Rating: 9/10

Track Amount: 23

Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Genre: Alternative Rock

Personnel: Jeff Buckley (vocals, guitar), Matt Johnson (drums, percussion), Mick Grondahl (bass guitar), Michael Tighe (guitars), Parker Kindred (drums), plus others.

Producer: Various

Recording Location: Various

Record Label: Sony/Columbia Records

Best Tracks: Lover, You Should Have Come Over, Hallelujah, New Year’s Prayer

Quick Verdict: The best compilation release in honour of a true musical talent

There is no denying that Jeff Buckley left us far earlier than we should have anticipated. He was an extraordinarily talented and gifted musician, singer and guitarist who tragically died in 1997 at the age of 30 in an accident. In all retrospective circumstances, this never should have been his fate, and he was far more talented than others give him credit for. The parent film of this album is seen as an outstanding one about Jeff Buckley and his short life. Although he only released a single studio album in 1994 named Grace, he is sorely missed by music fans, and there have been many re-releases of various material that Jeff Buckley recorded and performed during his lifetime. This is the soundtrack to the 2025 film, and given the reception it has received, we can hope that the music within is an international devotion to a legend. Let’s hear it.

1. Lover, You Should’ve Come Over begins with a keyboard organ style progression, which sounds really great. This plays on for some time in a Pink Floydian style. It does sound really great to hear. Soon enough, dual-tracked acoustic guitars enter, and Jeff Buckley sings softly and sweetly over it all. This is an open-hearted and lovely song to listen to. Jeff Buckley pours his heartfelt sensitivity and amazing musicianship into it all, and he does sound really great on this recording. It is the sort of music for those of you out there who value humane passion, sensitivity and romance in music at hand. Jeff Buckley instantly becomes legendary on this song, and he truly sounds great here. A very awesome song which pulls at heartstrings, and which also sounds really great to hear. Acoustic guitars, gorgeous singing and soft organs are present on this song as well. Absolutely awesome and top-notch music to listen to, Jeff Buckley presents his human side to the lover at hand. A sensationally brilliant song. “It’s never over…” indeed in the world of love and lust. All in all, a truly fantastic song to begin this compilation with. Stunning and sweet listening from Jeff Buckley. A great, great song at hand. Absolutely definitive Jeff Buckley, and a tremendously gorgeous listen. The nearly seven minutes that this song lasts seem much shorter upon listening. A seriously cool tune. It wraps up with some softer singing, acoustic guitars and keyboards. Brilliant.

2. Hallelujah is the legendary cover of a Leonard Cohen song. It is one of the most emotional and divine listens ever made. It begins with a gasp of air from Jeff Buckley, and launches into a sombre Fender Telecaster section of playing. It sounds pretty and excellent throughout. It gradually builds up to the song at hand. When Jeff Buckley sings, he sounds regretful and touching throughout. This is a beautiful and powerful song at hand, which sounds absolutely pretty and amazing throughout. If this song does not make you want to cry in awe of its fantastic beauty, nothing will. An absolutely legendary and touching song about the highs and lows of love and lust, wrapped up in despair, this is a truly beautiful song to listen to. Jeff Buckley truly comes alive on this wonderful song, and he sings with passion and beauty. An absolutely awesome piece of music to listen to. There is a sort of anti-guitar solo section in the second half, before the climax of the song. Jeff Buckley sings about the tragic side of love, and this amazing song wraps up extremely well. Jeff Buckley plays and sings with a melodic sensitivity and passion that few could ever dream of. Fantastic music at hand. Awesome stuff. The sustained vocal at the end is insanely good.

