There is never going to be an amazing Rock singer, songwriter, guitarist and performer as much as Jeff Buckley, son of the similarly legendary Tim Buckley. Indeed, his own Grace (1994) album release was a classic and a success globally. Unfortunately, Jeff Buckley died in 1997 in mysterious circumstances that were both tragic and sad in Memphis, Tennessee. His life story was full of many ups and downs, and although he only delivered a single studio album during his lifetime, his music is seen as widely loved and inspirational to many young musicians out there. This is the main compilation of Jeff Buckley’s music, released many years after his death. It is a sad reminder that had he not left the world so quickly, much more could have been recorded by Jeff Buckley before his death. This album picks mainly from Live at Sin-é (1993), Grace (1994) and Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998). The album runs for nearly one and a half hours, consisting of 16 tracks, and was released on Columbia Records on 22 May 2007. Let’s take a listen to this compilation, and we shall judge if it holds up today.

1. Last Goodbye is from the Grace album (1994). It begins with some sweet and buttery-sounding slide guitar and quickly launches into a heavy bass guitar section, with the rest of the band quickly following along. This sounds fresh and amazing, to this very day. Jeff Buckley sings beautifully here, and as of note, he had a naturally beautiful four-octave vocal delivery. In any case, this song is a gorgeous and majestic listen from the heart, and Jeff Buckley sounds truly amazing on this tune. A fantastic and joyously gorgeous tune that has some decent romanticism and sadness about it all. This is truly awesome music. Words cannot express how sweet and fine this all sounds. A truly awesome and beautifully lovely tune, with some euphoric and sensitive new age guy vibes to it all. This song still holds up well today and is a great listen from start to finish. A really awesome tune to hear, and everything on it is almost perfect. Sweet.

2. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over is also from the Grace album (1994). It begins with a spacey keyboard sound patch and launches into a strange Pink Floydian-style vibe. In any case, this is a bit unusual for Jeff Buckley as such. A really good sounding tune that has some gorgeous and pretty dynamics throughout, this music is a real joy to hear. This is Jeff Buckley at his sweetest and most romantic best. A really lovely and gorgeous tune to hear, this melodic and beautiful music tugs at heartstrings and sounds top-notch. Jeff Buckley sings in a natural and comforting voice that is gorgeous and crystal clear to hear. Yes, this song is over six minutes in length, but it sounds absolutely awesome. This is simple and reassuringly beautiful music that sounds wonderful. If you need a decent love song by Jeff Buckley to play to your partner, look no further. The music and sounds throughout are sensationally sweet. A truly awesome and dynamically beautiful tune that sounds fresh and worth repeat listens, to this day. All in all, this music is a gentle and lovable reminder of how good some of the music of the 1990s truly was, and fortunately, Jeff Buckley gave us precious songs such as these. His falsetto vocal delivery, acoustic guitars and the shuffle-style drumming are absolutely a joy to hear. Nonetheless, this is undeniably good. A cool listen from start to finish, although some people may think this is a bit long. It is, but it is not Oasis Be Here Now (1997) territory. It’s just very, very good music to hear. A great song. Period.

3. Forget Her – Studio Outtake – 1993 is from the Grace Legacy Edition reissue. It begins with some clean, clear Fender Telecaster-style riffing and has some cool, calm vocals to match it. This is a bit of a slow burner, like a decent cigarette or that alcoholic drink that you need when you are down. The music throughout is really sad and moody. The lyrics present are about trying to shake off a lover who causes more pain and grief than anything positive. Jeff Buckley was never married in his lifetime, but despite that, he articulates sensitivity, human nature, pain and sorrow perfectly. One cannot feel that his passing was truly a case of unfortunate luck. The guitars and playing here are absolutely fantastic to hear. The guitar solos are different, with some sweet, clean leads that are very memorable. In any case, this heartbreaking tune is very much music for sensitive young men today who are single, lonely and desperate. This music is supercharged and gorgeous regardless. No doubt that Radiohead and Coldplay took notes of what Jeff Buckley delivered musically. In any case, this sounds very awesome. Worth your ears and definitely worth your time. It fades out nicely at the end.

