Here’s a “great” album that I never listen to.
Jeff Buckley’s Grace, a brilliant debut to be sure, took on iconic status when he drowned a few years after its release. Its mix of soaring vocals, acrobatic guitar work and ambitious song structures heralded a fierce talent who would sadly never get to reach his potential.
But while I truly love the album’s grandly intimate moments (‘Last Goodbye,’ ‘Lover, You Should Have Come Over,’ ‘Lilac Wine’ and his definitive take on Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’), the heavier stuff loses me.
Today’s track, ‘Eternal Life,’ is an example of the latter, a plodding rocker that makes poor use of Buckley’s ample gifts.
Got my red glitter coffin, man, just need one last nail
While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games
There’s a flaming red horizon that screams our names
And as your fantasies are broken in two
Did you really think this bloody road
Would pave the way for you?
You better turn around
And blow your kiss hello to life eternal, angel
Racist everyman, what have you done?
Man, you’ve made a killer of your unborn son…
Crown my fear your king at the point of a gun
All I want to do is love everyone…
And as your fantasies are broken in two
Did you really think this bloody road
Would pave the way for you?
You better turn around
And blow your kiss hello to life eternal
Oh…
There’s no time for hatred, only questions
Where is love, where is happiness, what is Life
Where is peace?
When will I find the strength to bring me release?
And tell me where is the love in what your prophet has said?
Man, It sounds to me just like a prison for the walking dead
And I’ve got a message for you and your twisted hell
You better turn around and blow your kiss goodbye
To life eternal angel…
Angel…
Meet Me In Montauk 
Yeah, this doesn’t do it for me, at least not at 8:30 on a quiet Sunday morning.