Grace

Aside from the fact it sounds like the soundtrack to every 90s teen drama ever made I absolutely loved it

It’s good, I’m just not into it

This is a surprisingly great album. I thought that 'Hallelujah' would be the gem, but it was certainly 'Last Goodbye' and 'Dream Brother.'

More going on here than I was expecting

Amazing album one of my fav oat 9/10

Despite the now subdued caterwauling, this is an enjoyable record.

Liked 7/11 songs, had some songs I already liked. 3.5/5

Great

Pretty good, and the original Halleljuah on it

good but sad. idk if i could listen again

He's got a great smooth voice, lot of soul and sadness and in it. Standout Track(s): So Real

As a music dork for over 30 years I’ve tried listening to this album several times since it frequently shows up as a ”must listen” but I just can’t get into it. I know he has a great voice but for me, less is more. The music is creative but the vocals are too much for me. It’s the equivalent to pop singers sound endless vocal runs. Yes, you are a good singer but showing off is not a good look.

145. Grace - Jeff Buckley (1994) 7.17.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 3 Emotionality: 4 = 2.8 rounded down up to a 3 "And I couldn't awake from the nightmare that sucked me in and pulled me/ under/ Pulled me under, oh" This is an album that has a certain reputation. A couple actually. For some it's a beautiful and haunting soulful alt rock classic, for others one of the mainstays of "sad boy" music and full of cringeworthy earnestness. I heard this once decades ago and remember falling into the latter camp, but tastes change and I've been surprised at my reaction more than a few times by this list, so as much as I am able, I'll try and set aside the vague memories I have ( I can only recall one song - you know which one) and go in with an open mind. THE TRACKS "Mojo Pin" - Right away the thing that stands out about this is the live to tape production quality. Not sure it it's legit, but they did an awful good job faking it if not. It feels like a very intimate space, and all the atmospheric effects stuff hits pretty well. Buckley's voice is just as good as I remember, as mannered as it gets. The high register, and the jazzy drumming remind me a lot more of Radiohead than I might like to admit. Things end on a bluesier note when the whole thing explodes at the end, and we're left with some more effects that fade us out. "Grace" - This one makes feel like Coldplay must have ripped it off. I'm not familiar with enough of their music to pin it down though. There's a rushed, purposefully heavy feel to this that contrasts well enough with the moments where this gets loud. The guitar arpeggios are the best thing about this, but it's very easy to see how this sound might have been more influential than I previously thought. Buckley seems to be painting with a very impressionistic brush. More so than I expected from anything labelled as "singer songwriter alt rock" from this period anyway, "Last Goodbye" - This sounds like much more of what I expected. Kind of like if Thom Yorke had collaborated with the Goo Goo Dolls. Buckley seems to be taking some influence with his inflection at least from Robert Plant here a bit. There's a much more radio friendly version of this buried underneath all the endless bending of syllables and the over ornamentation of these vocal runs is already proving a bit trying for me. "Lilac Wine" - Damn. That's a swing, taking on a song that Nina Simone owns on the popular imagination. His voice is fine enough, but what really rankles me here is the arrangement, which is equal parts sappy and boringly predictable, which is interesting given all the artsier touches we've already seen on here. For a much better sub-Simone take on this, check out this version by Depeche Mode's own Dave Gahan and the Soulsavers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDs9XKPl04I , which manages to feel traditional but lacks the chintziness of this version. "So Real" - This works vastly better than anything else we've seen so far. A genuinely catchy and memorable core melody, with a great slightly menacing build towards a pretty soaring chorus that doesn't over do it. Another instance where I can easily imagine both Thom Yorke and Christ Martin's ears perking up. "Hallelujah" - And here's the one anyone has heard if they've heard anything off this album. As overplayed of a "this means SOMETHING!" moment that it was used to score way too many maudlin 2000s tv and film scenes, the song itself is pretty objectively well done. I like the simple guitar work especially. And it's not nearly as overbaked vocally as it was in my mind. Removed from any of those ill-thought out media appropriations, I didn't get any of the cringe I expected, and Buckley even manages to end on a tasteful note even with the showy sustain, as he cuts it off just before it becomes painful. All that said, this still ranks in the middle of the pack of the many other notable versions of the song for me, with the John Cale one grabbing the brass ring. Sorry Leonard. - John Cale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DinEKqtCDkg - Willie Nelson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GikuXfHwXXc - k.d. lang - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTOslDiMd4E - Rufus Wainright - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR0DKOGco_o - Leonard Cohen - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtVn2bqU6B8 - Brandi Carlile - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1sFYdwlXtI "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - Loved the harmonium opening of this, and there are some other bits I like - especially the tremolo guitar leading up into the bridge, but on the whole this feels like a bit of sanitized soul music, with gospel aspirations that it can't quite fulfill. "Corpus Christi Carol" - Yikes. No notes on the voice control, but save that shit for special moments, dude. A whole song made up of the exact bits I hated most on all the other songs. "Eternal Life" - The only real rocker on the whole album I think, pushing "So Real" out of that spot with its heavier, bass driven sound. This was not unlike some Collective Soul stuff, but maybe a bit more frayed around the edges. Solid. "Dream Brother" - Things end with this pseudo raga rock intro'd number that had major Radiohead vibes to me. Later Radiohead though I think. This had loads of atmosphere and led down dozens of interesting little musical cul de sacs. Man... a whole album of this would have been great. HIGHLIGHTS - "Mojo Pin" - "So Real" - "Hallelujah" - "Dream Brother" MIDLIGHTS - "Grace" - "Last Goodbye" - "Lover, You Should've Come Over" - "Eternal Life" LOWLIGHTS - "Lilac Wine" - "Corpus Christi Carol" FINAL THOUGHTS While I can't say I actively enjoyed much of this, I can't claim that there's a lack of vision and craft on this that makes it hard to understand why people do legit love it. It sounds just slightly ahead of its time, and seems to have especially influenced Coldplay and by proxy, all their imitators. And maybe even Radiohead a bit. There were standout moments throughout, but even the highlights were not especially in my wheelhouse. I just didn't hate it like I expected I guess is my big takeaway. Solid stuff, but not really for me. My biggest criticism would be that Buckley seems to understand that his voice is the main draw, and so a lot of otherwise intermittently interesting instrumental stuff takes a backseat to his often cloying instincts to over do things vocally. Sad they we never got to hear what his musical evolution would have been like, but the hints on this album make me think it would have been interesting at the very least. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Highlights only please FURTHER LISTENING - Pink Moon by Nick Drake - The Bends by Radiohead - Parachutes by Coldplay - Imposter by Dave Gahan and Soulsaver

