Mystery White Boy (Bonus CD) (Live '95 - '96)

by

Jeff Buckley

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If you own Grace, aren't prone to purchasing an artist's entire collection, and may not be partial to live albums why click to order this CD?

Because each track is a showcase of Buckley's uninhibited, without apology, take it or leave it songwriting, interpretation, and rendering. Because it is clear producers Michael Tighe and Mary Guibert really worked to construct and produce a better than "best of" live experience. Because audience clutter serves to enhance rather than detract, adding to the emotion Buckley hurls from himself and wrenches from the listener, starting with Dream Brother, perhaps climaxing on Eternal life, and ending breathlessly with Hallelujah/I Know it's Over medley. Or perhaps simply because of the little gem in The Man That Got Away, an Arlen-Gershwin song.

Mystery White Boy is a gift for those of us who never saw Jeff Buckley and his band live.

The live disc MYSTERY WHITE BOY consists of twelve tracks selected from Jeff Buckley's 1995 tour, mixed together to sound like a single concert. I found the release disappointing, especially in contrast to the superior DVD release LIVE IN CHICAGO and the import LIVE AT L'OLYMPIA.

About the only great thing I can say about MYSTERY WHITE BOY is that it has great sound. Whilst the audience is hardly audible, the performance is consistently clear.

Jeff Buckley was one of the greatest musicians of the 90's, but when I first heard MYSTERY WHITE BOY I couldn't help but feel that it was a collection of some of his worst moments. Buckley's cover of Alex Chilton's "Kanga Roo" lacks passion, while the version on LIVE IN CHICAGO stands out as one of his most innovative performances. The version of "Grace" here is the weakest we have, and is difficult to listen to after hearing the savagely beautiful L'Olympia rendition. Furthermore, the disc lacks "Lover, you should have come over", a great tune from GRACE which appears on all other live releases.

If you want to hear a superb live recording from Jeff Buckley, I'd recommend getting LIVE AT THE L'OLYMPIA, a recording of a single Paris evening in 1995 which Buckley considered his finest performance. If you want visuals and lots of on-stage banter, LIVE IN CHICAGO is what you're looking for. MYSTERY WHITE BOY is only for completists.