BUCKLEY, JEFF

Seductive and haunting, "So Real" was the final single from Grace, and, with dramatic flair, it demonstrates that Buckley was not only unafraid to flirt with artistic pretension, but was usually able to avoid any weighty attendant melodrama. The 11-minute studio experiment "Tongue" makes its first appearance on this single (it would crop up again on the Everybody Here Wants You, Pt. 2 [U.K.] CD), and, also included, further broadening the scope of Buckley's apparent influences, is a plaintive cover of Hank Williams' classic "Lost Highway." Buckley's quavering slide guitar and bluesy delivery are chilling on first listen, but, as he winds through the cautionary tale, you begin to wonder if his performance would seem as poignant if he hadn't died so tragically. ~ Bryan Carroll, AMG

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.