Best magazine, November, 1994
By Philippe Juge
Contributed by Sai
Translated by me
On June 15, 1975, Tim Buckley left this world with a handful of immaculate albums and a son. From this legendary father, Jeff has kept only the name and a common trait: to sing as if his life depended on it.
These 4 live tracks, "Live At Sin-é", was it a good way to start?
Oh, no, certainly not. I hate this record. It's really a bad job. I was not in a good day...Two same, since the pieces come from two different recordings. And then the audience was not an ordinary audience. It was made up of people whom Sony had invited for the occasion. This is also why I do not like this record: everything is too agreed. We tried to artificially recreate the conditions of the concerts I gave for two years. So, I was really nervous. There was too much pressure.
How important were all these concerts that you gave alone for two years?
Priceless. Like so many others, for a long time I lived in places, I lived things that did not suit me. We are very much like this and little by little, you learn to live with your frustrations...A person who lives this way is not fulfilled, is an atrophied being. One day, I decided to find the missing pieces to my personality, to my life, I wanted to be myself everywhere and all the time. I found this by giving concerts in cafes, alone in the Lower East Side of New York. Besides, I'm always amazed to feel at home in this place because I really felt like I didn't belong to anyone, or to a place.
At first, you said that the public of these cafes was a problem...
Hmm...I did not understand that these people did not come for me but to talk, be quiet. And all of a sudden, there was this poor devil who began to sing in his corner...So little by little, I realized that I should not impose my music by any means possible but rather that it is them who are diverting their attention gradually towards me. And for that I did not put myself in the skin of a singer but in that of a preacher. For me, playing no longer meant singing but talking. I totally, differently envisioned my music. It is no longer an art but a sport. It's like jiu-jitsu. I began to use the energy of the public to multiply my own, the presence of the public to assert mine.
Are you totally satisfied with Grace?
Oh, no, far from it. I'm sure I can do much better...You see, and this is the problem of the first albums, we never take enough risks...For me, the typical example of the first album perfectly successful is "Horses from Patti Smith. John Cale's production is fantastic. The sound of "Grace" is too polite, too wise.
Will you produce your next record?
Yes, I hope so even though I really appreciated our collaboration, with Andy Wallace. I needed someone like him to start. He taught me to focus my attention, channeling my energy to the essentials. Andy is the man of the moment, of the moment. I was completely blind, I was almost in a second state, in a trance. And I could, without realizing it, destroy great things by passion, inexperience. It must be said that I really wanted to flirt with the extremes, approaching my limits. There is a world between the spontaneity of a title played live and in the studio. The quality of the moment is a major factor. That's what I learned: to cope with time.
Today, do you consider yourself part of a real group?
Yes, absolutely, even if I prefer to talk about a musical ensemble. I know that this is not a group like the others because the attention is mainly on me. But nothing could work without Mick, Matt and Michael. Jeff Buckley's music is the perfect combination of our four talents. Mick, Matt and I have a much higher level than Michael but we really consider him our equal. The basis of any of our songs is the feeling, the human being, not the technique. Before recording "Grace", we had only played about ten concerts, we had been playing together for less than five weeks...We learned to play together in the studio.
How do you know that a song is finished?
I've no idea. What I'm looking for is to consider the song in all its forms. I want to propose the most complete version possible, the most accomplished, the most extreme. It may take several minutes or seconds. But be careful, it must be remembered that the duration of a song is also related to the energy that the performer is able to inject. If I feel that I miss the strengths, I prefer to stop the performance of the piece. And that's why some people think that I'm a good musician: because I feel what a piece needs. It's a form of intelligence. Is the man who makes love for seven hours smarter than one who does not keep ten minutes? No, the intelligent man is the one who feels the need of the other, of others.
You've been singing some songs like "Last Goodbye" or "Eternal Life" for years. Is it not difficult in terms of motivation?
No, because every concert is a challenge. In the room, the audience, the pieces do not react in the same way. Some arrangements will not find their place in this or that room. So we find our satisfaction, our motivation in this exercise: to ensure that each concert is perfect despite very different parameters. That's why I really consider music as a complete art. It contains poetry. Not just words, but sounds too. It contains a part of architecture, sculpture. It contains theater with its own characters. When I sing a song whose subject is a woman, I play her role. I become her.
Are your texts autobiographical?
No, I do not think so. Maybe their origin but that's all. I try to make a poetry everyday. I am not an extraordinary lyricist but I believe a lot in my lyrics. I write to gain experience. I have the impression of maturing while writing. Several people asked me why I did not publish the lyrics in the CD booklet. That did not interest me. I think that at the present time we have lost a key notion: poetry wins to be heard. Rimbaud, Verlaine, Kerouac, Lorca have lost a lot to be read. We have lost the oral dimension of poetry.
Are you someone with whom it is difficult to work?
No, I do not think so. I am not a perfectionist. For a long time, I accepted the idea that music can not be perfect. Mozart knew and could be perfect. But I will never be Mozart. People who die young do not interest me...
