A couple of weeks ago I searched our affiliate supplier Amazon for the artwork of GRACE AROUND THE WORLD. In the knowledge that the official release of this GRACE commemoration set was still a couple of weeks away, I was surprised to see that it had already been reviewed. So, I read the very negative article by a punter who had not even see it in the flesh, complained that the package offered nothing new etc. Now while I disagreed in principle with this idiot’s comments, the question remains as to whether this package offers new material and information… Guess what…

Unlike the prized idiot on Amazon, I have seen and heard the whole (luxury) package and found myself engrossed, informed, and at times intensely moved. I make no bones, Jeff Buckley’s work represents the various musical standards by which I judge all music. And after having researched the artist (extensively) and the events that took place for our marathon radio show, I am in possession of the ‘facts.’ But I have had to make assumptions (call it ‘reading between the lines’) about Buckley himself, the kind of person he was; his fears, his joys, his challenges, his character.

So my point of entry to this collection was the documentary film, AMAZING GRACE. Made in 2004, this is the first time the award-winning film has been on (official) ‘general release.’ A couple of small things struck me, like the newspaper headline that referred to Buckley as a ‘folk singer.’ No doubt he would have laughed that one off from on high, and his dad standing next to him would have nudged Jeff in heaven’s cafe and said, “They just can’t get it right can they. I was the fuckin’ folk singer… well sort of.” The positive aspects of the film are numerous. I was particularly intrigued and moved by the experiences of friends and associates. Chris Cornell made the early observation that the media would describe upcoming artists as ‘The next Jeff Buckley’ but he concluded that ‘Jeff always will be the last one, the one and only.’ One aspect which has always interested me was the relationship between record company and artist. Chris Cornell also offered some insights here as he described the need ‘to supply hit songs’ and the resulting conflict between the interests of both parties. During this segment the camera focused on a page in one of the Buckley’s routinely maintained diaries. The notation said something like, ‘I don’t make music for Sony, it’s for people…’ Apparently this aspect seriously bothered Buckley but according to Cornell (a close friend) Jeff had finally come to terms with the situation by the time he stationed himself in Memphis ready to start the recording process in 1997. The film also features several comments from Buckley’s band members who seem to have had an unusually close realtionship to him. Mick Grondahl noted that when he and Michael Tighe arrived at Memphis airport on the tragic night that he was upset that Jeff was not there to meet him (nobody knew what happened in the immediate aftermath outside of his friend Keith Foti, who is also interviewed here). Another piece of new information which struck me was Buckley’s strong desire to be in a band, rather than be a solo act.

Sin-e features heavily in the documentary with several live segments from this historic little venue. A musician friend noted that sometimes Buckley would play unusually long sets which were hard to take on an emotional level. Buckley compared the work to a long-distance runner in explaining this occasional performance characteristic. The documentary also references his unceasing study of a wide range of artists and their music. His mother noted that ‘in the end he made the music his.’ The film also uncovers the reason for the choice of record company. Buckley states that it was purely for emotional reasons, “I saw Bob Dylan’s picture on the office wall… he was smiling, he was beautiful.”

There is a sequence showing him playing a showcase gig in Gleneagles (of all places!), and as I watched Buckley perform, with up and down spotlights transversing his body; with beams of light filtering through wafting stage smoke around him; I wished I had been there to photograph him. What beautiful, amazing images they would have been.

The final sequence shows a close-up of Buckley performing ‘Hallelujah’ and I was stunned and deeply moved by the expressivenes and passion displayed. That image will remain with me and underlines one of the key points made by a couple of friends - the way he opened himself up on stage to his audience. This is a must-have film for anybody and everybody involved in music - of any genre. Hell, there were parts that moved me close to tears…

The second DVD features all the GRACE songs performed live in venues around the world, and in TV broadcasting studios. These have never been officially released before (with teh exception of of one song) and it’s obvious that great care has been taken in selecting the performances. Also included is a 32 minute bonus feature including more live performances and an interview with Merri Cyr conducted in the Spring of 1995 on his tour bus. I don’t possess any other live concert footage to compare this with but found it compelling viewing. It should be remembered that Buckley rarely performed songs the same from gig to gig, and these are previously unreleased clips of very high quality - sonically and visually. Some of the highlights for me are included in the Bonus Feature and in particular his playing of ‘Grace’ (MTV, 120 minutes, New York 15/1/95) which is one of the finest live performances I have ever seen. Then low and behold the full sepia version of Buckley performing for the ‘Hallaelujah’ video, parts of which appeared at the end of AMAZING GRACE, and moved me so much.  

Finally there’s the CD of the songs taken from the live DVD - effectively a live version of GRACE. With the exception of the first track, ‘Grace’ (which is partially flawed sonically), these recordings are of great quality, and definitely worth acquiring. This ‘luxury’ boxed version includes extensive notes, book, poster and various promo paperwork - all with extensive graphics and beautifully presented.

I cannot think of a better, more informative and entertaining way to celebrate this unique artist’s first studio release 15 years ago. And for the price on Amazon, it’s frankly the steal of the century… It leaves me regretting that I never witnessed this amazing and distinctive talent perform live. Ah well, maybe in another life (along with his father)…

5/5