Music Life, April 1995

"Even if my music enters the mainstream, my outsider-like-mind doesn’t change."

Interview & text by Yasuhumi Amatatsu

Submitted by Ananula

Translated by Tutu Fujimoto

  Is it also because of his father’s influence? Anyway, Jeff Buckley, holding the guitar and singing in a one-and-only voice that can be called a natural talent, has tended to be called a singer-songwriter of a new generation. Yes it’s true, not a mistake at all. But the music he expressed in front of us had depth and breadth far more than we imagined, also beauty and intensity, and sometimes poisonous eccentricity. It was also Jeff Buckley, who played the guitar feedback wildly and broke the strings.

******

  At this point, I can't say that Jeff Buckley's music gives us a bird's-eye view of the whole rock world, and it’s also unclear how he will be remembered in history from now on. Rather, a discussion of the matter itself doesn't seem to have particular meanings. But I really felt that the delicate, youthful, and mysterious dynamism of his voice exuded a strong uniqueness. He dislikes making a fuss outside of his own music including about his father who was considered a rock myth, and it seems he talks, and tries to be talked about, life-size himself. However, apart from that, I just want to remember clearly that Jeff Buckley's album “Grace” was released in 1994, and that he sang and performed in Japan this winter in the next year of “Grace.”

  Jeff Buckley's live performance was so wonderful that it made me think like that. Sometimes it’s with prayerful piety, sometimes it gives off a challenging-like wild taste. There’s no falsehood on the stage. The sound played by four members of the band, including him, had more gaps and stood out as rougher than it was on the album. But even that silence exists as if it understood the meaning of his words, and it says something to me. The next day afternoon, I was able to interview him at the hotel where he was staying.

Have you ever performed live in other than English-speaking countries like Japan?

Yes, in European countries such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands. I don’t think it’s too hard to have communication because it’s music. I mean, music is the only common language in the world other than sign language or love.

What was the impression of the Japanese audience last night?

It was more than I expected.

Is there anything you can gain from meeting various cultures and peoples while traveling?

Not really. Even though it's traveling, there are interviews like this. I can't write things in a relaxed way or look at things calmly. That’s too bad for me. I don’t even have time for songwriting. But it's definitely a valuable experience, in particular, I'm glad that we have the advantage of deepening our ties in the band since we're together all the time during our tour. Musically, that's an important thing.

As I watched you sing last night, I felt that I wanted to ask you, “ah, what is this person singing for, and for whom?”

That’s a difficult question.

At the same time, it made me think about the entertainment matter. Regardless of no decorations at all, it seemed as if everything in the hall was focused only on your song when you sang “Hallelujah.” That was beyond any entertainment that outstanding.

Thank you. I think there's something more to music than so-called entertainment. For example, when I sing and play, my heart starts beating and my heartbeat gets stronger, I can say it has the same feeling as that. So, it's more like “sharing music” than entertainment.

The show last night was something much more than the impression I had in “Grace.” For me.

“Grace” is an album we made about three weeks after the band gathered. It’s a concept of an early stage and all the live shows are after that, so it surpasses “Grace” of course, and so does the energy. Looking back now, the album "Grace" may be like an unbaked cake.

Is there anything you should be careful about when recording?

First of all, I was careful about the wording of the words so that the lyrics wouldn't become obsolete. Also, I was very careful to see if it could live together well with the parts that went according to plan and the things that overflowed from me illogically.

It takes time from signing a contract with a record company to actually recording, is that what you intended?

Release a live EP at first, and after that, I’m sure that taking time deliberately was in my mind. Why? Because, I wanted to have a proper band. I didn't think I would play with the band Columbia decided to use. I had to keep going with them all the way around, so I wanted to find a good company by myself. That’s why it took time. I didn't want a band whose members change from album to album. It would kill my music, and also the music would never bear fruit.

A band is a simple organization, isn't it? For example, don't you want to add a keyboard to it?

Now, I don’t. The four-person group, including two guitars, a bass and a drum, produces a simple but heavy sound. I love it.

So called the new generation, like Beck, G. Love & Special Sauce, and so on, appeared conspicuously before and after your appearance. I felt something like a milestone of the era in it.

I don't feel like I'm part of a certain generation. I don't know if I belong to something like the so-called youth movement. Rather, I think I'm the type that's always out of what's called a movement. For example, even if my music enters the mainstream, I mean, if it becomes so popular that it's on the same level as current popular music, my outsider-like-mind doesn’t change.

Now that the expression “mainstream” is mentioned, what kind of music does mainstream mean to you?

I don't know if it's going to be an answer, but if it's going to be the mainstream, the media will be paying it a lot of attention, right? First of all, that’s one. And, those that everyone understands, everyone knows, it’s going to get boring sharing the same thing with everyone. It doesn’t have any potential for music, at least it’s not good for my music, I think.

I understand, but sometimes the view of the times changes with the appearance of someone, as if a hole was opened by the wind. For example, it might have been the case with (an appearance of) Bob Dylan, or Led Zeppelin, too.

And Sex Pistols, too.

I agree. So, it might be rough to bring up the word “generation,” but when they appeared, you weren't there, right?

I wasn’t there when “punk” appeared, too. 

Right. But when you came out, there was Dylan, Zeppelin, and punk already. We can see the expressions that can't be created without them. That's where I can feel the newness of the generation.

Yeah, I can see what you want to say. In that sense, various things already existed for us. But watching through my eyes, it seems that our generation is also musically incapable of digesting it well. For example, someone is doing music like Billy Joel with a punk style appearance, and saying “we’re doing punk”, like that. They follow trends only superficially. Of course, it would be alright if you dismissed it as a trend, but a real career should not be controlled by the public. The Smiths, Nick Cave, or Sonic Youth, you know, they have their own unique expression, and they are the only ones that don't exist anywhere else. Beck too. Beck is nothing but Beck.

Do you sympathize with those people?

That’s what I mean.

Now that you mention the name of The Smiths, their “I KnowIt's Over” was inserted when you were singing “Hallelujah” on the live show last night?

Yeah. It suddenly came to my mind before the show. The chord was the same, so I tried it.

Back to the point, don't you find it new in that music, for example, like G. Love & Special Sauce, that combines traditional blues with rap, the most modern way of expressing it?

I don’t feel it’s new. I mean, I don't think mixing different genres of music is new. A real mixture is something that comes out after everything has been digested. And if you don't show your own uniqueness with it, I don't find it fun. If the meaning you are referring to is expressed by the word "fresh,” that’s quite right.

Yeah, the expression "fresh" may be more correct. In fact, I'm skeptical that this can be classified as new music or old music. At least, the unusual style doesn't mean it's new. Let's change the expression.

And yes, Jimi Hendrix was undeniably innovative. So, sometimes I think, for example, if all the people, all the human race had a guitar in their hands and each played it following their heart without being influenced by anyone, there would be countless genres of music. I feel sorry that there’s a tendency to copy each other, especially to start music with copying successful styles.