By Philippe Juge
Contributed by Sai
Translated by me
On June 15, 1975, Tim Buckley left this world with a handful of immaculate albums and a son. From this legendary father, Jeff has kept only the name and a common trait: to sing as if his life depended on it.
These 4 live tracks, "Live At Sin-é", was it a good way to start?
Oh, no, certainly not. I hate this record. It's really a bad job. I was not in a good day...Two same, since the pieces come from two different recordings. And then the audience was not an ordinary audience. It was made up of people whom Sony had invited for the occasion. This is also why I do not like this record: everything is too agreed. We tried to artificially recreate the conditions of the concerts I gave for two years. So, I was really nervous. There was too much pressure.
How important were all these concerts that you gave alone for two years?
Priceless. Like so many others, for a long time I lived in places, I lived things that did not suit me. We are very much like this and little by little, you learn to live with your frustrations...A person who lives this way is not fulfilled, is an atrophied being. One day, I decided to find the missing pieces to my personality, to my life, I wanted to be myself everywhere and all the time. I found this by giving concerts in cafes, alone in the Lower East Side of New York. Besides, I'm always amazed to feel at home in this place because I really felt like I didn't belong to anyone, or to a place.
At first, you said that the public of these cafes was a problem...
Hmm...I did not understand that these people did not come for me but to talk, be quiet. And all of a sudden, there was this poor devil who began to sing in his corner...So little by little, I realized that I should not impose my music by any means possible but rather that it is them who are diverting their attention gradually towards me. And for that I did not put myself in the skin of a singer but in that of a preacher. For me, playing no longer meant singing but talking. I totally, differently envisioned my music. It is no longer an art but a sport. It's like jiu-jitsu. I began to use the energy of the public to multiply my own, the presence of the public to assert mine.
Are you totally satisfied with Grace?
Oh, no, far from it. I'm sure I can do much better...You see, and this is the problem of the first albums, we never take enough risks...For me, the typical example of the first album perfectly successful is "Horses from Patti Smith. John Cale's production is fantastic. The sound of "Grace" is too polite, too wise.
Will you produce your next record?
Yes, I hope so even though I really appreciated our collaboration, with Andy Wallace. I needed someone like him to start. He taught me to focus my attention, channeling my energy to the essentials. Andy is the man of the moment, of the moment. I was completely blind, I was almost in a second state, in a trance. And I could, without realizing it, destroy great things by passion, inexperience. It must be said that I really wanted to flirt with the extremes, approaching my limits. There is a world between the spontaneity of a title played live and in the studio. The quality of the moment is a major factor. That's what I learned: to cope with time.
Today, do you consider yourself part of a real group?
Yes, absolutely, even if I prefer to talk about a musical ensemble. I know that this is not a group like the others because the attention is mainly on me. But nothing could work without Mick, Matt and Michael. Jeff Buckley's music is the perfect combination of our four talents. Mick, Matt and I have a much higher level than Michael but we really consider him our equal. The basis of any of our songs is the feeling, the human being, not the technique. Before recording "Grace", we had only played about ten concerts, we had been playing together for less than five weeks...We learned to play together in the studio.
How do you know that a song is finished?
I've no idea. What I'm looking for is to consider the song in all its forms. I want to propose the most complete version possible, the most accomplished, the most extreme. It may take several minutes or seconds. But be careful, it must be remembered that the duration of a song is also related to the energy that the performer is able to inject. If I feel that I miss the strengths, I prefer to stop the performance of the piece. And that's why some people think that I'm a good musician: because I feel what a piece needs. It's a form of intelligence. Is the man who makes love for seven hours smarter than one who does not keep ten minutes? No, the intelligent man is the one who feels the need of the other, of others.
You've been singing some songs like "Last Goodbye" or "Eternal Life" for years. Is it not difficult in terms of motivation?
No, because every concert is a challenge. In the room, the audience, the pieces do not react in the same way. Some arrangements will not find their place in this or that room. So we find our satisfaction, our motivation in this exercise: to ensure that each concert is perfect despite very different parameters. That's why I really consider music as a complete art. It contains poetry. Not just words, but sounds too. It contains a part of architecture, sculpture. It contains theater with its own characters. When I sing a song whose subject is a woman, I play her role. I become her.
Are your texts autobiographical?
No, I do not think so. Maybe their origin but that's all. I try to make a poetry everyday. I am not an extraordinary lyricist but I believe a lot in my lyrics. I write to gain experience. I have the impression of maturing while writing. Several people asked me why I did not publish the lyrics in the CD booklet. That did not interest me. I think that at the present time we have lost a key notion: poetry wins to be heard. Rimbaud, Verlaine, Kerouac, Lorca have lost a lot to be read. We have lost the oral dimension of poetry.
Are you someone with whom it is difficult to work?
No, I do not think so. I am not a perfectionist. For a long time, I accepted the idea that music can not be perfect. Mozart knew and could be perfect. But I will never be Mozart. People who die young do not interest me...
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