Grace is the only studio album by American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, released on August 15, 1994 in Europe and on August 23, 1994 in the United States by Columbia Records. The album had poor sales and received mixed reviews at the time of its release.[4] However, in recent years, it has dramatically risen in critical reputation. An extended version of the album (subtitled "Legacy Edition"), celebrating its tenth anniversary, was released on August 23, 2004, and peaked at number 44 in the UK.
Grace | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 15, 1994 | |||
Recorded | Late 1993 – 1994 | |||
Studio | Bearsville, Woodstock, New York | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:48 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | Andy Wallace, Jeff Buckley ("So Real") | |||
Jeff Buckley chronology | ||||
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Singles from Grace | ||||
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Grace re-entered the albums chart in Australia at number 44 for the week of January 29 to February 5, 2007, 13 years after its original release date. It is currently certified 8× platinum in Australia. The album has been cited by critics and listeners as one of the greatest albums of all time.[5]
Music
editBuckley's version of "Corpus Christi Carol" was based on a version by Janet Baker. A childhood friend introduced him to the song, and Buckley sang a version on the album as a way of thanking him.[6]
Critical reception and legacy
editReview scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Chicago Tribune | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly | A+[9] |
The Guardian | [10] |
NME | 9/10[11] |
Q | [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
Select | 4/5[15] |
The Village Voice | C[16] |
Grace has been highly rated in magazines such as Q, in which readers voted Grace the 75th greatest album of all time in 1998; the same vote was taken again in 2005 and Grace then ranked 13th.[17][18] In 2003, the album was ranked number 303 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[19] and 304 in a 2012 revised list, and later 147 in the 2020 list.[20][21] In 2006, Mojo named Grace the No. 1 Modern Rock Classic of All Time.[22] It was also rated as Australia's second favourite album on My Favourite Album, a television special aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on December 3, 2006.[23] In 2003, Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" was ranked No. 259 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.[24] VH1 also rated the album No. 73 on its "100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll" show/list.[25] It was voted number 99 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[26] Larkin stated "his music achieved a perfection that was staggering for a debut album."
Grace won appreciation from a host of revered musicians and artists, including members of Buckley's biggest influence, Led Zeppelin.[27] Jimmy Page considered Grace close to being his "favorite album of the decade".[28] Robert Plant was also complimentary,[29] as was Brad Pitt, saying of Buckley's work, "There's an undercurrent to his music, there's something you can't pinpoint. Like the best of films, or the best of art, there's something going on underneath, and there's a truth there. And I find his stuff absolutely haunting. It just... it's under my skin."[30] Others who had influenced Buckley's music lauded him:[31] Bob Dylan named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of this decade",[29] and David Bowie considered Grace to be the best album ever made, and had said it would be one of his ten "Desert Island Records."[32]
In 2006, British Hit Singles & Albums and NME organised a poll of which, 40,000 people worldwide voted for the 100 best albums ever and Grace was placed at No. 23 on the list.[33]
On 2 April 2014, it was announced that Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" would be inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry; the entire album has yet to be inducted.[34]
In July 2014, Guitar World ranked Grace at number 26 in their "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.[35]
Accolades
editPublication | Land | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Entertainment Weekly | Vereinigte Staaten | Best 10 Albums of the Year[36] | 1994 | 6 |
Eye Weekly | Kanada | Best 30 Albums of the Year[37] | 1994 | 4 |
Juice | Australien | 100 Greatest Albums of the 90s[38] | 1999 | 10 |
Les Inrockuptibles | Frankreich | Best 25 Albums of the Year[39] | 1994 | 14 |
Melody Maker | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 50 Albums of the Year[40] | 1994 | 9 |
Mojo | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 25 Albums of the Year[41] | 1994 | 1 |
NME | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 50 Albums of the Year[42] | 1994 | 21 |
The Wire | Vereinigtes Königreich | 50 Records of the Year (1994)[43] | 1995 | 32 |
Pitchfork | Vereinigte Staaten | Top 100 Albums of the 90's | 2003 | 69 |
Platendraaier | The Netherlands | Top 30 Albums of the 90s[44] | 2015 | 7 |
Q | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best Albums of the Year[45] | 1994 | * |
Reissues of the Year[46] | 2004 | * | ||
Rocksound | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 50 Albums of the Year[47] | 1994 | 2 |
Rolling Stone | Vereinigte Staaten | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[48][49][50][51] | 2003 | 303 |
2012 | 304 | |||
2020 | 147 | |||
2023 | 147 | |||
The Essential Alternative Recordings of the 90s[52] | — | * | ||
Select | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 50 Albums of the Year[53] | 1994 | 41 |
Technikart | Frankreich | Best 5 Albums of the Year[54] | 1994 | 2 |
The Face | Vereinigtes Königreich | Best 30 Albums of the Year[55] | 1994 | 18 |
The Guardian | Vereinigtes Königreich | Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever[56] | 1999 | 15 |
1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die[56] | 2007 | * | ||
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die | Vereinigte Staaten | 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[57] | 2010 | * |
* denotes an unranked list.
