Jeff Buckley - So Real: Songs From Jeff Buckley

Well baby, I’ve been here before…

Released in time for the 10th anniversary of Buckley’s untimely death, this album finds itself in the unfortunate position of being a best of for a man who only released one finished album, which itself has already been released in an expanded edition. Inevitably, it seems a bit of a pointless exercise.

All the tracks bar two are available elsewhere: frustrating when there is still rumoured to be unreleased material from the My Sweetheart The Drunk era. As an introduction for the uninitiated, it’s fine (although no Lilac Wine) but really, when the body of work is so small, is an abridged version necessary? There are liner notes by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke and exclusive pictures by Merri Cyr, but the main draw for the converted will be an unreleased cover of The Smiths’ I Know It’s Over from a 1995 studio session. There’s already a live medley of this song on the Grace Legacy Edition, but this is the full thing, and is heart-stoppingly lovely, with Buckley delivering a finely judged restrained vocal. There’s also a nice live acoustic take on So Real, previously only available as a promo single. It goes without saying that the rest is amazing, but that’s hardly news, is it?

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Sony | 88697088322

Reviewed by Emily Mackay
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