Listen to Jeff Buckley’s isolated vocals on ‘Grace’
The late Jeff Buckley was one of the most significant musicians the world has ever seen, and the small oeuvre that he left behind is so magical that despite the shifting of the zeitgeist, it will never fade in its potency. A generational talent, he backed up his natural vocal ability with a unique form of guitar playing and confessional songwriting style that, when combined, created something so moving it can bring even the greatest stoics to their knees.
His music is noted for being on the bluer side of the spectrum, but this is only on the surface. Buckley tended to instil a faint glimmer of optimism in his work, using it as a foil to deal with the demons of the past, looking into a brighter future where he had escaped the spectre of his father, the folk hero of Tim Buckley and created a new life, free of the pain his father caused and unburdened by the artistic burdens the comparisons between the two.
Nevertheless, the two opposing forces grapple for dominance throughout his work, making his masterpiece, 1994’s Grace, one of the most multifaceted records of all time. It’s like being in Buckley’s head, with moments akin to drowning in a violent storm to others being so heady, it’s like your dreaming.
Unfortunately, Buckley’s story didn’t end as he or we might have hoped. He passed away on May 29th, 1997, drowning when swimming in the Mississippi River as he was caught in the wake of a passing boat. His death saw him join the ranks of stars taken before their time, such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, with a cult forming around his work, meaning that his legacy is as protected as they come.
Buckley delivered many stellar moments across his career, ranging from live performances to studio cuts, and one of the greatest came in the form of the title track from his only studio album, Grace. A stirring number that comes complete with what is arguably his most iconic performance on the guitar, the song is noted as one of the finest examples of Buckley’s vocal talent.
Stemming from a piece called ‘Rise Up to Be’ by Gary Lucas, Buckley’s longtime collaborator, Buckley wrote the lyrics after saying goodbye to his partner at the airport on a rainy day, which inspired the yearnful essence of the track. Retrospectively displaying the dichotomy of feelings in his work, he described the song as being “about not feeling so bad about your own mortality when you have true love.”
To many, ‘Grace’ is the pinnacle of Jeff Buckley’s career, and luckily for us, his isolated vocal track has been uncovered, and it is fascinating, to say the least. We hear his wide range in all its glory, with that extended falsetto at the climax having the capacity to turn your soul inside out.