Jeff Buckley described himself in his own press bio as "the warped lovechild of Nina Simone and all four members of Led Zeppelin, with the fertilized egg transplanted into the womb of Edith Piaf." This is either the most accurate self description in music history or the most exhausting one, depending on your tolerance for that kind of energy. Buckley had a four octave range, could play guitar like Jimmy Page on a good day, and sang with the kind of emotional intensity that makes other singers quietly reconsider their career choices. He was also, by all accounts, chronically scattered, constitutionally unable to focus, and in constant need of someone pointing him toward the next decision. His producer described him as among the most talented musicians he had ever worked with, immediately followed by the word "but," which is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Grace peaked at number 149 on the Billboard 200 in 1994, sold roughly 175,000 copies in Buckley's lifetime, and was not certified Platinum in the United States until 2016, nineteen years after its author waded fully clothed into a Mississippi tributary singing Led Zeppelin to his road manager on the bank and drowned at thirty years old. David Bowie called it the one album he would take to a desert island. Bob Dylan named Buckley one of the great songwriters of the decade. Jimmy Page called it close to his favourite album of the decade. Robert Christgau of the Village Voice gave it a C and suggested the force of hype would blow Buckley all the way to Uranus. Nobody agreed on anything, which is usually a sign that something real was happening. The album is front loaded in a way that rewards the first three tracks and tests your patience with the rest. Mojo Pin, Grace, and Last Goodbye arrive like a punch, a slow burn, and a heartbreak in sequence. Then the album spends its remaining runtime being interesting rather than immediate, which is the honest critical distinction between a 3 and a 4 for someone who needs both great lyrics and a great musical arrangement to fully commit. The album also contains a cover of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, delivered by a man with the voice of an actual angel, which is the most complicated listening experience available to me personally cause I don't really like Cohen's music at all. The song is genuinely extraordinary. The ghost of a man I find musically intolerable is visible in every chord change. This is not Buckley's fault. He recorded over twenty takes to get it right, insisted on including it over Columbia's objections, and was proven spectacularly correct when it became the song that introduced him to an entire generation of new listeners after his death. None of that changes the fact that Leonard Cohen is in there somewhere, looking smug. 3 out of 5. One star for the first three tracks, which deserve their own separate rating. One for the voice, which belonged in a different universe from the rest of us. One for Buckley not listening to the record execs and doing what he wanted. The fourth star is on a desert island with David Bowie, who apparently had better taste and more patience than I do.

Fairly high voice, blend of folky and kindapop rock

too many songs of I need therapy bin grad nicht in der Stimmung =) - Kirchensongs gekippt - warum war ich damals "happy" während ich LYSHCO & forget her gehört hab lol

Its so beautiful. Really like the guitars here. So real felt like a radiohead song. Also had no idea he did his version of hallelujah wtf. His voice is insane. Its just a bit of a sad album. I like the mix of melancholic christian and intense rock and roll. My fav song was probably lover u should have come over. It didn't change my life though

I had know Jeff Buckley only as the "Hallelujah Guy", but listening to "Grace" I was surprised it had lot of alternative rock influences. 2.5

Not really my thing, wasn't particularly memorable either but it was pleasant enough to listen to.

I think I knew I was going to dislike this album. I can totally appreciate its appeal and the unique skill involved in making it and also its influence on artists that followed, but I don't like it so I'll give it a neutral 3.

81/100

Nada de otro mundo

Me gusto pero no mucho

bof un peu mou

This is the only album he made before dying... It came out in 1994... Is it Ready to Die all over again? No, it's not, because it's not a rap album. Instead, it sounds incredibly reminiscent of early Radiohead, but worse. Yes, Buckley is a good singer, but these songs are not that good. The guitar playing is alright, but I find these songs rather boring. Many of the songs run on way longer than they should, attempting to interest the listener with dramatic swells but not quite managing it. So, basically, this is a mediocre album that became insanely overrated because the artist died after its release. Yes, Hallelujah is great, but to me that says more about Leonard Cohen's greatness as a folk songwriter than it does about Buckley. Most of the rest of the album is mediocre alt-rock that is glazed to an insane degree by music people. I want this album to be good, but it consistently disappoints me.

He's talented, he has a great voice, it's just his songs are so forgettable. Like if Thom Yorke was in Coldplay, but without memorable songs. I can't recall any hooks or riffs or motifs. Nothing. I just know they sounded nice enough while they were playing.

this album had a chokehold on me in highschool

Solid album here. Never heard of Jeff Buckley, but there were some undertones of Robert Plant/Led Zeppelin in his music.

Sorry, dawg, but I liked your Dad's music better. Another album perpetually recommended to me by my algorithms. I've listened to it a handful of times (but not recently) and it's got some nice highlights, but if Jeff didn't die a tragic death, would it have the reputation that it does? I think not!

MOJO PIN - i love the guitar background but what is a mojo pin GRACE - the bridge and his voice are beautiful, feels more modern LAST GOODBYE - feels like springtime and cherry blossoms, i love the line "kiss me out of desire, not out of consolation" LILAC WINE - quieter then other songs so far, feels older SO REAL - more rocky than other songs, punky HALLUJAH - more intimate (both in speech and in literal) - the contrast btwn piety and sex is interesting LOVER, YOU SHOULD HAVE COME OVER - already listened to CORPUS CHRISTI CAROL - holy vocal ability, i love the "ye olden lyrics" ETERNAL LIFE - so real esclated into super crazy, feels like an oppenent to hallujah in meaning DREAM BROTHER - feels like a spooky nightmare FORGET HER - good summary of the album

I was really into this one when it was released. I got tired of the vocal gymnastics after a lot of listens. It's still a great album but I don't care if I ever hear it again.

1 so real

It was fine

Not as good as I was hoping.

Emo dad album. Bridges are great. Really nice impact moments and gradual buildups. the breakdown in so real is awesome. This has the "it's never over song". Really beautiful in context. Great album about heart break and living after a really tough breakup. Really captures all of the emotions you go through. Forget her is amazing. Started off not liking this one but really got into it around the middle. Pretty solid and great overall listen. By the end I didn't want it to be over.

There are 2 beautiful songs on this album, but I don't like it as much as it is (belatedly) critically acclaimed. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #147 Best Songs Lilac Wine Hallelujah

I'm well aware of this album, and know a few of the tracks. I don't really enjoy the tracks I do know. Otherwise, I've never listened to this album start-to-finish. Here's the thing... Jeff Buckley is obviously an incredibly gifted singer. But sometimes when you reach a certain skill level as a musician, you attempt these insanely difficult things, and it's admirable on that level, but that doesn't necessarily mean it sounds good. Every time I think that a given song is going along just fine, he attempts one of those nearly impossible feats that just doesn't sound good. This album would be much better if Jeff Buckley held back a little more.

Bought this one when it came out, but haven't listened to it in at least a decade. Some bits I like (Eternal Life) the rest I can take or leave.

It’s good, but uber overrated. I haven’t listened to this album since the breakup. That certainly tainted my experience. I would give it 3.5 stars, so we’ll go for 3 instead. He is better than his dad though.

not sure if it lived up to the mythology and hype...

