Guitarists From The United States

"and and , all dark, all romantic. When I say "romantic," I mean a sensibility that sees everything, and has to express everything, and still doesn't know what the fuck it is, it hurts that bad. It just madly tries to speak whatever it feels, and that can mean vast things. That sort of mentality can turn a sun-kissed orange into a flaming meteorite, and make it sound like that in a song."

"The only goal is in the process. The process is the thing…with little flashes of light here and there. Those are the gigs, those are the live shows. But it’s the life in between—that’s all I got."

"AV: You grew up in , what was that like? JB: From womb to tomb, it's thug country. I'm amazed that I had any friends at all. People grow up repressed from the spirit, day by day by day. Cable TV, it's fucked. It's misogyny, it's birth, death, work, it's misery, it's power. It's fuckin' hicks. And that's what I grew up with. I was rootless trailer trash. Now I prefer the to any place on the planet. I can be who I am here. I couldn't do it anyplace I lived as a child. I never fit in , even though my roots are there."

"Why do they always show up there bleeding and dying on the cross? We don't remember lying there with a bullet hole in his head. I'm against the arbitrary organization of as a concept. We should all experience it all individually and purely. I don't agree with the separation of God and the body, I don't believe that we aren't a part of 'it', I don't agree that it's a man. In most religions there's no place for women. There aren't any women in the and I need that. I love women, I came from a woman."

"And what do I want people to get from the music? Whatever they want. Whatever you like. Somebody asked me what I wanted to do. I just said I wanted to…just to give back to it what it’s given me. And to meet all the other people that are doing it…just to be in the world, really."

"YCDW: What are some of your favorite black and white movies? JB: Lets see, ', ', films, American Milan, and '—which I absolutely adore. YCDW: What kind of music are you listening to now when you get a chance? JB: Well, today I did 's 'Live In Paris' and then I did by the . It really depends on what I have with me. I carry with me. Anything with soul for the moment to it. We stopped at a truck stop and got Truck Stop Comedy and 's 'Unleashed in the East.' YCDW: Do you have any favorite perfumes or scents? JB: I like essential oils a lot. Tunisian and are my current favorites."

"said I was stealing from the black man, and I was failing at it whereas was succeeding. So fuck 'em."

"Everything I ever projected to be, it was—even the stinky, ratty, vomity part of it. Everybody has to do the subway. Everybody has to smell the same smells. And people get mad all the time. When people don’t like something, like ‘Get out of my way you blah, blah, blah.’ But [in L.A.] it’s like, ‘How ya doing? Let’s do lunch! I love you!’"

"RR: Whenever I've seen you play here in New York at or Fez, people sit there mesmerized. JB: People weren't into it at first. I had to fight to be heard. Then I had to stop fighting. Whole months would go by where people would just be talking. I even got a headache from a performance one time. RR: What changed? JB: I learned how to use everything in the room as the music. A tune has to resonate with whatever is happening around it. So if people are talking, I let them talk. That just means they're part of the music. I even had to learn the noise the dishwasher makes at this little cafe; I had to play in B-flat, or it wouldn't sound right. RR: I want to talk about another Michael. I read a review that compared your recent EP, , with Michael Bolton's new record. JB: Oh, my God! Oh, shit, that's really disgusting! RR: It gets worse. They said he has succeeded in taking from the tradition of African American soul and blues singers in a way that you have miserably failed. JB: Really? But the thing is, I'm not taking from that tradition. I don't want to be black. Michael Bolton desperately wants to be black, black, black. He also sucks."

"Interviewer: "So Jeff, what are your main musical influences?" Jeff (after a long pause): "Love, anger, depression, joy and dreams. ...And Zeppelin. Totally.""

"Technically, he was the best singer that appeared, I'm not being too liberal about this if I say, in two decades. I started to play Grace constantly, and the more I listened to the album, the more I heard – the more I appreciated of Jeff, and Jeff's talents, and Jeff's total ability, to which he was just a wizard; and it was close to being my favorite album of the decade. We (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant) actually made a point of going to hear him play and sing, and it was absolutely scary. One of the things is a little frightening was that I was convinced that he probably did things in tunings, and he didn't. He was doing things in standard tuning. I thought, oh gee, he really is clever, isn't he? Jeff Buckley was one of the greatest losses of all."