3. Just Like A Woman begins with some clean and clear guitars and launches into a superb song that sounds really great. Jeff Buckley could play a neat Fender Telecaster without it sounding like Country Music based twang, like it is typically used for. A really fantastic listening experience from the start. Jeff Buckley sings nicely and melodically on this song, and he delivers a gorgeously melodic and tuneful piece of music at hand. A really awesome and tuneful song to listen to. Jeff Buckley sings a song that sounds really simple, enjoyable and melodically fluid. With lyrics about deep and passionate romance at hand, Jeff Buckley put his heart on his sleeve with this music. A seriously cool and different song that has a unique and pretty power to it. Jeff Buckley does his melodic and beautiful singing and clean, powerful guitars to life on songs such as these. To this very day, fans of Jeff Buckley will enjoy many classic songs such as these. A sweet and lovable reminder of why and how Jeff Buckley was so sensationally good at what he did. A tremendous effort by our main man, and something that sounds really sweet and interesting throughout. A great, great song to listen to, with pure and pretty magic to it all. The outro has some neat and nimble Fender Telecaster parts that sound awesome and fluid. Nice tune.

4. Everybody Here Wants You begins with some straightforward drum beats and launches into an awesome and descriptively intelligent song at hand. Jeff Buckley sings smoothly and emotionally over the top of it all. This is Jeff Buckley in full seduction mode. He sings about a lady of his fancy that every other man is after, and he articulates his pure love and desire for the lady in question. Musically, this is matched by superb and pretty instrumentation at hand, which sounds great. It has some strings in the background as well. If Jeff Buckley had survived, we would have heard much more of this direction of music at hand. Fortunately, we can hear this pretty, emotional and fantastic song at hand which sounds unique. A lively song at hand, which sounds upbeat and wonderful throughout. A seriously golden tune that is pretty, interesting and full of desperation for a lady in Jeff Buckley’s life. This is particularly a great listen for those of you who have ears for Classic Rock Music that demands to be heard. An absolutely awesome song which has some superb and enjoyable songcraft about it all. This sounds even more tragic, given the fact that Jeff Buckley is no longer with us. A great song.

5. Corpus Christi Carol is a pretty and unique song with Jeff Buckley in full Opera mode. Literally, his singing is so good here that he sounds like a female Opera singer rather than just a Rock God that he was. The song itself is a neat and pretty song with the iconic vocals and Fender Telecaster strumming present. This is absolutely a must listen for fans of Jeff Buckley and is a different listening experience than you’d expect. This music is incredibly moving and powerful, evoking imagery in one’s mind and some expanded emotional sense that one can never achieve through other means. A stunning song and something that all fans of Jeff Buckley should listen to for a wow factor hit. Excellent.

6. Last Goodbye begins with some fantastic electric slide guitar at hand, a neat bass guitar riff and launches into a powerful and moving song with acoustic guitars and drums playing on. This music is extremely enjoyable and sweet to hear. It is simply one of the best breakup songs that one can ever hear. This is a classic and fantastic song about giving up, but not giving out. When the chorus hits, one can picture the sore spot of breaking up with a lover who didn’t want one’s love anymore and had to move on. Jeff Buckley sounds fantastic throughout this song, and he is likely singing from a personal perspective here. Strings are thrown into the mix as well. Jeff Buckley made it okay for young men to be sensitive and empathetic to others throughout music. A bittersweet listening experience that has pure magic about it all. A sensationally pretty piece of music magic that is perfect for a tearjerker moment in your life that you need. Jeff Buckley made magical music during his lifetime, and this is one of the best pieces of songcraft he made. Seriously good music to listen to. Awesome listening. The outro is sublime with a touch of piano.

7. Mama, You Been On My Mind – Studio Outtake – 1993 begins with some good guitar chords and excellent bass guitar. A definitely super sweet and lovely listen at hand. Jeff Buckley sings gorgeously on this song, and it comes across as a take on a Bob Dylan-style Blues song throughout. Our main man delivers on this song, and it is indeed beautiful in its very own way. Jeff Buckley sounds tremendous here, and he sounds like a true musician and artist. Indeed, in terms of emotional intensity and delivery, few ever came close to Jeff Buckley’s artistic and musical brilliance. A seriously fantastic listen, and something that is a bit of a rarity for Jeff Buckley. A sweet and lovely song indeed. The guitar at the end is fantastic.