I've always liked the track, 'Grace', which IMO turns out to be the standout track on the album. A shame really, I was looking forward to hearing the deepcuts, but it turns out to be mostly pretentious dinner party music. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (5/10) Total reviewed : 342 Already owned : 77 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 246

Anytime this decides to be a rock album, I’m very on board. The snoozy lounge stuff ain’t it, but the writing was at least mildly interesting. I’m tempted to give it a three because I really liked that “Eternal Life” song. RIP

Shame that Hallelujah brings the album down.

Such a curious album. Tonally experimental at times. "Last Goodbye" was a highlight. I skipped right over the too-played "Hallelujah". The beginning instrumentals of "Lover, You Should've Come Over" were fantastic, and I really enjoyed the relaxed (melancholic?) vibes of the rest of the song.

неплохая гитара, приятный голос

Kinda christian rock. Famous songs though like Hallelujah. Not terrible.

honestly landed closer to the Lenny Kravitz album than i'd like to admit

This is an album I’ve listened to plenty of times but never really got. He’s got a great voice but it’s a lacking in restraint for me. Great guitar playing although production is a little murky throughout. Maybe one day it’ll click like it does for so many other people

Too much fluff, but Hallelujah is an amazing, all timer version

I was bored for a lot of this album. Hallelujah obviously slaps but considering it's a cover it's not adding a star for me. Lover, You Should've Come Over was pretty solid but overall this album wasn't really doing it for me.

This was interesting but not enough for me to ever listen again

Another instance where I completely missed out on something being in Germany, not having MTV, etc. I didn’t hear this until 2000, 2 years after his untimely death. I remember seeing the cover around a bit and thinking he was doing some rockabilly schtick maybe? Ultimately Buckley is at his best interpreting other’s material or working with a cowriter, but that can’t take away from the first side here, one of the best of this or any decade. We played Sin-é and you can bet Mojo Pin was on my mind! Just an incredible piece of music and a performance to match (his; ours was OK). All that said, I rarely have any interest in listening to Grace. Just completely burned out on it and then of course the Cohen cover became inescapable, a kind of ubiquity afforded very few (even if his interpretation is a bit of a misread).

Неплохо, но не мое. Хотя две-три песни прикольные.

Another re-listen, but it’s been so long and I think I’d only listened to it once before so I went into this listen with little memory of it. And I think the reason I haven’t given this more of a chance over the year is I find Buckley’s vocals overdramatic for my taste. I feel a little disrespectful admitting that, and I wonder if repeated listens would reveal more and more for me to appreciate. Standout moment: Lover, You Should’ve Come Over. I love the gradual build and the use of harmonium/organ.

There are only so many words in the English language to describe how this sounds. I think the one word I would choose would be ethereal. Jeff Buckley had a unique voice, not a great voice, but he put his heart and soul into his music. The guitar is a beautiful bonus. While I wouldn’t choose to listen to this album, it absolutely belongs on the list and I appreciate the opportunity to listen to it. Many people have said that Buckley’s version of Hallelujah is the best. I respectfully disagree, I prefer the original by Leonard Cohen. Each version brings something different, and both are worthy. 3.5 stars

Don’t listen to the internet the best song on here is clearly eternal life

Timeless sound. Father of indie rock? Love the composition of the upbeat stuff. Loses me in the second half of the album

Okay,

it is okayish for me

I need to return to this one on another day. I could really like this if I listen to it when the time is right.

Nice

I hear the influence on Muse and Radiohead

Between this and Tori Amos something was going on with middlebrow listeners in the 90s being drawn to overly elaborate and unfocused singer-songwriter melodies. Buckley’s talent is undeniable especially on tracks like Last Goodbye and Hallelujah but the songs have a habit of languishing beneath the altitudinal, theramin-like quivering of his vocal stylings. Yeah, I get it, Thom Yorke aped the style. But he had Johnny Greenwood’s melodic backbone.

I can hear the appeal for some, but his vocal style doesn’t do it for me. Music is good but something about the production is off for me. Obviously, he was talented and it’s a matter of musical taste thing for me. His “Hallelujah” is now the standard. I think it works best when Buckley kept it simple. The keep it simple” on either music or vocal style works whereas histrionic vocal plus the music being florid in same songs is coming off as a bit much. So, “Corpus Christi Carol” is lovely and “Lover, You’ve Should Have Come Over” works. “Eternal Life” is a straightforward rocker.

So I'm not a fan of his vocal range, and that's just a personal opinion. Some of the songwriting hits hard, some of it doesn't. After a single listen, my favorite track was Lilac Wine, and as far as that individual song goes, Nina Simone gave it a spin that makes the track turn on its head. None of this is really inspiring a second listen. What I really see is potential. If it hadn't been for his unfortunate death, I'm sure he would've made a more obviously outstanding project, it's just a matter of keeping that artsy head on straight. I gave it a second listen on some quality earbuds and, the arrangements and musical skill are absolutely beautiful on this album. I guess I'd buy it if I saw the record, because I understand this is gonna sound as good as the system it's played on. Not something I'll be adding to any playlists any time soon. Good for an occasional listen with appreciative ears. 3.3/5

I had his wee dad yesterday! Now Jeff today! (Who wouldn't gladly have both, you know what I'm sayinnnnnn) Hmm interesting. Thought I would enjoy this more than I did really. Was at its best with Lilac Wine and Hallelujah, and I wonder if that's because I already knew them, and they were more stripped back instrumentally. The more radioheadish parts of this aren't my jam. Hoyever, it's gonna get a pass because he's got a good voice.

obvi great but idk why i avoid this album at all costs... weirdly unrelatable genre?

Hallelujah cover saves this album

Big shout out to stepping on a crack and breaking your mother's back! He's got a great voice.

Crazy voice on this guy huh

This is an album I want to like more than I actually like it. Hallelujah is great, of course, but there's something lacking here. Maybe the vocals? I don't know. But in aggregate, it feels like a cross between yacht rock and grunge, and thats a fusion I can mostly do without.

Is he smoldering? Is he sulking? I've been trying to figure that out for awhile now. He has an objectively good voice, has a pretty unique formula, and interesting song structures. And yet, I don't feel it in my loins with the exception of the obvious choices. However, I would not begrudge anyone who said they were moved with the spirit. What a completely brilliant cover. It's almost always a good choice to cover Leonard Cohen since he rarely maxxxed his undeniably great songs, but this is inspired and revealed the song in its full glory. Nearly a 4 on the strength of that one.

I thought this was interesting, varied, and at times powerful, but something about it -- maybe Buckley's voice -- didn't fully work for me.

3/5 - To this album's credit, I can imagine someone picking this up today and saying "this is my jam." While that person is not me, this is mostly alright if not way overwrought at times. This version of Hallelujah is of course a timeless classic.

Me gusto pero sin mas

An interesting mix; the opening track could easily have been a lost Led Zeppelin song, and you can hear the passion in his guitar and voice. The songs themselves aren't particularly memorable for me, but the performances were brilliant. I wish we could have heard more of his work.

