HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Grace – Jeff Buckley
There are a variety of artists and musicians across multiple genres throughout the decades that could have the honour of being called “once in a generation”. While many in the rock world can have that title, the argument could easily be made for 90s alternative rock artist, JEFF BUCKLEY. A talent before his time, his debut record, Grace, has only aged like fine wine the longer it’s been since its release in 1994. Sadly the only record Jeff saw the release for before his tragic passing on 29th May 1997, whilst underperforming when released at the same time as OASIS’ Definitely Maybe, it has since joined the ranks of other acclaimed albums as one of the greatest of all time.
Despite Grace being his debut in 1994, Buckley had been performing and studying music throughout his life, even going to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood for a year when he was 19. The only son of musician TIM BUCKLEY, he actually preferred to distance himself from his father as the elder Buckley left his mother when Jeff was six months old. In the late 80s into the early 90s, Buckley travelled to New York and began writing material that would later join his track list on the debut record, performing them alongside covers in Manhatten’s Sin-é venue. In that time, he also began writing and recording at Bearsville Studios in New York, as well as performing the songs across the US in clubs and coffee houses, in addition to a mini European tour in March of 1994, a few months before the album’s release.
Grace is an eclectic rock album, not only in what songs are included, but also in the finer details, including the structure, theming, and in Buckley’s ethereal and beautiful vocals. There’s a mixture of sounds under the alternative rock umbrella, showcasing the diverse sounds that he wanted to explore in his music and throughout his artistry. Opening with Mojo Pin, the interesting beginning to the album exhibits both the soft and delicate nature of Buckley’s voice, but also how hard and heavy he performs, beautifully coming together to introduce the listener to the album. The title track is just as gorgeous, ethereal within its rock space and explores all aspects of the subgenres it’s influenced by. As the song has previously been used in the UK’s GCSE Music exam, those who studied it will know the complex layers that have gone into it, from the guitar riff to the telephone effect on the vocals. Whilst tragic and mournful in its heartbreaking lyrics, it’s poetic and full of hope as it continues to express the complex emotions after a breakup and remains strong. It’s emotional, raw, and honest, whilst also standing the test of time as human emotions are universal.
With the title track as the album’s first single, released around the same time as the album itself, three more singles were released over the next year: Last Goodbye, So Real, and Eternal Life. Each showcases further sides to Buckley’s creativity and skill within the rock genre, pushing the limits to what can be done musically and lyrically. Whilst Last Goodbye has the typical rock structure, the lyrics that sing as a eulogy resonate with so many people, its tragedy comes across in his emotional vocals that explore his whole range. With So Real, the music is very explorative, even progressive in some points. The contrast of the verses and chorus are evident but match each other beautifully, as if in a surreal but beautiful dream. Eternal Life exemplifies Buckley’s heavy side, showcasing his anger at those who try to control other people and discriminate based on a person’s life or who they are. The grunge and hard rock instrumentation and musicality assist in the song’s strength as the vocals get that anger across brilliantly.
A notable part of the album, surrounding the incredible original songs, are some interesting and unique covers of different songs that might be unexpected on a rock album. The first is a cover of Lilac Wine, inspired by his love of NINA SIMONE, which is soft and soulful with just him and his guitar for the sweet and stripped cover that showed how much Buckley loved this song and respected his peers. Speaking of respecting peers, the next cover, and the most famous song from the album, is LEONARD COHEN’s Hallelujah, probably the second most popular version of the song, after RUFUS WAINWRIGHT’s for the Shrek soundtrack. Buckley delivers so much raw emotion as if turning the song into a heartbreaking anthem of loss and regret, full of sorrow and longing that exemplifies why this version has had the longevity it has had. The final cover is of the BRITTEN version of Corpus Christi Carol, inspired by opera singer, JANET BAKER. Buckley’s take on it is soft and takes a folk interpretation of the song as if a medieval fairytale brought to life by his music. It’s sweet and serene to hear as Buckley’s falsetto voice works fantastically with the lyrics and the song’s direction.
As mentioned earlier, Grace underperformed in sales as it was released around the same time as OASIS’ smash debut, Definitely Maybe, and thus all the attention was on that album as opposed to Buckley’s. However, in the time since the release, many more have regarded the album as one of the greatest of all time. In addition, whilst the album received mixed reviews at the time, many people, including Buckley’s idols Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Bob Dylan all love the record and still hold it to high acclaim to this day. Unfortunately, Buckley passed away on 29th May 1997 due to a drowning accident, thus Grace was the only album he saw to completion. However, thanks to the popularity of his cover of Hallelujah, more and more people have discovered his music and explored this album fully. Whilst it would have been better for Buckley to have seen this success during his lifetime, it’s great to know that he is still beloved 30 years later. A true artist before his time and a notable creative force within 90s alternative rock, Grace will remain a testament to his talent and it’s fantastic to see songs like Lover You Should’ve Come Over and Hallelujah still have that longevity to this day.
Grace was originally released on August 25th, 1994 via Columbia Records.
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