8. Night Flight – Live at Sin-é, New York, NY – July/August 1993 begins with clapping and Jeff Buckley talking to a live audience over guitar strumming. This does have some neat and upbeat guitar strumming at hand, and sounds absolutely awesome in its own way. Jeff Buckley sings over a pseudo-Blues Music styled tune, and he sings and plays beautifully here. This music is timeless and fantastic in its own way, and showcases a wider depth of music that Jeff Buckley was able to create during his short lifetime. An absolutely awesome tune to listen to from the get-go. A seriously cool tune at hand, with Jeff Buckley singing and playing absolutely beautifully. A seriously breezy and upbeat song at hand, which sounds top-notch and superb. Jeff Buckley delivers a fantastic live song, and he sounds absolutely great on this piece. A truly awesome listen informed by the true spirit of Rock and Roll at hand, and something that sounds absolutely cool. Jeff Buckley distils the traditional spirit of music past into a live performance that is great and stunning. A seriously cool and awesome song, with typical Blues Music imagery inside it all. This is simple music for those of you who wish to be musically swayed and touched in a way that you have never been moved by music before. An awesome listen to hear. A sweet and divine tune with an upbeat and optimistic-sounding song at hand. A very stunning listen to hear. Great music for those who value human emotions. The applause at the end is much deserved.

9. Eternal Life – Live at Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, May 13, 1995 has Jeff Buckley stating: “You probably know this song already”, to begin with. It has some tremendous Fender Telecaster playing, and the band enters with some loud feedback and drums following. Jeff Buckley sings tremendously and loudly here, and this is definitely a discordant-sounding piece of music throughout. It quickly launches into a loud, bombastic and fierce-sounding tune at hand. This music is very different to the album version, and quite frankly, not as good as it could be. Still, Jeff Buckley and his bandmates put in a stunning performance in their own way. A seriously cool listen throughout that has some powerful and thrashy playing by the band. An awesome and punchy tune to listen to that has some lively and supercharged instrumentation. Quite frankly, this isn’t as good as the album version, but Jeff Buckley sounds aggressive, and the band matches his feelings in terms of mood. Nonetheless, this has many twists and turns throughout that sound interesting and punchy. A tremendous and awesome tune to listen to, with many different music sections that are surprising. Not the greatest live performance, but good nonetheless. The crowd cheers and applauds at the end.

10. Grace begins with gorgeous and chiming Fender Telecasters and launches into a seriously fantastic song at hand. Jeff Buckley sings in a clear, lovely voice at hand and this tune has strummed acoustic guitars, crystal clear and gorgeous singing, along with pounding drums. This is a monumental song that sounds really pretty and beautiful throughout, and is absolutely awesome music to hear. A sweet and tasteful piece of music is present at hand with some excellent guitar playing and singing in particular. A thoroughly fantastic song that is from the same album as this name, which is graceful indeed. A beautiful song with some synth strings and other neat musical touches throughout. The music and performances are world-class on this song, and it is a graceful listen indeed. Jeff Buckley sings and plays in a way that is memorable and fantastic throughout. The music, performances and sounds throughout are absolutely awesome and sweet to listen to. This is very much an adventure of deep, powerful and emotional playing and performing throughout. Jeff Buckley’s voice is in fine form on this album, and the conclusion is really epic to hear. Cool music at hand is here, and it all sounds really fantastic musically. Great song and listening experience.