First one in this journey

Weird…I just had Tim Buckley yesterday. Different musics but the same ratings

Quantos Hallelujah vamos ouvir nessa jornada? Huehuehue. Mais um álbum SO;NU (Som Ok, Nada UOU!). Tinha música com muito número, esperava algum hit que já tivesse ouvido, mas não foi nada demais. Não tem nada do estilo musical, dos instrumentos, da voz que eu consiga pensar em um comentário. Vai o 3 de sempre.

Do we actually need another cover of Hallelujah? I guess we do. I was very hopeful on this selection because of the high ratings this album seems to enjoy. For me this album is uneven - some of the songs I liked and others I didn't. I guess I would do a solid 2.5 stars and round up because I'm influenced by the crowd.

Overrated, or just not my cup of tea. Anyway i wished the journey started better.

as a complete body of work this one didn't exactly light me up but i respect the whole thing happening here

(Album 4 of 1089) Jeff Buckley has a great voice, but this album didn't quite click with me. It was a good listen and was clearly well made, I just never felt a huge pull to keep listening to it. I've heard about how Buckley and this album inspired Thom Yorke, so it's nice to have finally listened to it. Hopefully this one grows on me.

Emotional roller. The different instruments give it a unique feel on the ears. His voice is incredible. You can hear him on every inch of this. Deeply talented man. Also, quite the yearner. It kinda droned on in the end unfortunately... a lil too much whine for me. But some incredible tracks like Mojo pin, Grace and that Hallelujah.

I enjoyed this one. 90s to the core and sounds a lot like Muse vocally. This has to be where they got most of their vocal inspiration. Jeff Buckley’s vocal range is great and the instrumentation is good. Some of the vocal lines are a bit hokey but I’ll give a break — 90s. 3.5/5.0

I’m not a big fan of Jeff Buckley’s voice but I did enjoy the music quite a bit. To me, his vocal power is lacking as he sounded shaky several times during the listen. Hallelujah, however, was a fantastic addition to this compilation powered by heavy emotion, strong lyrics, and simple guitar chords. Overall I enjoyed this.

Undeniably talented as a musician and a lyricist, but Buckley’s music suffers from indulgence. I speculate that it’s the result of playing solo for all those years and needing to be ‘everything’ while answering to no one. His talent shows through but he could have used folks to reign him in and keep him in check.

This album is a bit like a good hazy IPA. Many out there are just juice, thick juice. Those are the radioheads of the world. Good hazy IPAs have a touch of that hoppy bite you get from a more traditional IPA. It stays true to the core style while giving you something different. That's what Jeff Buckley gives us on this album. His music at its core is rock, he adds an ethereal moody feel over that to create his sound without losing that rock feel. This album gives far more than I expected, enjoyed it quite a bit.

Overrated. Succeeds most when it kinda sounds like Led Zeppelin like in "Dream Brother."

Was digging his soulful howling over some tasty guitar and then Hallelujah started and that’s just one of my least favorite songs no matter who’s performing it so that knocked off a star

Never really understood this album. Kind of whiny and long. But he has great vocals, can't deny that. Rating: 4.5/10 Favorite Song: Lover You Should Come Over

Talented singer and band - I don't love the material. It would have been interesting to see how he developed as a songwriter.

Heresy in my household to say this, but I mostly just don't get it. One or two tracks hit a wailing sweet spot, but I continue to find him not compelling.

His story is tragic and all, but these songs just don't do it for me.

Pretty good, pop rock ish but also radioheadish 3

Rather good

Bangers. A little too much whining at times; need to adapt volume throughout

I’ll tell you what this album was definitely graceful. I loved his rendition of Hallelujah.

A great surprise. Buckley’s voice is superb and the songs are varied and interesting. A solid cohesive album.

Very decent

Im going through the worst breakup oml :| sounds okay overall but wouldn’t listen casually

2.5

first impression on album cover alone: old and grungy so prolly wont like it mojo pin: ok better than i thought he got a good voice. slower than what i normally go for. grace: ok this shit goes hard kinda??? not too bad ngl. ok jk he going way too hard at the end LMAO last goodbye: ok so for some reason i typed last wednesday which idk what that means about me but ANYWHO mid and slow and exactly what i expected from the album cover lilac wine: sounds like something from hadestown. kinda good? jk im falling asleep so real: ok kinda sunday morning vibes? ok no i hate when the guitar does that its not ideal hallelujah: BEAUTIFUL 10/10 lover, you should come over: omg this is the tiktok song i love that its good corpus christi carol: ok opera! eternal life: ok i dont like rock no THANK YOU! dream brother: didnt listen and cant be bothered to forget her: same

As in love with his own voice as anyone I've ever heard; it's a great voice though. There are better covers of Hallelujah (and the original is pretty fuckin' good too). Nobody's touching Nina Simone's Lilac Wine. Corpus Christi Carol? Shrug. Lover, You Should've Come Over is easily the best thing here, but overall I very much prefer the rock tracks to the non. Other than that I still see this as a strong debut album that punches way over its weight on influence. Betcha he was pretty great live, and I suspect given the chance he would have put out albums much better than this.

eg

Mojo pin - 2/5 Grace - 2/5 Last goodbye - 3/5 Lilac wine - 1/5 So real - 3/5 Hallelujah - 5/5 Lover you should've come over - 4/5 Corpus Christi carol - 1/5 Eternal life - 4/5 Dream brother - 3/5 Forget her - 3/5

I love Buckley’s rendition of Hallelujah, but can’t say the album spoke to me much as a whole. It was pretty.

no se si es por mi mood de hoy o si le tenía las expectativas demasiado altas, pero no me voló la cabeza de la manera que pense que lo haría. Buenos temas tho, había un par que conocía pero no sabía que eran de él.

But it gets old

Always a pleasure Mr Buckley, consistently making a guitar sing and being a little bit religious about his melodic choices for vocals - Nina Simone/Pakistani worship music type beat. So sad so much of the time. The really famous ones are really famous for a reason. Ironically one of my least favourite songs is the title track… something to think about

No me mato

Buen álbum, pero necesito escucharlo mas veces para que me gusten las canciones (excepto la que ya conozco y me gusta obvio)

His version of Hallelujah arguably the best - rest of album ok - particularly liked the last track Forget Her

Another name that I've known but never paid attention to. I enjoyed the record. Jeff has a great voice and singing technique, and the music matched perfectly.

Hallelujah is obviously the entry point, and I almost kind of dreaded hearing it because it’s so dramatic. Honestly, its good. The fact that it’s so overplayed doesn’t change that. I was still glad it was over once it finished though so I could properly enjoy the rest of the album. And once it was over, I loosened up and did enjoy it more. Rocked more than I expected.

Nothing extraordinary one way or the other.

