Jeff Buckley was plenty enigmatic and ethereal in life, so in death, he could only take on a mythical quality well-served by his status as a cult act. It took nine years and an ocean of accolades for his breathtaking debut Grace to sell half a million copies, which is surprising given how often he's name-checked by the media and musicians far more popular than he ever was. Fortunately, there's still enough fan interest to spark a steady stream of posthumous releases, but those have tended to be wildly uneven or weighted down with filler, from reconstituted live material to previously released B-sides. That said, it's hard to find fault with the desirability or presentation of Live At Sin-é: Legacy Edition, an early-years collection that expands 1993's four-song introductory EP from 26 to 157 minutes, with a bonus 10-minute DVD to boot. Never a prolific songwriter, Buckley was a masterful interpreter, and this package features an impressive variety of selections that shed light on his influences, from the obvious (Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan) to those that become obvious once he covers them (Nina Simone, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). The Sin-é tapes span only a few nights, so it's no surprise that a few of his covers (Led Zeppelin's "Night Flight," Ray Charles' "Drown In My Own Tears") are notable more for their rarity than for any exceptional quality. Even at 26, Buckley was still finding his creative voice, and the process occasionally finds him overworking his considerable range here. And in the case of "Lover, You Should've Come Over," he hasn't yet mastered the art of momentum or self-editing; the song drags on for nine minutes (and a never-before-heard extra verse) without picking up steam. But all the nitpicking in the world can't drown out the bittersweet excitement Legacy Edition generates, from the abundance of never-bootlegged rarities to the emphasis on freewheeling banter to the fragments of subtly spectacular guitar work that begin "Strange Fruit" and Buckley's signature concert staple, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." In Buckley's sure hands, "Hallelujah" couldn't be more moving, but it's nearly matched here by the revelatory likes of "If You Knew" and "Twelfth Of Never." Best of all may be his cover of Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing," which for more than 10 graceful minutes chronicles the sound of Buckley discovering the depth of his power, as he learns just how loud his quietest moments can be. It's an awe-inspiring display, and a pleasure to hear it made public at last.
a.v. undercover 2011 »
25 more bands, 25 more cover songs, still one small, round room.
-
Undercover 2011: Watch the re-cap and vote
Get knocked down, get up again.
September 15, 2011 -
Fruit Bats cover "The Other Woman" by Loretta Lynn
A return engagement from The Fruit Bats.
September 13, 2011 -
Peter Bjorn And John cover "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding
Peter Bjorn and John amp up what was supposed to be a staid love song.
September 6, 2011
recent music reviews
- B Van Halen: A Different Kind Of Truth
- B+ Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
- B+ Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks
- B Air: Le Voyage Dans La Lune
- C+ Paul McCartney: Kisses On The Bottom
- B+ The Twilight Sad: No One Can Ever Know
- A- Dr. Dog: Be The Void
- C- Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral
- C- Lindstrøm: Six Cups Of Rebel
- A- Patrice O’Neal
- D Lana Del Rey: Born To Die
- A- Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
- A- Hospitality: Hospitality
- B+ Escort: Escort
- B Imperial Teen: Feel The Sound
- C Black Bananas: Rad Times Xpress IV
- B+ Imbogodom: And They Turned Not When They Went
- B+ Heems: Nehru Jackets
- B Schoolboy Q: Habits & Contradictions
- A- John Mulaney: New In Town
Most Read . . .
-
Inventory
Landmark films: 13 newly constructed buildings prominently featured in film -
TV Club
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards -
TV Club
“Nebraska” -
Newswire
R.I.P. Whitney Houston -
For Our Consideration
Why is TV scheduling so terrible for viewers and networks alike? -
Trailer
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -
TV Club
“Zooey Deschanel/Karmin” -
TV Club
“Series Two, Episode Six.” -
Game Review
The Darkness II -
100 Episodes
Everybody Loves Raymond
random rules »
We take an artist and their iPod, then hit shuffle.
-
Kim Dickens
The Treme actress exposes her country roots—plus an affinity for R. Kelly.
April 25, 2011 -
Jay Ryan
The poster artist and Dianogah bassist goes deep into his iTunes for The A.V. Club.
December 10, 2010 -
Charlie Day
One of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s stars takes his mp3 player for a shuffle and finds every genre under the sun.
October 26, 2010
then that's what they called music! »
Nathan Rabin listens to more than a decade's worth of America's most popular pop music
-
Vol. 38 (May 2011)
Final installment! As THEN! catches up with the extremely recent past, it faces the apocalyptic threat of Black Eyed Peas one last time.
July 19, 2011 -
Vol. 37 (February, 2011)
Is Ke$ha’s real message that she’s a homeless woman desperately looking for a bed for the night?
July 5, 2011 -
Vol. 36 (November, 2010)
Katy Perry has teenage dreams. Sugarland gets stuck like glue.
June 21, 2011
newswire »
- Catholic leaders upset over Nicki Minaj performance specifically intended to upset Catholic leaders Feb 13, 2012
- Dan Aykroyd now saying he'll just recast Bill Murray's part in Ghostbusters 3 Feb 13, 2012
- Denzel Washington may take a break from being an agent or cop or something to play Thelonious Monk Feb 13, 2012
- Ben Stiller hires people who are not Ben Stiller to help Ben Stiller remake The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Feb 13, 2012
- Rambo 5 might be happening after all Feb 13, 2012
- What's On Tonight: You should read our Voice reviews because how else will you pretend to be a functioning human being? Feb 13, 2012
- Saoirse Ronan to play non-Snow White in Disney's Snow White movie that isn't a Snow White movie, it swears Feb 13, 2012
- The Grammys draw largest television audience since 1984 Feb 13, 2012
- Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter teaser: Yep, that's Abraham Lincoln, hunting vampires Feb 13, 2012
- The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman being sued by original illustrator and former best friend Feb 13, 2012