Singles and EPs
editFour proper singles were released from the album, along with additional editions, two posthumous releases, and promo-only releases (see also: The Grace EPs).
|
|
Posthumous
editBuckley's cover version of "Hallelujah" re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 2 during Christmas 2008, following the release of another cover version by series 5 of the British version of The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke which took the number 1 slot.
- Singles
- "Forget Her" (August 2004)
- "Hallelujah" (May 2007)
Track listing
editNo. | Titel | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mojo Pin" | 5:42 | |
2. | "Grace" |
| 5:22 |
3. | "Last Goodbye" | Jeff Buckley | 4:35 |
4. | "Lilac Wine" | James Shelton | 4:32 |
5. | "So Real" |
| 4:43 |
6. | "Hallelujah" | Leonard Cohen | 6:53 |
7. | "Lover, You Should've Come Over" | Jeff Buckley | 6:43 |
8. | "Corpus Christi Carol" |
| 2:56 |
9. | "Eternal Life" | Jeff Buckley | 4:52 |
10. | "Dream Brother" |
| 5:26 |
No. | Titel | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Forget Her" | Jeff Buckley | 5:13 |
To promote Buckley's 1995 Australian tour, a two-CD edition was issued. It featured the following songs on the second disc:
- "So Real" – live and acoustic in Japan, January 1995
- "Dream Brother" – live in Hamburg at Club Logo, 22 February 1995
- "Grace" – live at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, 4 March 1995 (exclusive to this release)
- "Mojo Pin" – live at Wetlands, New York City, November 1994
Legacy Edition
editGrace (Legacy Edition) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | August 23, 2004 | |||
Recorded | 1993–94 | |||
Length | 117:00 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | George Marino (executive) | |||
Jeff Buckley chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Grace (Legacy Edition) | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Blender | [60] |
Mojo | [61] |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10[4] |
Q | [62] |
Stylus Magazine | A−[63] |
Uncut | [64] |
Track listing
edit- Disc one: Remastered edition of the original 10-track album.
