A summary of JB's live work (Jeff Buckley - live)

Member Name: iamasadlittleboy

Product:	Jeff Buckley - live
Date:	04/05/07 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A memory of what could have been for those too young

Disadvantages: His passing

Despite never hearing of Jeff Buckley until years after his death, his music
still really lives on due to his contribution to music, and his orgasmic
live performances. These live performances were what kept fans of Grace (hie
only studio album) so enthralled with him. The first of these came out
before Grace and was "Live a sin-e'" (1993). Sin-e' was a cafe' that Jeff
picked up a regular performance slot, and was spotted by many companies,
most noteably Columbia, of whom he signed for.

This album featured 4 tracks, 2 originals and 2 covers, the track listing
was:
"Mojo Pin" ( Jeff Buckley, Gary Lucas) – 5:52 (Original Lucas-Buckley)
"Eternal Life" (Jeff Buckley) – 5:43 (Original Buckley)
"Je N' en Connais Pas la Fin" (R. Asso, M. Monnot) – 5:00 (Cover of Edith
Piaf)
"The Way Young Lovers Do" (Van Morrison) – 10:02 (Cover of Van
Morrison)

This album was re-released 10 years later in 2003 as a double CD and
featured all the songs that were taped on the two nights in 1993 by
Columbia. The re-release features mostly additional covers such as:
Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah",
Nina Simone's "If You Knew"
Bob Dylans ""Just Like a Woman", "If You See Her, Say Hello" and "I Shall Be
Released"
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai"
And more original's such as
"Unforgiven" (which later became "Last goodbye")
"Lover, You Should Have Come Over" and "Eternal life"

This re-release is a very good buy (far better value for money than the
increasingly rare original), and helps us all see what Buckley's death
robbed us of musically.

The second of his Live albums was "Live at the Batacalan" (the only one I've
never actually heard), released in 1995 the track listing is:

"Dream Brother" (Jeff Buckley, Mick Grondahl, Matt Johnson) – 7:26
"The Way Young Lovers Do" (Van Morrison) – 12:12
Also includes a short improv of "Ivo" (Cocteau Twins) at about – 9:10
"Medley" – 5:40
"Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin" (Raymond Asso, Marguerite Monno) – 5:40
"Hymne à l'Amour" (Monnot, Édith Piaf) – 5:40
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) – 9:25

I can't say too much on this as I've never heard it, but the first track is
an original by his band from Grace, the second is a Van Morrison cover, I'm
totally unsure about the Medley, the following two are both Edith Piaf
covers and the final track is a Buckley favourite. The album (like one of
Jeff's other live albums) was done in Paris, a city that helped Edith Piaf
make a name for herself, which may explain the covers of her.

"Mysterious white boy" was the next released, and this was in 2000 over 2
years after Jeff had tragically drowned in the Wolfe River. My full detailed
review of this album can be found on Dooyoo, but heres a summary.
Track list:
"Dream Brother" (Jeff Buckley, Mick Grondahl, Matt Johnson)
"I Woke Up in a Strange Place" (Jeff Buckley)
"Mojo Pin" (Jeff Buckley, Gary Lucas)
"Lilac Wine" (Jack Shelton)
"What Will You Say" (Azar, Buckley, Dowd)
"Last Goodbye" (Jeff Buckley)
"Eternal Life" (Jeff Buckley)
"Grace" (Jeff Buckley, Gary Lucas)
"Moodswing Whiskey" (Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe)
"The Man That Got Away" (Arlen, Gershwin)
"Kanga-Roo" (Alex Chilton)
"Hallelujah/I Know It's Over" (medley) (Leonard Cohen / Johnny Marr,
Morrissey)

Bonus Australian Disc
"That's All I Ask" (Nina Simone)
"Lover, You Should've Come Over" (Jeff Buckley)
"So Real" (Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe)

All the music here was recorded from the tours Jeff did to support the
release of Grace 6 years previous. The album opens with a song done
originally by Buckley and his band (Mick Grondahl, Matt Johnson and Micheal
Tighe). The second was a previously unreleased Buckley original, "Mojo pin"
is a song he did with Gary Lucas (When Jeff was working with lucas in and
around 1991-1992, during his "Gods and monsters" tenure), "Lilac wine" is a
song he often covered and most noteably, he covered Nina Simone's version
most accurately.