I’ve listened to this album a few times from start to finish because it is so loved. I recognize the talent, but it is not my cup of tea.

Very nice album so good

Played a few times. Didn’t quite get that classic album feel but still really enjoyed it. A few stand out tracks but an a good all rounder

This album wasn't very memorable to me other than Hallelujah which is just such a classic.

it was nice :)

ai gente bem ok né a q eu mais gostei foi so real eu acho sla caguei pra esse homem tb

Interesting

Nice album. Pretty chilled out and laid back. Good background sound not terribly far up my street

Jeff Buckley has always struck me as a musician's musician -- one of those artists that so many of my favorites love -- who just has no particular appeal for me. Listening to the entire album hasn't dispelled thst notion. The consensus is that Jeff's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is the best one out there, but I still prefer Rufus Wainwright's.

love his voice, but the dramatic mood swings within and between songs make Grace hard for me to settle into.

Jeff buckley has am amazing voice and a few of his songs are great. But his stile of music and voice i will admit there are outher singers that just do it better.

Very melodramatic and all that. He really puts his emotions in his voice. Lover, You Should've Come Over and Forget Her were my favorites and the first few songs were pretty good too. 6.6/10

Good album.

This album was fine... sort of middle of the road for me. With the 3rd best version of Hallelujah in my opinion.

Album No. 0178 on my list. “Grace” by Jeff Buckley has a very good reputation online, so I had always wanted to listen to it. But for some reason, I never managed to do that, so except for that one song that everybody knows through a gazillion covers (“Hallelujah”), the whole album was fully new to me. I was curious whether it would live up to its reputation. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. “Grace” is not a bad album, and it certainly deserves its spot on the 1001 album list. Yet, I didn’t find it as good as I had hoped. I can’t really pinpoint what exactly the issue is, but most songs didn’t really have that big of an impact to be honest. The album certainly has some qualities (a high consistency coupled with a high variability between the songs for example), but still, the individual pieces just didn’t to it for me. I will add “Grace”, “Hallelujah”, and “Forget Her” to my playlist. Maybe I should listen to this again a few times, maybe it’s one of these albums that grow on you (like many of my all time favorites actually did). Maybe I’ll change my rating afterwards. But for now, it’s not better than “just” solid. 3/5 stars.

Album bem interessante. Jeff Buckley de fato tem uma voz única, chegando a arrancar arrepios quando canta a música Grace. Bom álbum Nota: 3.5/5

3/5

hallelujah is always fire this was solid, a bitttt melodramatic for me but overall fun and p good 3.5ish

A little more inventive than its contemporaries, and it all had a nice sound, but there weren't really any songs that left a huge impression on me

Proggier songwriting than I expected. Generally I like the more straightforward blues / grunge tracks (particularly Eternal Life and Dream Brother, and Forget Her has very nice instrumentation). I find the vocal flourishes a little overwrought.

Ok

This album really had an outsized influence on various people in my orbit at the time that it came out and for years afterwards. I was kind of vicariously into it as well but don't recall hearing this whole album all that much. Incredibly talented dude, and several of his songs are absolute classics. All in all though, my appetite for anxiety-inducing music is way lower in middle-age than it was in my late teens / early 20s.

Not terrible. I love Hallelujah but everything else was OK.

Oh, another artist much beloved of music journalists owing to his unfortunate death far too young. I played this album three times (and a bit), and I can hear why the critics and public loved this record. For me, I found it a mixed bag. a good album, but not a great game-changer of an album (but how many debut albums are like that?). No something that'll feature in listening going forward.

Hai partes que me gustan moito de sempre, outras que nada, algunhas que me gustan de novo e tamen unhas ás que non lle vexo o atractivo que anos atrás si. Sempre tiven unha relación complicada con este álbum, sen acabar de entrar de todo nel, mais tampouco rexeitándoo por completo. Supoño que por iso acaba condenado ao eterno setecomacinquismo. (C) Mondo Sonoro 2026 (#77 dos 1.001 discos que escoitar antes de morrer: 3,5/5)

Me cuesta entrar en este disco. Siento que tu padre te abandonara, Jeff, pero era mucho mejor.

Bueno

3.75 ma non proprio 4 quindi 3. Suona bene ma non mi ha mosso il cuore. Bella Hallelujah

First Listen; 3.5; Really loved the sound of this album in addition to the melodies and music itself. Very dynamic range with the instruments that draws you in. The guitars have a glassy sound without sounding cheesy or overdone. Really enjoyed the grungy, more chaotic sounding parts, and it was a little slow for me in parts. Still enjoyable on the slower tracks but not something that sets it apart. Favorite Track: Mojo Pin

geloof graag dat dit een big deal was toen t uitkwam maar is beetje basic nu tbh...

pretty good. iv've listen to it once before

its got some good stuff on it but I cant say it had a profound impact on me

Me gusta porque tiene un aire melodramático. Lo escuché caminando por la playa de noche. Es un álbum para imaginar escenarios ficticios.

Amazing singer but I didn't really connect with most songs. 7.1/10

Me parece un disco interesante, tiene ese sonido alternativo de los 90s que le da un excelente toque. Tiene algunas canciones un poco más experimentales que son interesantes, aunque las que más me gustaron son las que tienen un sonido más pulido, como Grace o Last Goodbye.

Occasionally raucous and initially a little overwhelming and off putting. The album settled into a tone more akin to Hallelujah, this recording of which remains my favourite version. Overall a rockier feel than expected.

Great album top to bottom.

Some highs but a few misses

and the crazy thing is he still cheated

Great album and I recognize it's greatness but it's not my personal jam

Very talented!!! But not sure my style. 3.5

A couple of bangers, but overall not 100% my style. 3.5

I tried many times but still don't really like this man's music. If he wasn't the son of a famous musician he wouldn't have had this record deal and if he hadn't died young, no one would have bought this album. To me, this sounds a lot like a million other mediocre albums by mid '90s artists who haven't really figured out what they are all about yet. 3⭐️

no sabia que iba a escuchar hallelujah en el medio la verdad, me sorprendi ah

Fin ofte rolig instrumental, litt akustisk Radiohead stil, med rolig noen ganger også plutselig ampa opp Bro synger fint Mange av sangene er med treig rolig synging, de som ikke er det pleier å være grove.

Meh. Not really my thing.

I very unique sounding album, with some excellent songs.

album interessantinho, talvez um pouco católico demais? esse cover de Hallelujah ou original não me apetece vocais muito bons, jeff tem um groove e voz bem únicos música fav: forget her

Mid

another 90s one i've not listened to in a while. buckley is a very talented singer and guitarist. i wish we had the chance to hear him once he had developed his own voice and sound. so much of _Grace_ sounds like led zeppelin. he would have found his voice, eventually.

Distinctive, though overrated. Not for me really. Already had "So real" in the playlist.