No. | Titel | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Forget Her" | Jeff Buckley | 5:12 |
2. | "Dream Brother" (Alternate Take) | Buckley, Grøndahl, Johnson | 4:56 |
3. | "Lost Highway" | Leon Payne | 4:24 |
4. | "Alligator Wine" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 3:21 |
5. | "Mama, You Been on My Mind" | Bob Dylan | 3:26 |
6. | "Parchman Farm Blues/Preachin' Blues" | Bukka White, Robert Johnson | 6:20 |
7. | "The Other Woman" | Jessie Mae Robinson | 3:05 |
8. | "Kanga-Roo" | Alex Chilton | 14:14 |
9. | "I Want Someone Badly" (with Shudder to Think) | Nathan Larson | 2:36 |
10. | "Eternal Life" (Road Version) | Buckley | 4:50 |
11. | "Kick Out the Jams" (Live) | Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis Thompson, Rob Tyner | 3:05 |
12. | "Dream Brother" (Nag Champa Mix) | Buckley, Grøndahl, Johnson | 5:24 |
No. | Titel | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Strawberry Street[A]" | Buckley, Andrew Goodsight, John McNally | 5:26 |
No. | Titel | Directed by | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Making of Grace" (documentary video) | Ernie Fritz | |
2. | "Grace" (music video) | Ernie Fritz | |
3. | "Last Goodbye" (music video) | John Jesurun | |
4. | "So Real" (music video) | Sophie Muller | |
5. | "Eternal Life" (music video) | Gary Fisher | |
6. | "Forget Her" (music video) | Ernie Fritz |
Personnel
edit
Credits adapted from Grace's liner notes.[65]
Additional Performers
|
Technical Personnel
|
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[79] | 8× Platinum | 560,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada)[80] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[81] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
France (SNEP)[82] | 2× Gold | 200,000* |
Italy (FIMI)[83] | Platinum | 50,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[84] | 2× Platinum | 600,000* |
United States (RIAA)[86] | Platinum | 1,060,000[85] |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI)[87] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
editRegion | Release date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom, Europe[88] | August 15, 1994 |
|
Columbia Records (Sony) |
United States[88] | August 23, 1994 | CD | |
Compact cassette | |||
Vinyl | |||
MiniDisc | |||
Promo cassette | |||
Japan[88] | September 1, 1994 | CD | |
Australia[88] | September 19, 1994 | CD | |
Worldwide[89][90] | August 23, 2004 | Legacy Edition (2×CD+DVD) |
Notes
edit- ^ Does not appear listed on the back cover, but is credited in the CD's accompanying booklet. A previously unreleased song, appears here in a rehearsal recording from the Knitting Factory in May 1993, with the Washington Squares' frontman Tom Goodkind on bass guitar.
References
edit- ^ Gallucci, Michael (August 23, 2019). "25 Years Ago: Jeff Buckley Releases Majestic Debut LP, 'Grace'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ Sager, Brooke (June 19, 2020). "100 best albums of the '90s". Stacker. p. 9. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "40 Best Records From 1994". Rolling Stone. April 17, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Leone, Dominique (September 22, 2004). "Jeff Buckley: Grace: Legacy Edition". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time -Rolling Stone
- ^ Kingdom For A Kiss – The JB F.A.Q.: Grace Archived 8 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Grace – Jeff Buckley". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Kot, Greg (September 22, 1994). "Emotional Impact". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ Ehrlich, Dimitri (August 26, 1994). "Grace". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Dave (May 1, 1998). "Cuts like a knife". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Mulvey, John (August 13, 1994). "Jeff Buckley: Grace". NME. p. 44.
- ^ Cranna, Ian (September 1994). "Jeff Buckley: Grace". Q. No. 96. p. 98.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (November 3, 1994). "Grace". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
- ^ Moon, Tom (2004). "Jeff Buckley". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 115–16. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Morris, Gina (September 1994). "Jeff Buckley: Grace". Select. No. 51. p. 91.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (November 29, 1994). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Q Readers All Time Top 100 Albums – February 1998 Issue". Retrieved December 30, 2006.
- ^ "Q Readers Best Albums Ever 2006". Retrieved December 30, 2006.
- ^ "News". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ "15-year Anniversary of Jeff Buckleys GRACE". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ "My Favourite Album". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. December 3, 2006. Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2006.
- ^ "News". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ "VH1 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll". VH1. July 3, 2011. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ Colin Larkin (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 75. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ Browne (2001), p. 10
- ^ Cross, Serena (Director) (2002). Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (Documentary). British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
- ^ a b Hughes, Kim. "Mother preserving Jeff Buckley's legacy". Transcribed from NOW Magazine to jeffbuckley.com (May 28 – June 3, 1998). Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
- ^ "Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (TV Movie 2002)". IMDb.
