating contextual relevance of Jeff's voice against different stylistic backgrounds), and the unaccompanied covers of Nina Simone's "The Other Woman" and Bob Dylan's "Mama, You've Been on my Mind." If for no other reason, these last two covers are worth their salt because of Jeff's interpretation of the songs, which although they don't deviate very drastically from the originals still breathe with the importance of being songs that are important to Jeff, songs that he decided to do off the cuff because he knew them that well, the kind of songs that we don't see on other releases because they were the type of songs that he played for himself. That's what makes the included solo outtakes worth it--Jeff is playing to hear himself play (painfully though hilariously obvious on "Alligator Wine"). A studio is a damned intimidating place to be; you are there strictly because you will create something before you walk out of it. So the fact that in the face of this expectation, even though not holding to the main focus, Jeff softly reads through something like the Nina Simone song, makes the recording worth a listen.
Simply stated, having all the videos on one DVD is great... Now if only the BBC documentary could be packaged by itself for commercial release...
In short, if you like Jeff, this is worth it. For all the controversy surrounding Mary Guibert's handling of his estate, the decisions to license songs to places, etc., this package is definitely worth putting your reservations aside (if you have any) and purchasing.
I've never figured out why there seems to be such a collective thirst for Jeff's material; maybe because there is actually a tangible point where his archives are exhausted? Maybe simply due to the fact that he's deceased? Whatever the case may be, I also look for the answers. In every chord change, in every song that he played in multiple guitar tunings, in every melody, there is this surge... and I think that the reason people have invested their time into fully digesting what Buckley had to offer is because his music is driven purely by emotion, and that's what makes it so striking. It is the fact that there is nothing under the surface with his music that draws us to it again and again. There is nothing under the surface because it's all there out in the open, different parts beauty, anger, melancholy, and joy, all there for people to have. He never said that he wanted people to take anything specific from his music, merely whatever they wanted. This release offers you ample opportunity for that. Enjoy it. You'll be glad.
Free Music Review: Definitely Worth Getting for Original Grace Owners, But...
Hit: 5 Stars
One Small Problem...
The first time I popped in the Legacy Version, I noticed something- "Hallelujah" didn't give me the same spine-tingling sensation that the version on Grace did. The reason? Simply put, the version of "Hallelujah" on the original Grace album had a much better balance, level wise, between Jeff's vocals and guitar playing. If you do a side-by-side comparison, you will find that Jeff's vocals are too harsh and forward on the remastered version of Hallelujah, when compared to the version found on the original Grace CD.
However, all the other tracks on this reissue actually sound BETTER than their previous incarnations.
There's more impact on the drums, deeper bass, more detailed instruments and better separation (listen to the strings on "Last Goodbye"), and Jeff's vocals (his greatest strength) are clearer and higher up in the mix.
The unreleased song, "Forget Her," is definitely the highlight of the second disc. The remainder of the second disc proves to be an interesting listen that demonstrates the versatility of Jeff Buckley as an artist.
The Bonus DVD showcases the music videos, which range from average-well done, and a 25 minute documentary that features interviews with Jeff, Steve Berkowitz, and "behind the scenes" footage. Buckley makes some interesting quotes about the impact of music on his life, that will undoubtedly find their way on an Internet fan site some day. A welcome addition.
My other suggestion for Columbia would have been to include more information in the included booklet- perhaps more commentary on the Grace album as was done with the tracks on the second disc.
Overall, well worth the purchase for Jeff Buckley fans, and any music lover looking to be challenged and inspired. Just remember to extract track 7 ("Hallelujah") onto your hard drive before you give away or sell your original copy of Grace.
UPDATE:
This is in response to S. Johnson's "are you people HIGH?" review. Buddy, I read the same article by Rip Rowan a long time ago so please don't try passing off his arguments as your own (including his examples comparing Rush CDs over the past few decades). Next time quote your source.
Now if you don't feel that the remaster & remix job is any better, all power to you. I actually agree with Rip Rowan's remarks on how music today is geared towards radio-friendly compressed loudness. In fact I think everyone should give the article a good read (just google it).
However, when in comes down to it, I trust my ears over anything else. I've purchased many "24 bit digitally remastered" over the years and end up returning about half of them because they just don't sound as good as the original CD master. I'm anal about music to the point where I'll do A/B tests between remasters and original masters using anything from Alessandro and Beyerdynamic headphones to an Eastern Electric Minimax Tube CDP to a regular car stereo system as a point of reference- before I make a decision on which version to keep. I don't analyze soundwaves for compression or normalization or loudness- I trust whatever sounds better to my ears.
If you prefer something different, that's perfectly fine with me. But if you want to act like a condescending audio-snob and insult everyone who prefers the overall sound of this remaster, that's another story...