11. Mojo Pin begins with a volume swell in the right channel, followed by some neat guitar work. Jeff Buckley sings gorgeously here, and he sounds absolutely and wonderfully magical throughout. His harmonies are really blissful to hear. He sings about lying in bed and making love to a lady, with some very appropriate music to match it all. An extraordinarily fantastic and lively song to listen to, and it has some relaxed and tuneful guitars and drums to match Jeff Buckley’s gorgeous singing voice. An absolutely awesome song, and something that many listeners can connect with. Yes, it is seemingly a song about heroin use, but all in all, it sounds really awesome and great for what it is. The lyrics are fantastic and passionate throughout, and Jeff Buckley strikes a chord with his listeners, and he delivers an interesting song at hand which sounds pretty, lively and unique. Towards the end, shuffle drums enter, and this tune sounds gorgeously unique. This music is seriously fantastic, and it sounds divine and monumental throughout. A very awesome song to listen to, and something that many can click with. It ends with a furious energy and sonic sounds that are awesome.

12. Everyday People – Extended Version begins with some drums in the background and launches into a smooth and sweet listening experience that sounds really great with some electric-acoustic guitar. A very sweet, stomp-style listening experience that sounds really cool. Jeff Buckley sings smoothly and beautifully on this song, and he sings a simple and beautiful song about the everyday lives that people live. He stops the song halfway through as he forgets the lyrics. This is obviously a studio run-through. Some breakbeat-like drumming emerges here, and the song restarts again. This is an awesome and sweet tune at hand that sounds really calm, cool and clever throughout, for all its faults. Jeff Buckley sings irresistibly as this song goes on. He sings and sounds really fine and fantastic, with some awesome lyrics and singing throughout. Even for a studio run-through of a song at hand, Jeff Buckley sounds absolutely fantastic here. The music and sounds are fantastic for this song. A good example of exactly what Jeff Buckley was musically good at. Seriously interesting music and lovely to hear. This is sweet and enjoyable music to enjoy. The funky guitar work is supremely great as well. A really cool tune to listen to throughout. Sweet and tasteful music by Jeff Buckley. The guitar playing at the end is neat.

13. Lilac Wine – Live at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, AU – Feb 1996 begins with some cool and calm vocals by Jeff Buckley, and leads into a fantastic rendition of the song from Grace (1994). A magical and mystical tune with some fantastic multi-octave vocals by Jeff Buckley. This is an ode to the art form of getting drunk by wine and the experiences that one can have when intoxicated. A seriously cool and interesting live version of the song at hand. It sounds raw, lively and real throughout. An absolutely awesome tune at hand, which sounds crystal clear and golden. A seriously awesome and cool song at hand, this music has a multitude of layers and sections, with a fantastic vocal part that peaks with clear power. Jeff Buckley was an artist extraordinaire who delivered a sweet and lovely tune at hand. This shows that Jeff Buckley and his band could cut it live as well. A wonderful and sensitive-sounding tune with neat guitar chord progressions and fantastic vocals. A seriously cool and interesting song at hand that sounds very supremely cool to listen to. A stunning and great performance throughout, which has some deeply interesting sounds about it all. Seriously cool to hear, the ending is very subtle. The cheering and applause at the end are awesome.

14. I Want Someone Badly features Shudder To Think. It begins with some fantastic opening vocals by Jeff Buckley and launches into a warped-sounding 12-bar blues sort of piece of music. This sounds tremendously fantastic and beautiful, with some backing harmonies and saxophone as well from the guest. This sounds a lot like The Rolling Stones as a result. An absolutely loveable and awesome song that makes a fresh impression musically on the listener. Seriously good to listen to, this music has beauty, energy and power from within. A really iconic and loveable tune which is short and sweet throughout. It finalises with some intense and pretty vocals by Jeff Buckley and the band playing along very nicely.

15. Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin – Live at Sin-é, New York, NY – July/August 1993 begins with some spacey proto-Coldplay guitar work, which sounds really great to hear. Jeff Buckley sings a pretty and unique song that has power and purpose throughout. A sweet, enjoyable and lovely song with glorious and heavenly vocals, alongside Fender Telecaster playing. This music is very timeless and interesting throughout, and is miles better than anything that is popular in the 21st century today. Some sung French vocal parts are very lovely as well. This music is extremely wonderful and magical to listen to. A gorgeous and romantic-sounding tune that deserves your attention and ears. Jeff Buckley’s romantic French lyrics are really great as well. This is a divine and lovely tune which, although simple, works in a sensationally good way for the listener. This song is one of the most overlooked Jeff Buckley music pieces that one really should hear today. An excellent rendition of a song that sounds romantic and old-fashioned. This is a sweet and top tune that one can fall in love with. A fantastic listen from beginning to end, and the crowd approves as well.

16. Dream Brother – Alternate Take begins with some amplifier hum and launches into the dark and moody song at hand. This is just as good as the final album version, and it sounds magically and powerfully great. Jeff Buckley sings a nice tune at hand, and he really does sound excellent. This song is a fantastic storytelling tune, likely about Jeff Buckley’s father, Tim Buckley. In any case, this song is pretty, unique and gorgeous for what it is. The drumming and percussion, in particular, are noteworthy on this tune, sounding absolutely top-notch to hear. A sweet and pretty tune to listen to, which sounds powerfully moving and is a sore reminder of one’s fate as they pass on. The guitar solo section throughout is extremely good to hear, before Jeff Buckley returns on vocals. An interesting and joyous listen throughout, which sounds extremely cool. This song is a classic tune that has a Joy Division feel about it. Very dark and gloomy-sounding, which likely influenced Radiohead to do the same later on in the decade with their own music. The outro is different from the original, but this is a great listen, period.

17. New Year’s Prayer begins with a neatly layered, Oasis Live Forever-style beat. It sounds fantastic, and the song launches into action at hand. Jeff Buckley sings about falling in love and having no self-shame amongst great Rock Music instrumentation. This is more textural than necessarily a song, but it does sound really fantastic throughout. This is an excellent song that has character, style and attitude throughout. This is exactly the New Year’s resolution that everybody needs, set to music. This is a sensationally good song with layers of sound and digitally made instrumentation that sounds super great. The drums in the background propel this along nicely, alongside a wall-of-sound and layers of gorgeous instrumentation to listen to. This is a Jeff Buckley prayer for the year ahead. A very cool tune, even if this is not Jeff Buckley’s most loved song by fans. The long outro eventually has many electronics, before it minimises to a trippy and interesting conclusion. Again, a really great song by Jeff Buckley. The outro is weird.

18. I Shall Be Released – Live at Sin-é, New York, NY – July/August 1993 is another live performance which begins with some different guitar chords. This is a great rendition of a cover song that sounds gorgeous and powerful throughout. It sounds smooth and sweet, and is a pretty, beautiful and different-sounding song at hand. It builds up in intensity and playing, and Jeff Buckley sounds fantastic here. It sounds a heck of a lot like the Eagles on this song, in fact, although this is quintessential Jeff Buckley at hand. It is another solidly magical and fantastic song that has some sweet and tasty guitar playing. It is a very beautiful and wonderful song that has some pretty and dynamic playing in it. An absolutely awesome and top tune that has some fantastic musicianship. The guitar playing in the second half is prominently loud and fantastic, and Jeff Buckley sings in a lovely and passionate way. A really gorgeous and tuneful piece of artistic beauty is present here, and this is a solo performance that makes perfect sense to listen to. It sounds absolutely marvellous to listen to. It slowly reaches its grand conclusion after five minutes in length. Fantastic to hear. The audience applauds as well.

19. Vancouver is a major Canadian city near the USA border. It begins with some mid-position Fender guitar playing and launches into a good song at hand, which sounds nice and anthemic simultaneously. This is a short and sweet tune that is about romantic love at hand. A seriously refreshing sounding song that has some interesting guitar work in it all. A straightforward and fantastic song with guitars galore, alongside a neat and dirty-sounding guitar solo in the second half of it all. This is something that sounds very Radiohead-like, again, but is an original Jeff Buckley piece, in its own way. An awesome and lively tune that sounds really divine and sweet, amongst the loud and gritty-sounding guitar playing. It ends suddenly after three minutes in length.

