Jeff Buckley - Corpus Christi Carol - Grace
First there was Grace
And then his music was stilled
but still, it lingers
Cori MacNaughton
Of all of the remarkable songs on 1994's "Grace," perhaps the most remarkable, and surprising, was the inclusion of Benjamin Britten's adaptation of the 16th century "Corpus Christi Carol," which as some reviewers have said, really didn't "fit" with the rest of the album.
From my standpoint, however, having come late to Buckley's work, and as a fellow songwriter, knowing at least something of the musical influences that brought him to include it, I not only think it fits quite well, but it absolutely showcases his remarkable vocal range and control in its best light.
The story I have heard most frequently is that a friend introduced him to the song in high school, which is when I first encountered it as well, and Buckley chose to include the song in honor of his friend. I for one am grateful that he did.
Today, 29 May 2018, is the twenty-first anniversary of his death.
Jeff Buckley - Opened Once
Buckley was a true tenor, and as a true contralto, I sing in the same vocal range. Which is why I have generally gravitated toward male singers, in my musical preferences over the years, as it is far easier for me to sing in their range, than it is with the majority of female singers.
And yet I, as a small woman, having sung all my life, have to struggle to hit the same high notes that Buckley reached with relative ease. I have close to a three octave range, which is considered quite good, but Buckley had close to a four octave range, which is a rare and unusual gift.
A young music student, in studying Buckley's recorded works, documented that his vocal range was a full three and a half octaves plus, in the same range as Pavarotti, so I can only be grateful that Buckley chose rock and not opera, or I would most likely never have come to appreciate his music in the way I have (much to my mother's consternation). ;-)
And, as she also noted, Buckley had the enviable ability to reach the highest portions of his range with both his head voice and his chest voice; which means that not only could he sing the high notes in falsetto, but also without the need to resort to falsetto, with the ability to belt out the notes when he chose to do so, as he often did to great effect.
Jeff Buckley - Morning Theft
The album that Jeff was working on, at the time of his death, had the working title "My Sweetheart the Drunk."
After his untimely death, Jeff's mother Mary Guibert brought in help from some of Jeff's musician friends to choose the tracks to include, including his friend and collaborator Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden; which is even more poignant in light of Cornell's recent death at his own hand. RIP Chris Cornell.
Because of the unfinished quality of some of the songs, which would now never be finished, the title "Sketches from My Sweetheart the Drunk" was chosen, and deemed appropriate under the circumstances, as they were indeed sketches of the finished songs that Buckley had ultimately intended to make.
For those who emphasize the uneven quality of songs on the album, I can only say that yes, Jeff himself was unsatisfied with the sessions as they stood, and his band was literally arriving in Memphis to resume recording on the night he died. Damn and double damn.
Jeff Buckley - Vancouver, Album Version
Despite the unevenness of the songs on the album, the fact remains that there are some outstanding tracks, many of which I am including in this post. And certainly, opinion being the subjective creature that it is, others will maintain that I left out the best tracks, as tastes necessarily differ greatly.
"Opened Once" and "Morning Theft" both boast some of Buckley's most beautiful lyrics, and among his most moving performances. "Morning Theft," in particular, is rumored to have been written about Buckley's intense relationship with Scottish musician Elizabeth Fraser, the ethereal vocalist of the Cocteau Twins.
"Vancouver," above, is one of my favorite tracks, showing Buckley's ability to rock the house, while still working meaningful and moving lyrics into the mix, along with his stellar guitar riffs.
The track moves well, the band shows themselves off to excellent advantage, and Buckley's performance is first rate, with effective and moving vocals and great guitar work.
Interestingly, one of the songs that a couple of others had assumed I'd hate, has turned out to be one of my favorites, which is "Nightmares by the Sea." Among the darkest lyrics from Buckley, again the focus is on drowning, but in this case the tables are turned:
"I've loved so many times and I've drowned them all
From their coral graves they rise up when darkness falls
with their bones they scratch the windows, I hear them call
'Don't know what you asked for, don't know what you asked for'"
And no, this is not a comic murder ballad. It comes across, however, more as a song about the death of ego, in small but increasing increments, than of literal murder, but perhaps that is just my take.
Jeff Buckley- Nightmares by the Sea
Then again, one of Jeff's friends assured him that "The Sky is a Landfill" would be the "Stairway to Heaven" of his generation.
Ummm, okay, I have to admit it that I don't get how he could even say that. Clearly I'm missing something that he found in the song. Yes, the song has interesting lyrics, but equivalent to "Stairway to Heaven?"
I'll leave it to you to decide.
Jeff Buckley - The Sky is a Landfill
Drummer Matt Johnson on Jeff Buckley and the Making of "Grace"
And I would love to hear your take in the comments.
Jeff Buckley's Music - Day 131 - Daily Haiku - Grace for Drowning, Part 4 - Humor and Running Theme
Jeff Buckley's Music - Day 130 - Daily Haiku - Grace for Drowning, Part 3
Jeff Buckley's Music - Day 129 - Daily Haiku - Grace for Drowning, Part 2
Jeff Buckley's Music - Day 128 - Daily Haiku - Grace for Drowning, Part 1
Laughter is the Best - Day 127 - Daily Haiku - and even more Comic Gems
Lovely Hummingbirds - Day 126 - Daily Haiku
Most Charitable Poetry Contest #1 - Speaking My Truth - Original Poetry
Nashville at Nighttime - Day 125 - Daily Haiku
Comic recordings - Day 124 - Daily Haiku - More Comic Genius
Music is My Joy - Day 123 - Daily Haiku - and a Tribute to Tom Lehrer's Comic Genius
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The images and videos are the intellectual property of Jeff Buckley's estate, his producers and record companies, and all rights remain with them.
I claim no rights, but offer these videos, as I offer all the music videos I post, in the hopes of promoting my favorite music artists, so that more people become familiar with their music, and that they grow their fan base in the process, as they so richly deserve.
Jeff Buckley, absolutely, should be far better known than he is today.
The photo of our dog, Lolo, and our late cat, Miod, I took as they were cooperatively begging at the dinner table, despite our longstanding rule of not feeding them from the table.
You can see how much that deterred them both.
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