Confessions of a Fanboy

There are some things that are almost too pretty, too beautiful to behold and Jeff Buckley’s voice is one of them. There are times the honesty and power of that beauty are too much for me, and find myself physically reacting as if to turn away. It’s at moments like that I understand Kevin Spacey’s “beauty” speech from American Beauty.

There is a ghostly, spiritual presence to this record. It seems unfathomable that one so young could produce this combination of ethereal sounds and poignant words. His recitation of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is majestic and magical. “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” is grandiose, pure, and sensual. The honesty and the emotion of these songs allowed it to become an odd cousin the more raw music of grunge culture that was popular at the time. Cobain and Buckley could not have sounded more different from each other, yet their music occupies that same emotional plane.

So many lousy bands have done poor imitations of Led Zeppelin. Buckley’s great ears and soaring voice allow him to rise above cheap knockoffs, capturing the essence of the seminal rockers on “Mojo Pin.” “Grace” is bold, rich, and complex. I realize that sounds like a description of coffee or wine, but it fits.

I also want to throw a shout out to DO, my other Buckley fan. I can’t remember exactly how we got on the subject in an e-mail exchange awhile back but now I associate her so closely with Buckley that I always think of her when I listen to him.

Rain has finally cooled the 100-degree temperatures that have baked and fried us for the last several days and Jeff Buckley’s Grace is a perfect album for a night like this.

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