"The album that I've been listening to for the last 18 months is Grace by Jeff Buckley. He is a great, great singer. He has such an emotional range, doing songs by Benjamin Britten and Leonard Cohen, as well as his own; such technique and command. When the Page/Plant tour hit Australia, we saw them and we were knocked out. It was very moving. Someone heckled him from the audience, "stop playing that heavy stuff!," but he made the perfect reply: "Music should be like making love ― sometimes you want it soft and tender, other times you want it hard and aggressive." I felt he paid us a great compliment with his music in that style."

"He quite clearly had his feet on the ground and his head and his imagination was flying way, way out there, beyond, beyond."

"Yeah, I was really affected by Jeff Buckley when I heard him perform; and I heard one of his last concerts in Australia ― penultimate concert ― and it was just absolutely staggering. He was absolutely, I mean, you know, he just touched every emotion in you, you know. He was really superb, and in a total class of his own, as you know, as you've heard so many singers, and you go, 'well, they got that from Jeff Buckley.' He was so, you know, he's iconic, and really just in a total class of his own, as I say, and, so I was really deeply affected by his music, and I thought he was a master. It was tragic to hear that he died, but there was a weird irony when somebody said, that I've heard that, that he was singing Whole Lotta Love. If you say it was his road manager, because I didn't know whether it was true, or there was a...yeah, he had actually sort of said, that was in Australia, that it would be really good if we had done something together. Can you imagine how I would have loved to have done that with him, but, you know, he started doing a second album, and then he called a halt, and then he started up again...yeah, yeah, it's a tragic loss. My God, was he good."

"Man, I had this guy with me once, and we were sittin' down, and talkin', and jammin'...he played his version of Indifference, for me...man, I tell ya...I’ll never forget the way He did it...I was just fuckin’ speechless...one of the most memorable moments of my life...I just wish I had seen him more."

"Both songs are beautiful (Lilac Wine, James Shelton, and Corpus Christi Carol by Benjamin Britten). It's my tribute to Jeff. The record he has left is very emotional, very beautiful. An intriguing work, challenging. Using only his voice, he reaches regions of unimaginable feeling. But, while recording the songs he chose for himself, I am not stealing it because they are two very different visions. I think he would approve. I have the impression that Jeff Buckley, although he had a very brief passage through life, has become something like Jimi Hendrix, whose presence remains forever."

"His "Hallelujah" is contender for greatest recording ever."

"“A SHAMELESS RIP-OFF OF JEFF BUCKLEY AND THE COCTEAU TWINS.” Thom: “Wow! No, but Jeff Buckley gave me confidence to sing in falsetto. And the Cocteaus are cool.” Colin: “When we were recording ‘Fake Plastic Trees’, we went to see Jeff Buckley play at The Garage. He just had a Telecaster and a pint of Guinness and it was just fucking amazing. Then we went back to the studio and tried an acoustic version of ‘Fake Plastic Trees'. Thom sat down and played it in three takes, then burst into tears afterwards. And that’s what we used for the record.”"

"He could have literally been doing anything, musically, that he wanted to do. And I would think of it like I would think of it like Jimi Hendrix, where there's no real way to predict it, because he could have done anything. He had a way of playing the most beautiful songs you've ever heard and singing them, and still with the way that he sang, create a bit of an uncomfortable edge to it if he felt like it. And he did that mostly with his voice."

"Kurt was fairly quiet and introverted most of the time. Jeff was the opposite. He was very much full of life and had a lot to say. He was somebody in love with experiencing everything. Within a very short time, he had all these famous old rock stars coming to his shows, which put a lot of pressure on him. People talked about his concerts the way they used to talk about Hendrix. They'd sit there, wide-eyed, telling you stories about him. He definitely had an aura. It's impossible to say what it is exactly a guy like that has, that is so attractive to other people. But he had more of it than anyone I had ever met."

"I think the Jeff Buckley record, Grace, is...it's on my MP3 player (laughs). And it holds up incredibly well."

"Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, who was a friend of Buckley’s, says he possessed a star quality. "What made him that person? I have no idea. But he was that person," he recalls. "He was this amazing, unique kind of spirit that everyone was kind of drawn to. He had that quality that superstars have. But he unfortunately didn't live long enough for that to be exposed to everyone.""

"(Cameron Crowe asked about his inclusion of Led Zeppelin songs in his film, Almost Famous): How’d you secure the rights to the music? They took us across the street to a wine bar. They said, “Well, ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ we gotta say no to, ’cause it’s just too much. We just don’t do anything with ‘Stairway to Heaven.'” We’re like, “Whomp, whomp, whomp.” And Page goes, “But I would like to give you an extra song that’s more of an acoustic busking vibe. We’ll give that to you free.” He replaced “Stairway to Heaven” with “Bron-Yr-Aur.” He gave that to us for free, just to have that texture in the movie, which was amazing. And we ran through the streets afterward. The rest of that meeting was spent talking about how much we all loved Jeff Buckley. Officially the coolest night ever, or the un-coolest night ever. I don’t know. That was a huge kind of buoy to swim to, because without Led Zeppelin, it’s just not the same movie."

"On the subject of dedication to a craft, in addition talent, it was, and especially the singing, were so original, so powerful, and so accomplished, that the tragedy of his loss, after making only the one record (though a flood of demos and live recordings was released in his wake), seemed ever more poignant. It was clear to me that Jeff Buckley had been one of the few Great Ones, a one-in-a-billion talent, a true voice of his generation, and at thirty, he had hardly begun. Whatever is left behind in the passing of a rare talent, so much is always lost."

"I was just doing whatever I could, you know. And then I had a delivery job at a place, and then the guy that I was doing that with, he was a wicked bass player, and he was teaching at MI (Musicians Institute), and one of his students was Jeff Buckley, or something (Interviewer: "Really?!")...so, then me and him, and Jeff Buckley, we had a country band together (Interviewer: "You did?!"). Jeff was rad, man. He was a great brother, man. I hung out with him a lot, and then...dude, I'll never forget, like, when we were in that band, though, man, he came in with this demo, it's like, that he did in his apartment. It was four songs, and three of them were on that Grace record (Interview: "On Grace, yeah."), and he programmed all the drums on a SR 16 Alesis, but he didn't program, he did it with his fingers (Interview: "Like, he played it in real time.")...yeah, dude, I could put that on for you, it will blow, no one has (Interview: "Yeah, let's listen to it, later.")...no one has this. And, dude, I just went, kid, you're going to be a star (both laugh). He would, and also, I would like to say, that guy had like a photographical music memory (Interviewer: "He did?"). After those guys would leave, after rehearsal, man, we would play, like, Zeppelin shit ― In My Time Of Dying, and stuff ― he played every lead, note for note, absolutely perfectly, man (Interviewer: "Wow!"). He was the real deal, man. I've never played with another guitar player that (did that?). (Interviewer: "Yeah, people talk about his vocal powers, but his guitar stylings were amazing!"). Dude, right! When he came out with that Grace record, I remember he came, 'man, this is my record' and I was just like...at first I was just like, what's all this singing shit, dude (Interviewer laughs); where's the guitar playing? I was like bummed...that's how bad of an A&R guy I would have been (both laugh). Pretty fucking funny. (Interview: "You should make a fusion record, bro.") Yeah, right, yeah, come on, dude. God, I was (unintelligible), because I didn't recognize the genius of his voice, but the songwriting I did recognize ― I just went, wow, man ― he was an exceptional talent. I feel very lucky to be able to say, dude, I played with him for a couple of years (Interview: "That's incredible!" [Danny laughs])."

"Jeff was somebody who would have been one of those people that influenced other singers. He was an amazing singer. I had an idea of what his music meant to people, because he did this amazing thing in such a short period of time. He's going to be the most important artist to so many people throughout their lives. We were really good friends, and as an individual he was different from any other friend I've had. I was looking forward to a long friendship with him. As an artist he was one of the few people, that really inspired me. I was counting on him, to be one of the persons, who would pressure me to move my limits, in many years to come. It's very important to have this kind of challenge, someone who inspires you to grow with the challenge. That push, to get you to do new things, is very healthy, and Jeff was one of those people, who inspired you to expand your way of thinking, about yourself and music."