- ^ Kane, Rebecca (August 1, 1998). "Who were some of Jeff's influences?". jeffbuckley.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
- ^ Moon, Tom (2008). 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. p. 126. ISBN 9780761139638.
- ^ "Oasis album voted greatest of all time". The Times. June 1, 2006
- ^ "Hallelujah, the 2013 National Recording Registry Reaches 400". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994". GuitarWorld.com. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- ^ "Entertainment Weekly Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Eye Weekly Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Juice, 100 Greatest Albums of the 90s". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Les Inrockuptibles Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Melody Maker Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Mojo Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "NME Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Critics Choice: Record of the Year". The Wire. No. 131. London. January 1995. p. 29 – via Exact Editions. (subscription required)
- ^ "Platendraaier, Top 30 albums van de jaren 90". platendraaier. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ "Q Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Q Reissues of the Year, 2004". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Rocksound Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2004. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "Rolling Stone – the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003)".
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. December 31, 2023. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- ^ "The Essential Recordings of the 90s". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Select Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Technikart Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "The Face Albums of the Year, 1994". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ a b "The Guardian Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (March 23, 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ "Grace – Jeff Buckley". AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ "Grace [Bonus Track] – Jeff Buckley". AllMusic. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Sinagra, Laura. "Jeff Buckley: Grace: Legacy Edition". Blender. Archived from the original on October 18, 2004. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ "Jeff Buckley: Grace (Legacy Edition)". Mojo. No. 130. September 2004. p. 116.
- ^ "Jeff Buckley: Grace (Legacy Edition)". Q. No. 218. September 2004. p. 130.
- ^ McConaghy, Kyle (September 3, 2004). "Jeff Buckley – Grace (Legacy Edition) – Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Hoskyns, Barney (October 2004). "Unbearable Ecstasy". Uncut. No. 89. p. 124. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- ^ Grace (Media notes). Jeff Buckley. 1994.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Guibert, M.; Browne, D. (2019). Jeff Buckley: His Own Voice. Hachette Books. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-306-92167-4. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
After he signed with Columbia in the fall of 1992, Jeff treated himself to a few pieces of gear—a new acoustic guitar, a small amp, and, seen here, a used harmonium. A portable keyboard operated by way of a pump that pushes air into it, the harmonium is prevalent in Qawwali, the South Asian devotional music that made such an impression on Jeff when he first came to New York. Part of Jeff's devotion to Qawwali involved learning how to play the instrument, which can be heard on the introduction of "Lover, You Should've Come Over (as well as on a cover of Van Morrison's "Madame George" cut during his 1993 session with producer Steve Addabbo). He also purchased language tapes to properly learn Urdu. Jeff could be seen walking around New York with this harmonium under his arm, wrapped in a blanket.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Jeff Buckley – Grace" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jeff Buckley – Grace" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Irish Music Charts Archive – Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending August 26, 2004". Chart-track.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "Chart Stats – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
- ^ "Jeff Buckley Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ "Jeff Buckley Album & Song Chart History – Catalog Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Albums 1995 (page 2)". imgur.com. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2003". Ultratop. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Music Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ "Danish album certifications – Jeff Buckley – Grace". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "French album certifications – Jeff Buckley – Grace" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ "Italian album certifications – Buckley Jeff – Grace" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 29, 2015. Select "2015" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Grace" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ^ "British album certifications – Jeff Buckley – Grace". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (March 24, 2006). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Chris Stapleton's 'Traveller' Hits a Million Sold, Jeff Buckley Reaches New High". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- ^ "American album certifications – Jeff Buckley – Grace". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2003". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "The Jeff Buckley Discography: Albums". www.jeffbuckley.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ Barrow, Stephanie (August 25, 2004). "Review: Jeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition)". BBC. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ "Grace (Bonus DVD) – Jeff Buckley". AllMusic. Retrieved June 28, 2011.