Jeff Buckley- Grace

Let’s just keep this simple, Grace is probably the finest collection of sounds ever compiled in the history of recorded music… It is genuinely difficult for me to sum up this record in any other way and I struggle to think of another example of a record that I return too more frequently. New headphones? Grace is first…New speakers? Grace…Checking a mix or a master quality? Grace gets played….you get the idea. Even David Bowie claims Grace to be one of the best records ever made and said it would be one of his ten ‘Desert Island Records’…I am in good company then. So, please find yourself the best part of an hour to check this record out from front to back and arrive at the other end refreshed, revitalized and safe in the knowledge that you have just listened to audio nirvana.

Jeff Buckley produced magic performances here, some of his vocal techniques and creative use of them have simply not been heard before. High falsetto notes that trail off into infinity, shimmering vibrato, perfectly controlled with total confidence in his range and delivery. Added to this the songs themselves have an enormous breadth of imagination with the sounds and arrangements complimenting the emotional delivery. The guitars move from ethereal, chiming pad-like sounds to crisp, bell-like, classic fender clean tones on ‘Hallelujah’, even a drill was used at one stage on ‘So real’ creating …well… a noise like taking a power drill to your guitar!

The drums and percussion by Matt Johnson are utterly tasteful and sublime, there is space surrounding them both in the performance and in how they are mixed, his playing ranges from aggressive to subtle and compliments each sections emotional intent. At some points, you will barely hear them but at other stages, they communicate immense confidence and power, a huge bass drum anchoring the downbeat, subtle snare fills sprinkling emphasis just in the right moment.

‘Hallelujah’, originally written by Leonard Cohen, has now become one of the most commercially well-known tracks from the record. Buckley originally attempted to record the track as a full band before realizing with producer, Andy Wallace, that there was no better rendition than just him and a guitar. The reason why this track has resonated so profoundly is clear, the simplicity and beauty of the electric guitar combined with Buckley’s extraordinary performance is magic. Whilst less famous, the following track ‘Lover, You should’ve come over’, is my highlight of the record. It is almost operatic in the way it develops, epic choral motifs, huge distorted guitars, sweeping organ flurries, flamboyant drum fills…its all here but my favorite element of the track is the way it develops, a long crescendo that arcs through the track from being to end…sublime.

Other favorite moments include the albums title track ‘Grace’, the Nina Simone cover ‘Lilac Wine’ and the penultimate track ‘Dream Brother’ with its detuning ukuleles and haunting arrangement. Thankfully, the mix throughout the album is of such a high quality that you won’t need any vastly expensive equipment to get the best moments from it, however, the returns of a higher quality system are not limited either. For those out there lucky enough to own sound systems that cost the equivalent of a second-hand car, you are in for a treat indeed!

Grace is a record that will always be burned into my musical vocabulary, a collision of great minds and incredible talent that came together to create one hell of a record. Writing this review I switched between listening on headphones and my full set up at home and while I prefer the full-bodied sound of my HiFi, it was a joy to pick out the subtleties and nuances more easily accessed through headphones. I highly recommend a good quality stream or indeed the vinyl version if you are lucky enough to own it. Grace easily earns a ’McPlaylist, must have’ recommendation.