May 16, 2007
SECRET CHORD:
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah and unseen footage (The Guardian, 5/16/07)
This month sees the 10th anniversary of the death of Jeff Buckley. The singer-songwriter, who drowned at the age of 30, has seen his popularity increase since his passing and a retrospective of his work - the first - is soon to be released. To commemorate the anniversary, we have exclusive footage of Buckley talking about his inspirations and an alternative video to his much-loved version of Hallelujah.
Jeff Buckley was the most astonishing artist I ever saw live. He played a small, standing-room-only venue in San Diego in May of 1995, just a month after I had picked up "Grace" from a Tower Records listening station. I was only just getting into the album, and I was curious as to whether the amazing voice I heard on the disc would be half as good live. Turns out, it was, and playing live, the man let his voice roam up and down its unparalleled range with the disciplined freedom of a true artist. "Grace" is still my favorite pop/rock CD, and the "Legacy Edition" is definitive.
When he died (by drowning in the Mississippi River), it was the first time that I actually mourned a popular artist. He had unlimited potential, and for once the cliche rings true: he died way too young.
Posted by: M. at May 17, 2007 9:19 PM