A Lovesick Nightingale
 Jan 28th, 2001
Advantages:
Great songs, incredible voice
Disadvantages:
There was never a second album proper
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money
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  thegrinder2k
About me:
Donations to "The Rab Anderson Welfare Trust" are always very welcome. Simply email your c...
Member since:15.01.2001
Reviews:15
Members who trust:6
Review rated by 19 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
It's nearly four years since Jeff Buckley died; swept away by the great currents of the Mississippi River, replicating so eerily the death of his father, Tim, who died at a similar age in similar conditions. His death caused little attention in the UK; a few articles in the papers and some remembrance in the music press. Indeed, it seemed that no-one quite realised what we had lost. For this album, although criminally short at ten tracks, of which 3 are covers, is quite possibly the most appallingly underrated and overlooked rock album of all time.
As has been said, Jeff was the son of the sixties singer-songwriter Tim Buckley. Listening to their music it is clear that the two shared more than genes; both wrote songs of stunning beauty. They only met properly once, on a short Easter vacation in 1975. Jeff was very pained by the apparent rejection by his father, and longed to be like his idol. He took up singing and guitar at an early age, and started to write songs. On occasions he got so excited by his compositions that he proudly proclaimed that he was going
to make an album that would "make people forget about Led Zeppelin 3". If there was any justice, Grace would do just that. It’s not that I don’t like Led Zeppelin; in fact, they’re one of my favorite bands. But Grace is simply majestic.
The first thing you notice is Jeff's voice. You have to hear it to believe it; it’s truly one of the greatest voices in the history of rock. Every note he sings has the sort of soaring quality that even the greatest singers only manage when they sing falsetto. It’s so beautiful that Jeff was once described as “a lovesick nightingale”. “Mojo Pin” opens the album; a dreamy showcase for Jeff’s singing and a great song in itself. But the title track, “Grace”, which comes next, is something else. A soaring chorus and wonderfully melodic guitars are the highlights. Robert Plant of Led Zepp said that this song actually made his hairs stand on end.
The third song, “Last Goodbye”, is quite possibly the greatest thing in the Buckley repertoire, and is certainly my favorite Buckley song. A beautiful melody, embellished with subtle strings and acoustic guitar, . And when he sings at the chorus “Kiss me / Please kiss me / Kiss me out of desire / Baby, no consolation”, he just about scrapes the sky. The cover songs are almost equally incredible. “Lilac Wine” is wonderful, soaring; a type of song Jeff never managed to write. And the vocal performances on “Hallelujah” and “Corpus Christi Carol” are incredible. On the latter, Jeff sings an almost unbelievably high falsetto. Both those songs are just him with his guitar, and it is these performances that are the most breathtaking. It’s little wonder that people used to stumble out of his concerts, whispering of his “supernatural talent”.
The closing song, “Dream Brother”, features an other-worldly, Eastern-style melody. It’s full of a tangle of influences, including late Led Zeppelin, which is evident also in the open guitar tunings. Another great vocal performance, and dreamy, spiraling guitars, provide a fitting climax to an epic album. However, all is not perfect. Sometimes Jeff becomes overly indulgent in the showiness of his voice. It happens on parts of “Mojo Pin” and “Grace”, when he sounds not like a Lovesick Nightingale, but a seriously ill one. Also, there is his slightly limited songwriting capability, which is probably why the cover songs were drafted in, to provide a contrast with his own songs.
However, these are both small points, and are certainly outweighed tenfold by the hundreds of good points clearly evident on the album. If you don’t have this album, I would strongly recommend that you buy it, especially if you like Radiohead circa “The Bends” and Led Zeppelin circa “Physical Graffiti”. Although more of an acquired taste than both of those albums, I would say that it’s just as good.
You may also like to buy “Mystery White Boy”, a collection of live performances by Jeff. This is one area I have not talked about, and probably the area for which Jeff was best known; his stunning live shows, where his enormous talent and musical genius were legendarily evident. This album confirms that Jeff is one of rock music's greatest losses. If this sensitive soul hadn't taken that ill-fated dip in the Mississippi, a long, prosperous and great career would surely have awaited him.
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08.03.2001 19:01
shame muse got hlod of a copy.
29.01.2001 13:27
I've been meanig to buy this album for a long time, since I downloaded a few MP3s off Napster. But I now know where my next £5 in Fopp is going. Xcllnt review.