... in Words: Tributes "Our Last Goodbye," by Patrick Roberts This article was originally published in Southern Vermont Review, August 1997.
On June 4th, after six days of despair for fans, the Mississippi River gave back the body of singer Jeff Buckley, but washed away one of the most promising recent musical talents. Despite being a few months shy of 31, Buckley only released one studio album, 1994's Grace. But those who saw his stunning live performances will remember him best on stage. His flawless control of a naturally high voice and willingness to take chances and experiment with both his own material and cover songs was a fierce combination. Some of this command can be heard on his first major label release, the four-song Live at Sin-é, which includes a wild ten minute version of Van Morrison's "The Way Young Lovers Do," his voice dominating the room. Despite his small body of work, he had gained a loyal following, including Elvis Costello, Bono and former Captain Beefheart sideman Gary Lucas, who co-wrote parts of Grace. But unfortunately it was not enough to gain the kind of widespread recognition that he deserved. Many people will not be touched by Buckley's music simply because he hadn't made it to the kind of fame that he was headed for. And unlike most of the musicians we are forced to endure on the radio each day, Buckley deserved the attention. He was not at all pretentious or arrogant, in fact his small amount of fame humbled him greatly. And that along with his goofy, nice-guy nature always caused visible awkwardness in him when brought up in interviews. He couldn't believe that the spotlight was focused on him. It was probably due to this that he was taking his time in creating the always dreaded second album, extending his touring plans, then getting settled in to his new home of Memphis before attempting to go into the studio. He wanted to get it right his way, not the quick record label way that most would have taken. He surrounded himself with relatively unknown musicians from the New York music scene when recording his album, attempting to avoid any of the possible staleness of a session band. As goofy as it sounds, his art was too important to be sacrificed in the same way the spotlight had done to countless others in the past. Buckley's death ranks among the greatest musical losses in recent memory. He understood and respected his gift for what it was and not as a stepping stone to fame or fortune. Hopefully his limited impact on mainstream music will not be quickly forgotten. ©1997 by Southern Vermont Review. All rights reserved
|
