Grace (Expanded Edition) - Jeff Buckley

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Grace, buckley, sensational voice and lyrics, an extra song
Disadvantages:	Not as good as the anniversary edition, little new appeal

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This expanded version of Grace has all the original Grace tracks and "Forget her". It was released 10 years after the original Grace was released, and is veiwed in negative light by Buckley fan's as it was basically put out after the far superiour legacy edition.

The opening track is Mojo pin a track co-written by Gary Lucas and Jeff Buckley from there "Songs to no-one 1991-1992" album (which I've reviewed on here). A song with only a lil change in the time from which it was originally written, and it keeps Buckleys' impressive vocals that go from slow soothingly amazing to chasing like a panther through the opening line of the chorus:
"Precious, precious silver and gold and pearls in oyster's flesh"

The song keeps the original lyrics that shoot images into your head right through, a great opening track to a very memorable album. 10/10

Grace is the second track and is also on the album Buckley did with Lucas. The songs opening lines give images that surpass most song entirity:
"There's the moon asking to stay
Long enough for the clouds to fly me away"

The song ecaptualtes "the feeling of your own mortality when you're in love", and hits home with the guitar sounds that made the original demo sound so wonderful (the demo is on the Lucas album), and is almost the same song (bar the mising harmonica part). 10/10

Last goodbye, The song starts with a "Hawian" guitar style intro before the song seemingly erupts into a sonic heaven with the rums and guitars hittin everythin just perfectly and allows Buckley's vocals to sing of a heart-breaking final words:
"This is our last goodbye
I hate to feel the love between us die
But it's over
Just hear this and then i'll go
You gave me more to live for
More than you'll ever know"

A wonderfully touching song that did somewhat sum up his own relationship with Rebecca Moore (who heard him perform an unfinished demo of this called "Unforgiven" and thought it was about her). 9/10

Lilac wine, A cover of a Nina Simone song, and a somewhat enchantinly tender version of it, Buckley's vocals seem to call you into listening as the song starts almost accappello style (a very soft low guitar accompaniment). The drums beging to kick in with a bit more of the guitar as he hits the chorus and his vocals again take charge or your ear canals.
"Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love
Listen to me... I cannot see clearly
Isn't that she coming to me nearly here?
Lilac wine is sweet and heady where's my love?"

7/10

So real, This replaced "Forget her" on the original release of the album 10 years previous, and was one of the videos that was made for the album. Jeffs Favourite video (accoring to David Browne's "Dream Brother"). A soft haunting guitar and vocal combination open the song before the simple riffs catch you in it's swaying sounds and has you tapping your toes and singing the chorus. A brilliant song and well place in the album (though imo "Foret her" is a far superiour song:
"Love, let me sleep tonight on you couch
And remember the smell of the fabric
Of your simple city dress"

8/10

Hallelujah, This classic Leonard Cohen cover, that we've all probably heard at least once in our life time (whether it's from a Buckley CD, or TV programmes such as "Scrubs" or "The O.C.") Jeff's sigh at the beginning is just a sliht show at the overall emotion he shows throughout the song. A modern day classic that mixes verses from Cohens original and John Cale's cover. A song that cannot really be described in words.
"Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
And she tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah"

10/10

Lover, You should have come over, A soft start with an oddity for lyrics, the opening suggests a funeral and is song in the thir person where as the rest is song in the first person. One of the best songs on the album, with Buckley's voice telling us a story so mind-blowingly well and allow his ocal range to show it's self. The soft simple guitar and drums keep your ears ready to listen to every word." A song about love thats gone wrong for one reason or another".

"Looking out the door i see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners
Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water
And maybe i'm too young to keep good love from going wrong
But tonight you're on my mind so you never know"

10/10

Corpus Christi Carol, The shortest song on the album, and personally I'm some what happy about it, my least favourite song on the album, and another cover (sorry I don't know who did the original). Buckley's voice sounds haunting but yet also somewhat "hollow" and off putting. The lyrics read like something his father would have loved to have played with.

"And on this bed there lyeth a knight
His wound is bleeding day and night
By his bedside kneeleth a maid
And she weepeth both night and day"

4/10

Eternal life, This song has everything. An indie sounding guitar opening before turning into a haevy punk rock song, and the lyrics to match:

"Eternal Life is now on my trail
Got my red glitter coffin, man, just need one last nail
While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games
there's a flaming red horizon that screams our names"

Buckley's vocals bleed emotion and anger in what I consider the best track on the original "Grace" release. Eerything fits wonderfully well together to make this a rock classic. Theres again very little anyone can say to truly sum up the song.
10/10

Dream brother, The final sng on the original "Grace" release, was written about his friend, and speaks of his relationship with his father. Te opening guitar sounds are very "loose" strings sounding, giving it a dreamy feel, before Buckley's voice puts an arm around you and carries you through the dream. The lyrics as always show Buckley's amazing talent to write what he wanted, and put images and ideas into peoples minds.
"There is a child sleeping near his twin
The pictures go wild in a rush of wind
That dark angel he is shuffling in
Watching over them with his black feather wings unfurled"

The song is seen as a warning to his friend not to walk out on his pregnant girlfriend, like Jeff's dad (The singer Tim Buckley) did to Jeff's mother.

The albums closing track is the previously unreleased song entitled "Forget her", this song was pulled from the original release on Buckley's call due to a multitude of rumours. These rumours including his then split with Rebecca Moore to prefering "So real". The song is a soft slow peace of heartache (as the title would lead you to believe). The song features heart wrenching lyris of a broken man from a broken relationship, as he tries to forget it all (every guy who's been in love knows this feeling far to well). Buckley as always performs to a very high standard vocall with the music adding more to the idea of a man walking down the street with tears in eyes. A song that for whatever reason was pulled from the original "Grace" CD has a place in a great CD, and was the major selling point. The song it's self has a 10/10 for me (despite my belief that had Jeff wanted the song to be released it would have been)...

However when reviewing this album we must note a few things, yes it's "Grace" with "Forget her" added, but, more to the point, it's another £10 or so for 1 song if you have the original. Mary Guilbert (Jeff's mum) has received a lot of criticism due to this, which was released only months after the far better and much more complete Anniversary pack, which is a far better purchase. If you have Grace avoid this album, if your a new Buckley fan, get the anniversary set for a similar price. Despite this the album is very good.