4. Eternal Life – Road Version is from the Grace Legacy Edition. It begins with some neck pickup-based guitar riffs and launches quickly into a raw, heavy and driven tune to listen to. This sounds borderline like Metal, and unusually so for Jeff Buckley. Jeff Buckley himself sings in a rawer and more aggressive way than on the main tune on the original Grace (1994) album. Even so, this sounds really great and enjoyable. This is a song that Grunge or Silverchair fans will really dig. It proves that Jeff Buckley and friends had an adventurous and talented spirit throughout. This is something for Alternative Rock fans, and it proves that Jeff Buckley had tons of talent within him. In retrospect, this makes his passing even more tragic. It breaks down into a rather aggressive and abusive piece with some awesome screaming by Jeff Buckley, before launching back up again and sounding sweet and extremely brutal. A really cool tune to hear, this sounds very different to other versions of his songs floating around out there. Absolutely awesome music, this does sound very cool. Worth hearing, even if you are already familiar with Jeff Buckley’s stuff. Sweet. It falls apart in a discordant way at the end.

5. Dream Brother – Alternate Take is from the Grace Legacy Edition. It begins with a guitar swell and launches right into the song itself. It sounds really cool and amazing. This is a more stripped-back and minimal tune about loss of life and could either be about Tim Buckley (his Dad) or Jeff Buckley himself. Nonetheless, this simpler and awesome-sounding tune deserves to be heard. The music and sounds are really lovely throughout, and this tune is a majestic and moving piece. This sounds just as good as the final album version, to be fair. It has some excellent drum work and soft but interesting fills. The rest of the song is just as good and sounds very awesome to enjoy. Time and time again, Jeff Buckley pulls off a winner of a tune. This song is simple and magical, singing likely about what happens when we pass on in this world. This music is a sweet and sad sort of listen. The section towards the end sounds beautifully gorgeous, with some keyboards, neat guitar fills and neat drumming. Jeff Buckley and crew wrap it up with the instrumental sections ongoing and a different finish to the main album version. Sweet.

6. The Sky Is A Landfill is from Sketches for My Sweetheart The Drunk (1998). It begins with a neat volume guitar swell and quickly launches into a dark and aggressive-sounding piece of music. This sounds sensationally wonderful and good, and showcases a heavier, grittier sound by Jeff Buckley. The music at hand is beautiful and very enjoyable throughout. Jeff Buckley deserves to be heard, and not just for the Grace (1994) album release. This song proves he was not simply a passing fad in terms of popularity and fashion. Instead, Jeff Buckley pioneered the best music prior to Coldplay that was genuinely sensitive and emotionally powerful, at least in that respect. All the same, this tune is a welcome listen throughout. A solid and prettily melodic tune. Jeff Buckley sings from a stream of consciousness perspective, and he comes across as a very good lyricist. The music matches it very nicely as well. However, having said that, this is a little bit lengthy as a song, but not to excess like some of the music of Oasis or The Verve from around this time. It does conclude with a melodic and frenetic guitar solo to conclude. A really great listen, once again.

7. Everybody Here Wants You is from Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998). It begins with some neat drum work and quickly moves into a gorgeously sweet and melodic song that makes an instantly good impression throughout. There are romantic themes prevalent in the lyrics, and this tune sounds sweet and enjoyable musically and lyrically. A good listen about being madly in love with a lady of fancy. There are some clean and gorgeous guitars and a cello sound in the background. Jeff Buckley sings so sweetly on this tune, and he was a world-class vocalist with an undeniably powerful multi-octave vocal range. This is Jeff Buckley singing from the heart. The midsection looks back to the Eagles Hotel California (1976) a little, before returning to a familiar music territory for him. The glorious beauty of this music should never be underestimated. Jeff Buckley and his band do an amazing job at showcasing his musical talent and understanding of sweet and enjoyable tunes. Singing about drinking wine and longing for his perfect woman, this does sound realistic. It wraps up with some soft singing and keyboards fading out.

8. So Real – Live Acoustic at On Air Azabu Studios, Tokyo, Japan begins with some soft acoustic guitar in the left channel, quickly followed by other instrumentation and singing in the right channel. This is a smoother and more natural rendition of this classic song that works wonders on one’s ears. It just goes to show that Jeff Buckley had many tricks up his sleeve musically, and this four-minute-long piece is a testament to the naturally awesome music that our main man made. Nonetheless, this sounds laid-back and fantastic to listen to. There is a midsection with an impressively sustained vocal by Jeff Buckley, before the second half of the song kicks in well. This is a great tune that ticks all the boxes by Jeff Buckley. Sadly, he left us too early on planet Earth and could have delivered more music if he were alive today. Nonetheless, this sounds awesome and top. The outro sounds amazing with Jeff Buckley singing wonderfully and with pure passion. Excellent version of So Real, well done dude.