"What Will You Say" Was a song written by a friend of Buckleys (Chris Dowd)
and Buckley helped him make it into a full song, and it was again,
previously unreleased. "Last goodbye" was finally called "Last goodbye" and
not "Unforgiven" (as it was on the Sin-e' and "Songs to no one 1991-92 album
he did with Gary Lucas). Eternal life and Grace are very similar to the
versions off Grace, Moodswing whiskey was another Buckley original, "The Man
That Got Away" was a cover (I'm unsure on who did it originally), Kanga-Roo"
is another cover, thought this one seems to have merged with a Jam session
and the final track "Hallelujah/I Know It's Over"" is a pleasure to listen
to and a fine ending to this album.

The Australian extra's I'm not too upto date on, but they are all on
Buckley's other Album(s), with So real being a last minute replacement to
"Forget her" on Grace.

The next Live album to be released was "Live at L'Olympia", his second and
final Paris based album, and what he considered his best performance. In the
arena where Piaf Made her name, Jeff felt he could feel her aura in the
arena.
The track listing was:

"Lover, You Should've Come Over" (Jeff Buckley) – 7:47
"Dream Brother" (Jeff Buckley, Mick Grondahl, Matt Johnson) – 8:00
"Eternal Life" (Jeff Buckley) – 5:06
"Kick Out the Jams" (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis
Thompson, Rob Tyner) – 3:06
"Lilac Wine" (Jack Shelton) – 5:39
"Grace" (Jeff Buckley, Gary Lucas) – 6:08
"That's All I Ask" (Ott) – 5:18
"Kashmir" (John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) – 1:34
"Je N'en Connais Pas la Fin" (Asso, Monnot) – 6:25
"Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen) – 9:35
"What Will You Say" (featuring Alim Qasimov) (Jeff Buckley) – 7:49

The songs I've spoken about already I won't bother re-iterating.

Kick out the Jams is an MC5 cover (MC5 were a proto-punk band from before the Sex Pistols), Thats all I ask is a quaint little soft almost dreamy song. Kashmir is "This is what happens if you play the led Zep song at 45 rpm instead of 33rpm" (or something along that lines).

The "Hallelujah" on here does need a mention, it's what Jeff had said was his best performance of a single song, and it shows (my review of the CD is actually on Ciao for those interested in a more in depth view).

The final song is a duet with Azerbajanian Magham singer Alim Qasimov and has him performing several mugham vocal parts throught the song.

The only other view we have to Jeff Buckley's live work (bar the radio based recorded works he did) was "Live at Chicago" a DVD that was released on the same day as Mystery white boy, and can be bought with it, or as a single DVD.

Track listing (Live at Cabaret Metro, Chicago)
Dream Brother
Lover, You Should Have Come Over
Mojo Pin
So Real
Last Goodbye
Eternal Life
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Lilac Wine
What Will You Say
Grace
Vancouver (instrumental)
Kanga Roo (Big Star)
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

All the same songs as we've heard before until we get to "Vancouver" which if memory serves me right, isn't the same as the "Vancouver" from Sketches..., The MC5 cover does have someone else helping but sadly I can't recall their name. The DVD is basically Mystery white boy in DVD format, with the following (previously unreleased) bonuses:

So Real (acoustic)
Last Goodbye (acoustic)
Previously unreleased Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
Discography


So with that out of the way what was Jeff Buckley like live?
Well an excellent talent who never sounded the same twice, he changed everything and his band were almost able to pick up on the slightest of things, helping everything seem so seamless. A singer first, and entertainer secondly, but you amazingly wouldn't be able to tell.

Summary: A brilliant set of releases for people like myself