The life and career of Jeff Buckley is a sad and classic “what if?” affair. His output was minimal, with tons of promise, but the son of legendary artist Tim Buckley was cut short by a tragic swimming accident at the upswing of his career. What we have here is his very first recording, part of Sony Legacy’s attempt to re-introduce Buckley to the world with a series of recordings in both digital and hard copy format.
This one, You and I, makes up his very first studio recordings from 1993. They include Spartan versions of two of his most famous songs, “Grace” and “Dream of You and I” delivered in an intimate setting. His heart on sleeve delivery is combined with an ecumenical selection of material on this collection of previously unreleased recordings. There’s a clever folk-ified take of Sly and Family Stones’ “Everyday People” that is a pure joy, while “Poor Boy a Long Way From Home” takes you to the rural field hollars. With the flick of a wrist he interprets Led Zeppelin on “Night Flight” and even a song from the film Baghdad Café’ gets a read, as on “Calling You.” What comes across on this album is an earnest artist truly in love with his craft. Inspiring on many levels, with music that deserves to be heard and evaluated in context.
Sony Legacy