"I'm just, you know, I'm constantly surprised that so many people do not know about him, still, and at the same time, there's something very, very beautiful about that. It just keeps slowly kind of building, expanding..."

"On this day in 1996, I saw Jeff Buckley perform in Melbourne.⁣ Jeff Buckley was something of an ethereal spirit: a musical magician whose album 'Grace' showcased a unique talent. His name was on the lips of all musos from the release of that album and for the next two years.⁣ I had heard him sing a couple of songs at a distance on the Other Stage at Glastonbury, where Page and Plant were headlining: you could feel him, it was extraordinary. I had listened intently to 'Grace' whilst I was on tour and made a point to see him at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on this day in 1996. ⁣"

"Asked in a 2003 interview what he was listening to lately, Jimmy Page replied, "Nothing that's had the impact in me that Jeff Buckley did," and coincidentally, in the same issue of Mojo magazine, Elton John was asked about his favorite all-time record, and he cited either Nina Simone at Town Hall or Jeff Buckley's Grace: "Like an album made by someone from a another planet." (Also interesting that Nina Simone was one of Buckley's many influences, which ranged from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to the MC5)."

"We were talking earlier about lyrics and beautiful lyrics. That particular period that we've been dwelling upon this evening, partly, and in fact definitely, was a time for prolific writing. Recently, not too long ago, we lost one of the better, most beautiful, caucasian singers, Jeff Buckley, sadly, way, way out to lose such a talent and such a heart."

"You mentioned two spectacular vocalists there (Jeff Buckley and Freddie Mercury) I mean, both of whom had much better chops than me. I mean real great, great singers. Jeff Buckley's voice. I was playing with Jimmy in the mid 90s when we were working with an Egyptian ensemble, and we played a festival in Switzerland, and Jeff Buckley was playing, and we went to see him, and it was mind altering, his voice. Spectacular singing, and so much conviction."

"It’s a funny thing, when you talk to God, you’re religious, but when he talks to you, you’re a psychopath."

"Hello, children of the Nazis!"

"This next song is called 'Wolf Moon' [crowd starts to cheer]. Wait with cheering until you hear what the song's about. It's about a guy who turns into a werewolf when he engages in oral sex with a menstruating woman [crowd cheers even louder, and Steele spreads out his arms]. You wanna call me a pussy? You are what you eat."

"I left the stage because I thought I had to shit, but then I lost the feeling."

"This entire opus is respectfully dedicated to all those who have loved unconditionally only to have their hearts unanaesthetically ripped out: Base not your joy on the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. No hope = No fear."

"Some people say I'm a pussy. I say, you are what you eat."

"If I worked in a bank as a teller, there wouldn't be girls lined up outside of where I work when I'm done."

"The clock moved a quarter of a turn, the time it took a cigarette to burn"

"Elliott: "Do you want to hear a happy or a sad song?" Crowd: "Happy!" Elliott: "Old or new?" Crowd: "Old!" Elliott: "Happy and old, that's a strange choice.""

"Wearing clothes that clash Wondering 'is this treasure, is this trash?' Still trying to decide"

"Your arsenal of excuses you never told her when you walked out on the savannah shoulder with your veins all full of beer thinking 'well at least now everything is clear'"

"Here come your pride and joy The comic little drunk you call your boy, Making everybody smile"

"I'm sorry you seem so stung, and I'm sorry you feel you have to hold your tongue when you're so pretty and smart"

"And though you'd rather see me gone then to see there come the day, I'll be waiting for you anyway"

"Next door, the TV's flashing blue frames on the wall. It's a comedy from the seventies with a lead no one recalls. He vanished into oblivion it's easy to do and I cried a sea when you talked to me the day you said we were through. But it's all right, some enchanted night I'll be with you"

"Shine on me, baby cause it's raining in my heart."

"I'd say you make the perfect angel in the snow all crushed out on the way you are, I'd better stop before it goes too far."

"Don't you know that I love you? sometimes I feel like only a cold still life only a frozen still life that fell down here to lay beside you."

"You disappoint me, all you people raking in on the world. The devil's script sells you the heart of a blackbird."