9. Mojo Pin – Live at Sin-é, New York, NY – July/August 1993 is from the Live at Sin-é release (1993). It begins with some sweet singing over a loose and rather out-of-tune electric guitar that is clean. Jeff Buckley has a wonderful and moving vocal delivery on this song. The extended intro is pleasant indeed, and it sounds undeniably awesome to listen to. Eventually, Jeff Buckley sings beautifully throughout, and he sounds very awesome on this rendition of the opening track on Grace (1994). All in all, this sounds pretty, dynamic and beautiful. Eventually, the verses kick in, and this tune gets really going nicely. Absolutely timeless, mesmerising and awesome to hear, there is a great deal of suspense on this version of the song. Clanging guitar parts become prominent in the midsection, and this tune gradually comes alive. Jeff Buckley sings and borderline screams with beauty and intensity here. This is a very solid, awesome listening experience that is wonderfully moving. It builds up nicely with ferocity and intensity that sounds top. There are some awesome musical strengths of songs such as these, and Jeff Buckley was a unique and talented singer, without a doubt or question. This tune is an excellent listen, and it does justice to our main man. Fantastic to hear. It builds up with intensity and concludes after five minutes, a must listen.

10. Vancouver is a song from Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998). It begins with clean Fender-style guitars and launches into a gloriously powerful and animated listen. Nonetheless, this is a bit of a strange addition to a greatest hits compilation. It just doesn’t really seem to fit here. It’s not outright bad, just lacking some Jeff Buckley magic about it. There is slide guitar here, however. This is simple and moving music that is emotionally aware and intense in its offerings. In the middle is a wall-of-sound styled approach of guitar solos. The good thing is that this song is relatively short at just over three minutes in length. Regardless, this is a good listen, but unlikely a great listen to hear. It builds up to a climax that sounds like a nadir, really. It’s okay, but could have been ditched from this compilation.

11. Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin – Live at Sin-é, New York, NY – July/August 1993 is another cut from the 1993 live release. It begins with some proto-Coldplay style Fender Telecaster playing that sounds really cool. Jeff Buckley sings gorgeously and wonderfully throughout. This is a song about the childhood delights that one can remember or experience from their youth. In any case, Jeff Buckley shines bright on this one. It sounds beautiful, pleasant and has some great vocals to match. This is a definite winner throughout. Jeff Buckley wonderfully evokes a powerful and magical sense of emotion throughout. This music is a great example of how an Alternative Rock musician can break down boundaries. Yes, there is French in this as well, which is beautiful and wonderfully sung by Jeff Buckley. An absolutely gorgeous tune, this sounds majestic and like a true work of art. A pleasantly enjoyable listen, this music is sweet and tasty. The melodic electric guitars and multi-octave vocals are absolutely gorgeous. A nice addition to this compilation, and certainly worth hearing. Awesome. The audience approves of this as well at the end.

12. Grace is from the 1994 Grace album (of course). It begins with some clean and gorgeous Fender Telecaster licks, followed by dual-tracked strummed acoustic guitars and drums. Jeff Buckley sings beautifully and sweetly over the top of it all, and he sounds like a champion at singing. This is a song that is one of the definitive music recordings of Jeff Buckley, and it has some vivid lyric imagery to match. This is one of those songs that never fails to disappoint. Beautifully awesome, Jeff Buckley and his band knew exactly how to make great tunes, especially on the Grace album. A killer tune, this sort of music convinced Radiohead to get their music act together and deliver their own artistic classic releases after their own sell-out earlier efforts were not very well received. This is a sensationally good listen, and it has beauty, melody and class about it all. Jeff Buckley was a unique and awesome musician, and very few came close to him in terms of his unique musical talent. Some of these songs are a bit lengthy, if there is any flaw to this compilation at all. Still, it is never outright long. The ending of this song is very chaotic and has a decent multitude of sounds that are really very cool. Jeff Buckley sings wonderfully over liquid atmospheric electronic sounds and a crashing outro. Excellent to hear, time and time again.