This is an album I've seen on best-of lists my entire life but never sat down and really gave it a chance. I found it difficult to evaluate because of all the mythos surrounding it and, ultimately, had mixed feelings. I found it mostly enjoyable (I especially love his performance of Lilac Wine), but it didn't stick with me in any ultra-powerful way. I can see how this directly influenced Radiohead; I'm surprised there isn't more discourse about how this influenced late 90s / early 00s emo, because it really rings the same bell. If Buckley had kept making records, he could have gone on to have a long critically-acclaimed pop career -- I could see him having occupied a similar place as Beck, for instance. Or, he could have washed away as an of-a-moment 90s adult contemporary guy, like Counting Crows or the Goo Goo Dolls. Maybe if I heard this album at the right time and place in my life it would feel "perfect," but hearing it here and now it feels "pretty good."

Good 3. Very cool!

оч красивое звучание гитары в альбоме

This is good sophisticated music and quality of the record is great. I can feel how much effort was put in it. However, it slow and boring in my opinion. There are not enough “hooks” to make me want to listen to it again. Jeff Buckley obviously was very talented musician, but this is just not my type of music

Está guay, y está la mítica de este artista.

I had no idea this album or artist existed until now, and I was worried listening to early tracks,as i’m not a fan of very melodramatic, sad music. However,I was pleasantly surprised by the vocal range, and range of sounds in this album. The instrumentation is really good, especially the guitars, and his singing is at times very impressive. That being said, this isn’t my personal preference for sound, and despite being able to appreciate what is here, I doubt I will be returning in future beyond a few songs.

I don't know. I woke up on eternal life for a while.

Sonaba bien en general

A totally average album.

3/5

So.e decent writing and a few good tracks on here, but mostly it's just inoffensive.

Much too tortured for me for today. My opinion might improve on a relisten. I added his cover of “Hallelujah” to my playlist.

Pek benim tarzım değil. Bazı şarkılardaki ritmi sevmedim çok düz ilerliyorlardı ve bir şey hissettirmedi. Hallelujah iyiydi. Açıp dinlemeyeceğim bir albüm.

p good, added a couple songs to the rotation

3 out of 5 Back in 1994, I would have definitely made fun of someone for listening to Jeff Buckley. I now understand it was wrong to make fun of someone for liking different music. I also now understand Jeff Buckley is pretty fucking good! Very chill and mellow, but a nice undertone of rock and roll. This was great as background music while working. I turned up the volume for a few songs. This was fun.

His voice is remarkable, but to me this album is more about potential than full realization.

Not my style but a few popular songs

Felt wholly original. Not sure if I’ll be coming back to the well on this one but glad I listened to it

I found the whole less than the sun of its parts on this one. I really like his voice and the guitar but the songs didnt slap fir me

No soy tan fan del estilo

what's the big deal don't get/

Most unpopular musical opinion I hold is that the original Leonard Cohen version of Hallelujah is the best. That said, Jeff brings something special to it. It's the standout track on the album. I found the rest pleasant enough, but his falsetto does annoy me - sometimes he sounds like he's doing a Tiny Tim parody.

Pretty good. Eclectic.

Einige gute Ansätze, wenig Konkretes, das hängen bleibt.

Sehr guter überraschender Start, danach flacht es langsam ab. Das "Hallelujah" Cover ist sehr schön, wirkt auf dem Album allerdings auch etwas fehlplatziert im Flow.

Clear talent but some songs felt so personal they were uncomfortable to listen to. As if Jeff recorded it for one person in particular, and I was intruding by hearing it myself.

Challenging listening with the vocals and guitar all over the place - unquestionably talented but also maybe lacking in cohesive vision

Nice well produced songs that are occasionally derivative and fall into the "tortured soul pouring immortal longings" category. May listen to it again in the future but no real highlights.

damn, that man is horny. 3,5/5 + Eternal Life shocked me + Some Songs i really really like - First listen I disliked it until So Real, then it got good - Most of the album i Just don't Care for Fav: So Real, Hallelujah, Lover You Should've Come Over, Eternal Life, Forget Her Least Fav: Corpus Christi Carol, Dreams Brother, Grace, Last Goodbye

Heartbreaking

Very long songs, very rock and roll

It was alright, nothing that really stood out, a couple nice songs but overall rather memorable necessarily that makes me want to listen again

A very good album, but I just don't really understand what it tries to be. That is probably on me, but it scores an average rating for now. 3/5

Kind of a combo of The Cure and U2. I didn't hate it. Some songs I would listen yo on yhe radio while others I would change yhe station. I would not purchase anything but might shazam. Rate as a 3.

I know it's considered a classic, I like don't love

Interesting album. At the start I wondered whether I was still listening to Radiohead but I enjoyed the twists and turns as the album evolved

Amazing voice, melancholic instrumentals

I wanna give it a higher rating, I really do. "Hallelujah" is just so fantastic, and it jump-started a reevaluation of that song and Leonard Cohen overall. But I didn't find any other songs to be even close to as good. The earlier songs almost got there, but the more electric songs at the end really turned me off. I will definitely do a re-listen and will share as a way to come back and revise my rating if I am currently wrong

Good album. Saved a track. Hallelujah threw me off

Creo que los inicios de las canciones son muy buenos pero a medida que avanzan las cancio es pierden un poco su camino principal, aunque se recupera esa armonía en las últimas canciones cuando se crean mezclas mejor pensadas y sin tantos cambios abruptos

Lover Come Over in my opinion, and generally accepted as the best song in this album. I personally find the rest of the album underwhelming.

Hallelujah.... evening backing music

Dark and moody with sultry vocals. A little dreary for my taste, but pretty solid

Not my favorite.

7.8

Lots going on Sometimes very larger than life feel. Hallelujah Made me Google John Wayne Gacy to get even more gruesome details. Did not like that. Also felt all over the place so didn’t give me that album feel.

Kende hem van lover you should've come over maar voor de rest mooi album maar niet hellemaal mijn nummers

Hallelujah and Lilac Wine- top songs. Slow listening, a bit boring. Corpus Christi Carol was just plain weird.

The guy has a nice voice, but I feel like some of the hype is amplified by his untimely death. Too much Mariah Carey-esque flourishes for my liking.

Overall: I’ve heard 1/11 songs before. 5/10 it’s not my thing, but I guess if I squint I can see why gen x white men get off on it. Will not be buying this one or re-listening unless I’m accidentally overdosed by an edible.

HALLELUJAH

This album left me dazed and confused.

Some nice songs

i have listened to this a dozen times over the last 25 years as so many people love it. i don't see what they see but it's miles ahead of his dad's shit

Nothing too memorable about this one. Greta voice though.

Cần thời gian để ngấm.

Nothing crazy, just some nice moaning to some nice instrumentation

Top-tier vocal performance, but some of the songwriting isn't great and the album as a whole feels too long. Still an enjoyable listen with some high highs.