20. Yard Of Blonde Girls begins with some loud and overdriven electric guitars and some punchy drumming. This is a very unusual-sounding Jeff Buckley tune that sounds quite Grungy overall. This is a tune about lust and desire, and it has Jeff Buckley singing very well. This is a good song with an articulate and wonderful listening nature for its different sounds. A powerful and interesting listen throughout that has Jeff Buckley lusting after ladies, set to music. This is very unusual for Jeff Buckley, and it sounds different and tremendously awesome for that. This is basically like Jeff Buckley distilling the spirit of Jim Morrison onto a post-Grunge piece of Alternative Rock. A sweet and passionate listen that is devoted to blonde-haired ladies. Awesome stuff.

21. Forget Her begins with some clean and clear Fender Telecaster guitar parts and launches into a dark and moving-sounding piece of songcraft. This is deeply moving and sad, and it is about a relationship break-up. The music and sounds throughout are professionally executed and fantastic for this moving and tear-jerking sounding song. This is a perfect song to listen to in the event of a breakup in one’s life. A pretty, enjoyable and above all, heartbreaking listen with some passionate and excellently delivered musicianship and emotion throughout. A majestic tune that has some fantastic singing, there is some fantastically surreal and lively guitar soloing in the middle of the song. This proves that the Fender Telecaster is a seriously good instrument, not just for Country Music, and the sounds and musicianship are solidly good. Jeff Buckley sings with some passionate fury in the second half as this song reaches its glorious climax. A fantastic song that has some sweet and lovely glory in amongst the misery that this song exudes. A really great effort by Jeff Buckley, and something that all people who have been through some serious relationship issues should hear. Awesome.

22. The Other Woman – Studio Outtake – 1993 is a shorter song with some more mellow Fender Telecaster playing on it from the start. Jeff Buckley sings smoothly and sweetly on top of it all. Jeff Buckley is in full deliverance vocally with beauty and grace throughout. A sweet and divine listen which sounds really heavenly. Jeff Buckley sings nicely and well, with some gorgeously delivered and sustained vocals that are quite frankly beautiful. This music plays on nicely and sounds supremely great throughout. This is a gem by Jeff Buckley that is a rarity, with some completely tasteful and beautiful lone vocals to complete the song, followed by some guitar harmonics. Great.

23. Hallelujah – Live at Bearsville Studios, New York – 1993 is the final song on this compilation. It begins with some different-sounding guitar playing from the original. It leads into the song gradually with some pretty and divine guitar playing at hand, which is unique and gorgeous throughout. A gorgeous and magical-sounding song that has some fantastic guitar playing to it all. It gradually leads into the main section of music at hand. Jeff Buckley sings sweetly and with a lovely singing voice, which is unforgettable. This is different-sounding from the main version of the song as it is in a different tuning, but the majesty and beauty of this song and this version of the song are unmistakable. A really lovely listen which articulates the ups and downs of love and life throughout. A seriously awesome listen from start to finish, and something that fans of Jeff Buckley will value. The second half of the song is a fantastic listen with gorgeously delivered vocals and a sweet build-up towards the end of it all. This is a pretty and quintessential listen that has strong and awesome vocals throughout. A great finish to a great compilation to accompany a great film that has been made in memory of a fantastic musician. The intricate guitar picking and vocals at the end are awesome. Fantastic.

This is a fine compilation to represent the best of Jeff Buckley’s music throughout his unfortunately short lifetime. Yes, to be fair, some moments are better than others, but even so, this is the best of such a talented musician who makes crystal clear sense to listen to. It is a winner overall. Should you listen to this compilation release? Yes, especially if you have seen the accompanying film at this stage. People who do not like guitar-based music should look elsewhere, however.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.