everybody here thinks he needs you
Sixteen years ago today, Jeff Buckley went swimming in a tributary of the Mississippi River, and was pulled under. Back then I was a few weeks away from graduating high school, and can still remember reading the snippet of printed news in the paper that morning. I can still hear the blood rushing in my ears at that moment.
I’ve probably written more about Jeff than any other artist on this blog, and the purity and power in his music still flies straight and true into the best parts of me. Hyperbole aside, the more music I listen to and the more years that calcify around me, the more I realize what a startling light he was. When I recognized the anniversary today it felt like a punch to the gut.
I’d never seen this documentary, but you can (and should) watch the whole hour-long thing online today:
TODAY’S LISTENING:
I’ve also gone through all my archives here and pulled out a few noteworthy posts (with working mp3s) of all sorts of Jeff goodness that you may have missed. Recommended listening today:
– Jeff’s first live performance ever at the legendary tribute to his father
– A bevy of songs written about Jeff or inspired by Jeff, from other musicians. One of my first posts ever on this blog back in 2005.
– Full show from 1995 in Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza
– An absolutely blissful cover of “I Shall Be Released,” with my favorite laugh of his at the end.
I miss you, Jeff.
[photo by Merri Cyr, of course]
Name: Heather Browne
Heather, so sad to think that was 16 yrs ago.
Here is Road to Calvary (FOR JEFF BUCKLEY) is exactly how it’s titled. I was actually AT THIS EXACT Concert with my wife.
For Jeff:
http://www.myspace.com/willienile/music/songs/on-the-road-to-calvary-75005533
kevin — May 29, 2013 @ 1:07 pm
IXNAY That Version please.
THIS Is The Studio version.
MUCH MUCH Better.
And Beautiful, too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6O4tUrYc_k
kevin — May 29, 2013 @ 1:10 pm