Pretty enjoyable. Did not expect one grunge song. Hallelujah (not this version) is a top 100 song. Originally by Leonard Cohen and apparently it's about sex so I can't wait to hear it in a bunch of inappropriate places for the rest of my life.

A really great album--undeniably. Buckley was so amazing and transcended and blended genre with such ease and mastery of music. Lover, You Should've Come Over is one of the greatest songs of all time. And yet, insane musicality does not a banger make. Perfectly cohesive, I'm sure a lovely vinyl. But I want an earworm.

64/1001 First listen. I know the name but haven’t heard one of these songs before. I was waiting for the big single but it never came. This is a pretty slow burn the whole way. I gave it a fair shot and will listen to this again when the mood is right. 5/10

Already one of my favorite albums but I haven’t listened to it in a while so it made my day better and more miserable

Not my style, only 1 song saved the album Hallelujah

2.7/5 Hallelujah is an all time great song.

Quite surprised by this one. Never really heard his stuff. Really nice voice and could have had an interesting career if he didn’t drown to death at age 30.

Paar banger aber auch ganz ganz schreckliche Lieder also keine Ahnung

Didn't really grab me. Not a style I love

I think I’ve only ever heard the Hallelujah cover so I’m interested and curious to hear why the album got mixed reviews and now seems to have been reexamined and reevaluated. The opener Mojo Pin sounded like 2 or 3 songs which was interesting and good but the second song, Grace, for whatever reason, I immediately disliked. Lilac Wine is very pretty and sweet sounding and a couple of these songs are great and a couple are just insufferable. How did Corpus Christi Carol make it on? I’m surprised at how uneven this all is. Definitely some major moments and some terrible misfires for me. Undeniable talent

Things my younger self has said/written about Jeff Buckley: "I got nothing against Jeff Buckly, but when I want to listen to little bitch music I put on Elliot Smith instead" Edgy. “Now this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't like Jeff Buckley. I think it's because of people who dabble in music love him. For me, he's music for the hobbyist, squarely in that category of slightly-off the beaten path alt-rock like muse and U2 that sit atop of an apex of nothing but their own blandness.” Meow. “What’s he ever done expect drown and write a song about it?” Snarky. I have softened these opinions somewhat in my old age. I would now go as far as to say this is a “good” album, but an overrated one.

Hallelujah is excellent. The rest of the album kind of sounds like he’s wailing? Idk it’s not bad but not necessarily my jam. I’ll stick to just hallelujah

Listening Notes Definitely seems like he had the sensibilities of someone who admires the composition of old standards, so much so there's covers on a debut (Lilac Wine, Hallelujah, Corpus Christi Carol). However, it also felt like the pressure to actually sell records creeped in, lending to the other tracks that have big guitars. Not to say the songs are bad by any means, perhaps a bit forced. The album thus feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be, wavering between half singer/songwriter ballads and the other half 90s alt rock. First time listen? Surprisingly, yes Fav tracks? Mojo Pin, Grace, Last Goodbye, So Real, Dream Brother Will it go into your rotation? I could see throwing this on for an evening

A lot of this album sounds like slow led zepplin songs. The rest is either every 90s grunge song i hadn't heard or a fine cover of hallelujah.

I like the corpus christi carol

Good album, but not my type. Yet it was a surprise, i wasnt expecting anything from it. There are some good songs.

This album is beloved but I feel like it’s never been a massive favorite of mine, though I enjoyed it more this listen and his version of Hallelujah is my favorite. Also def noticed the influence on Thom Yorke.

Don't care who came first, it's just fucking radiohead

Okay.

Pretty decent stuff in here. His voice is phenomenal! I liked Lilac wine, eternal life, and forget her.

Respect it but not my thing

A little too light for me

I know I'm supposed to like this album but I just have never been able to enjoy it. No denying his talent but it's just not for me.

If only he'd been a better swimmer...

Feels very 90s and I can see why he got so big. Redefining Hallelujah helps but that's the only song I knew prior to this listen so hearing the rock influences was fun.

Started off loving this. There are some very special songs on there - particularly Grace which has a nod to Cocteaus. Really good songwriting etc but one step removed.

I somehow have never listened to this album before either. There’s no denying the late Mr. Buckley’s talent, but most of his music is really not for me.

I see why this is some people’s thing but it’s not my thing

Ethereal.. Forgettable.

7/10 - obviously Hallelujah is the big one but dare I say this is better than his Dad's album; also bonus points for being a fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

We've all heard Hallelujah. It's a classic and everyone knows it. The rest of the album? I dunno. 3 stars because Hallelujah and a couple other knee slappers.

This starts off more intense/high energy than I assumed it would. Having a tough time getting into this though. Maybe it's my mood today, idk. He's obviously an incredibly talented singer, I just don't think I connect with the style/songs/lyrics. Something about records from this era-mid 2000's where all of the arrangements are very similar song to song. I bet this would have been an incredible live show, but it falls flat on a recording for me despite how good he is. The "capture a band performance" production style doesn't' always work for me, I guess. Hallelujah is the real reason we're all here, right? It truly is such a beautiful performance of a beautifully written song. Tangent: Cohen wrote 150 verses for this song over 5 years before he felt it was right... Music is almost never better after a process like that but I think this song is probably a major outlier. Apparently his record company told him "we know you are great, but don't know if you are any good" Lover is the other reason we're here I guess. I do really love this song. Surely they made Hallelujah close out Side A originally, right?? Corpus Christi Carol - insanely beautiful Eternal Life - lfg. Love this foray into hard rock/alt/nu metal? There's 2 basses on this song hahaha. Strings bring the beauty back. More into the 2nd half of the record!

I’ve listened to this a few times before but it’s never really blown me away in keeping with how much people rave about it That said, a few seconds into Mojo Pin and I’m revved up What is that warbly synth sound? Crazy reverse guitar in the right ear is sick Really interesting chord movement Whoa I don’t remember it being this heavy This is definitely an album that has influenced me through how it’s influenced my influences Sounds very 90s in a way I love. Tight snare, big and spacious. Crazy col legno sounds near the end of Grace FLANGE Macaroni mouth all over the place Proto-nu-metal? Eternal Life Dream Brother is dope Favourite tracks: Lover You Should Have Come Over, Dream Brother Didn’t care for: Eternal Life, Last Goodbye I think every time I’ve listened to this record it’s grown on me a little more. There is something really special about it, no doubt, it just hasn’t cracked through into the realm of repeat listens for me.

Owned it since it's release but never really loved it. Some great songs but always felt it was a little overrated

I started listening to this with trepidation. I’ve heard Hallelujah enough for a 1001 lives to have been lived. It’s a great, but vastly overplayed. The rest of the album is mixed. Some really great songs on it, but some where his voice just becomes silly (and one wonders whether Muse listened to this album a lot in their formative years). Overall, 3 stars.

Alright. Always meant to listen to this album, but after having done so, don't think I missed much

There are definitely 5+ star songs on this album which distort the grading scale...but, as a whole, it's lacking. His voice is both angelic and annoying at the same time. And he died way too young and this is all we really got from him, so that makes it precious as well.