13. Hallelujah is from Grace (1994) and is Jeff Buckley’s best-known song. Ironically, he did not write it; Leonard Cohen actually did. It begins with a sigh, before the downtempo electric guitar enters on this one. This is actually not a song that is specifically religious or being grateful for existence. Instead, it is a song about broken-hearted love. This is the very best version of the song. Once Jeff Buckley begins singing sweetly on this song, one can feel themselves feel swayed emotionally. This is definitely not a happy song, but what it does in a moody way makes up for its delivery and beauty. A favourite song of street buskers to date, one can easily hear why. An absolutely magical tune about love, lust and desire. Put simply, if you have not heard this song, you absolutely must right now. Jeff Buckley deserves respect for his delivery of this song. If you have ever been truly in love and been absolutely destroyed by one’s other by stepping over the line, this is for you. Sadly, everyone has the one that got away, and this is a close to the bone listen, to be frank. A sad but poetic piece of music brilliance. If you need to cry your eyes out, let Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley be your guide. A ballad for the modern era, and a very essential listening experience. Sweet and divine listening throughout. The outro is fantastic, with a very sustained vocal outro and guitar arpeggios. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

14. I Know It’s Over – Live at Sony Studios in New York, NY April 1995 is a cover of a song by similarly sensitive young man’s musicians, The Smiths. This begins with some neat guitar riffing and sounds very much simply amazing. It is a bit lengthy from the start, but Jeff Buckley sings sweetly and wonderfully. He sings a pretty and awesome rendition of a classic song that proves that he does covers very well, alongside his own material. This is a very majestic and pretty tune that shows that Jeff Buckley picked his songs intelligently. It sounds very different from The Smiths, as such, and Jeff Buckley puts his own stamp on this song. This is quite musically depressing to hear, especially lyrically. A sad and dark story of broken hearts and broken dreams. A very sad and beautiful rendition of a classic tune. This music is timeless, and even if it is a cover, Jeff Buckley does it justice. In any case, this is a really fantastic and moving listen that details tragedy in one’s love life. The song also depicts death itself, which isn’t pleasant listening. Still, a good listen that has beauty and character throughout. It ends with a load of crowd applause, neat.

15. Lilac Wine – Live is a live rendition from what sounds like the same session as on the track before it. Jeff Buckley sings gorgeously here, and he delivers an absolutely sweet and lovely tune which shows that he never needed autotune or a great deal of electronics to make his voice be heard. Jeff Buckley has a sweet and pleasant voice to listen to, amongst a great deal of amplified 60-cycle hum. Eventually, this song gets going very nicely, and it sounds top-notch and amazing for a live tune. Jeff Buckley was a true star, and he delivers a natural and pretty song that is spot on and memorable throughout. Again, this is a little slow and lengthy, if it does have a flaw. Still, the singing and performance present on this tune should be enough to keep one devotedly listening to Jeff Buckley. A very pretty and well-delivered song that has a solid gold nature about it. Jeff Buckley sings almost like an opera singer in parts here, and he does a fantastic job of that throughout. A truly sweet and powerful listening experience that demands your attention. Truly and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, and it finishes with a fantastic vocal, before a ton of clapping and cheering occurs.

16. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over – Live is the final piece on this compilation. It is nearly seven minutes long, which is a bit lengthy for a slow ballad piece. Jeff Buckley sings from a very optimistic and hopeful place about love and the desire for him to be with a lady. A really sweet and adventurous tune to listen to. Jeff Buckley may not have been on this planet for very long, but he delivered a great set of songs and music that sound ridiculously good. The music, lyrics and singing are really top-notch and fantastic to listen to. An awesome, descriptive and beautiful listen from start to finish. This wraps up a decent compilation with a pleasant afterthought in a live setting as a song. A very pretty, natural-sounding and sweet piece of music that has definitely lasted the test of time. Jeff Buckley’s presence in the world of music is deeply missed, and this music will be around for years to come. A sensationally beautiful and wonderful listen, even if this album is a fairly lengthy listen by this point. Absolutely joyous to listen to, and a great example of a talent who could cut it live as well. All in all, a good way to finish a decent compilation of sensitive and emotional music that touches one’s soul. This sounds gloriously good to hear and is a solid gold tune that sounds rawer and different in a live context. To finish, Jeff Buckley goes from borderline screaming to soft, soulful vocals. He thanks the crowd, and they go nuts for him, and deservedly so.

This is a decent pick of songs and music from a talent that never should have been taken from this world at such a young age. Jeff Buckley may be gone, but the fact that this compilation exists proves that he has never been forgotten. From beauty to tragedy, and everything in between, this is a must-own for Alternative Rock fans who like proto-Radiohead vibes with a sensitive, pleasant sensibility about it. Do give this a spin, although more cynical music listeners may prefer the Grace (1994) album instead.

A great compilation. R.I.P. Jeff Buckley.

9/10