This is quite a beautiful record. Don't really know much about Jeff but I really dig this one. The calm mood and melodies that are presented made it a nice surprise while listening to this in the early morning hours. Vocals pair nicely with the gentle instrumentation and makes it very easy on the ears. Solid record.

Decent crop of tracks here but nothing that knocks my socks off. So real was the only song I saved and even then it wasn't like an instant this is a track ill listen to 100 times in a row type song. Its just pretty good and thats it. If I cared more about lyrics this might be incredible but I dont and it isnt. Its just ok. I do like that it has a few wild swings. Toward the end there is almost a nu metal type song that made me laugh. Enjoyed that moment of happiness. But I wouldn't say its a great song either. Just fun enough. Meh but not in a bad way id the final verdict

His voice is amazing. Just didn't love all the music.

Hallelujah cover is good but bit boring as an album. Quite enjoyed last 3 tracks, started to get quite interesting n couple I would go back and listen to again. 3/5

Pretty mid overall, it was fine but nothing amazing here.

I know this is a classic for many and I really like parts of it. I can’t help but lose interest in so many songs on here.

Great

Plenty of songs that I didn't know who sang they were on the album. Also what a strange swing from rock songs to super light

Decent singing.

ok

Hallelujah carries the album

I really only liked hallelujah

Just beautiful, but not something I'll return to much on my own.

Decent. Always loved a couple of these tracks. Can’t say I’ll go back for the others very much/ever.

How to make a normal length album sound like a 25+ song album. No but seriously there were a couple good songs but some I just didn’t give any time of day.

enjoy the second half of the album much more than the first.

Wish there were more Leonard Cohen covers.

Wanted to like this more. Echoes of greatness but ultimately it’s a miss for me. Don’t like the sound despite liking the songs and the voice

A few great tracks. Last Goodbye is amazing, Hallelujah is haunting. Rest peters out a bit.

Great voice, but didn’t quite do it for me.

Back when I was a stupid teenager, I would have laughed at the idea of listening to Jeff Buckley. It was music for chicks who kept diaries or people who were scared of loud music. So I was kind of happy to see this album pop on the generator today – I could finally prove that I was now a sensitive adult with complex emotions and a nuanced understanding of life ! Well, as it turns out, being an adult is overhyped. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll gladly admit that Jeff Buckley was a very talented artist. His voice is a perfect example of the "soft whispers / broken voice / anguished screams" rollercoaster style of singing that was the mid-90s trademark, and he definitely influenced a lot of musicians. The production is rich and well-polished. The title song "Grace" is indeed amazing, and belongs to the best of what the 90s had to offer. That being said, and despite his talent, Jeff Buckley constantly reminds me why I usually dislike the singer-songwriter "genre" (or whatever you call people singing sad songs without crediting the band). It’s an inherently self-centered, self-absorbed genre that relies on a limited set of tools (but mostly the voice) to convey emotions that are invariably sad and whiny, and almost always about the singer himself. It’s not very subtle, and I find this constant emotional outpour exhausting. It’s basically music to cry yourself to sleep. It gets even worse for musicians who died young like Buckley (with bonus points if they were hot) – people are constantly ranting about how sad and tragic it is, as if their unfortunate (but entirely avoidable) demise somehow made their music better. It doesn't, and I wish people would stop abusing and overusing the word "tragic". So yeah... Nice album, but super overrated in my opinion. I like emotions to be subtly alluded to, not shouted at me. I’ll give it a 3* for talent and influence – but it’s clearly not something I’d listen again, I just can’t relate with all that drama. 6/10

There is something inherently tragic about listening to an album from a rock star who died young. Looking at their picture on the album cover, forever frozen in time, with just their songs left to talk to us now. In Buckley’s case, he released just this one album then died, apparently after a swimming accident, at the age of 30. There’s an additional level of poignancy here, because his father Tim (who had abandoned him as a baby) also died young, in his case from a drugs overdose at 28. Both father and son were not really appreciated when they were alive, but now have posthumous reputations that have grown as time has passed. Tim Buckley’s ghost haunts this record - it was released in 1994, but it harks back to the folk rock sounds of the 60s and 70s, particularly in the cover versions of the songs Lilac Wine and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. It’s difficult to know what directions Jeff may have gone in after this, and we’ll never find out.

The first two songs are lit! The third (Last Goodbye) sounds like it was recorded at Paisley Park and doesn't all come together, but it would have been typical mid-90's sound and So Real sounds like a Soundgarden knock off, which isn't horrible but also not great. Hallelujah, is a good cover. Forget her has a great groove.

Nice enough but a bit boring.

I don't know about this one. Parts were good but there felt like a lot of water space.

Cool sound less my cup of tea

Pretty good. Not a lot of standouts for me, with the obvious exceptions of Last Goodbye and his stunning rendition of Hallelujah, which are both enough to pull this album up overall.

Really excellent. His voice is incredible

Moro moro :D täähän oli ihan ok. Liian pliisua menoa mulle mut uppos ihan hyvin. Jeffillä hyvä ääni.

Artisti oli itselleni ennalta vain nimenä tuttu. Olihan tämä taas ihan toimiva, vaikkei projektissa käyttämässäni "töiden taustalla" -kuunteluympäristössä yhdellä kasuaalilla kuuntelulla sen vahvemmin säväyttänytkään.

Ihan kiva!

Lots of decent music on here, I just couldn't really get into it. Sorry Jeff.

have tried to get into this one over the years and never could. recently might have found a passage through in the song "Dream Brother." Lilac Wine and Hallelujah are obviously gorgeous covers. It is operatic and the influence upon Thom Yorke can be heard. This still sounds very 90s and specific to a certain coffeehouse vibe with one song veering into some post-grunge territory. I enjoyed it on this full listen-through and maybe it grows on me but hard to say. as funereal as Closer by Joy Division but in a much different way. The album sounds like the masses of bouquets at a wake, for better or worse. hard to separate from the artist's death, but would like to check out documentary for more perspective.

what an album!! so raw and evocative. he’s got such a soulful, pained voice. lover you should have come over is a song of all time for me, for sure. i think this’ll be a re-listen for sure. i didn't entirely love it, but i think it's an album that deserves some more time - will relisten.

Some pretty decent songs on this album, a couple I added to my liked songs playlist. I felt there were a couple that also didn’t need to be on the album. Overall good!

I think Jeff Buckley has a great voice and was a talented guy probably with a bright future. But after 2 listens of this album, it’s not my favorite thing in the world. I did rediscover a couple songs I loved in High School, but outside of that, this album falls a little flat for me in my old age. RIP Jeff Buckley. Ps. If I were to revisit JB, I’d pick a random live set, most likely.

It’s ok.

Generally enjoy this album on the one hand. But there isn't a great deal to it beside Buckley and his voice.