Jeff Buckley Speaks From the Dead, Pans Forthcoming Re-Release

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Dec 18, 2008

In the seemingly never-ending flood of Jeff Buckley reissues, the collection So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley is due to receive a re-release next year, and it appears Buckley isn't so happy about it.

Word came this week that a repressing of the 14-track Buckley collection will come out January 19 and feature several alternate song versions, rarities, live tracks and a few numbers from the late artist's one and only proper full-length, Grace.

In response, a rather scathing letter about the release surfaced online Wednesday (December 17) from Buckley printed here on the website of the VH1's Best Week Ever. However, considering Buckley did indeed die in 1997, we cannot guarantee the legitimacy of this letter, since as far as we know dead people can't blog.

Nevertheless, here's the letter, followed by So Real's tracklisting if you're still interested:

Dear Alive World,

Hi. Jeff Buckley here. Remember me? I rose to musical success in the '90s for my hit single "Last Goodbye." I released only one album during my life, called
Grace (which, let's be honest, was pretty f*cking amazing). I was working on my second album when, all of a sudden, I died tragically while swimming in the Wolf River at the tender age of 31.

I know, it's been really hard on you guys, and the thought of so much untapped talent in a person who died so young can be really, really upsetting to think about. Not to mention the fact that I'm gorgeous, so it makes it all the more tragic. And I understand the need to keep my memory alive and keep my music fresh for generations to come. But after the first ten or so compilations of previously un-released material, live tracks,
Grace re-re-re-re-mastered and B-sides, I'm starting to get annoyed. This has gotten WAY out of hand. (And I'm not even talking about this bullsh*t.)

Imagine my disappointment today when I logged onto Jesus Christ's laptop and saw that, once again, my music will be re-released and re-packaged on a new compilation called
So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley. What could possibly be new about this? I'll tell you what's new: nothing. You want to get "so real?" FINE! Let's get so motherf*cking real.

How about you STOP TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY TRAGIC DEATH FOR YOUR OWN MONETARY GAIN!!! What's next? I'll tell you what's next, because Jesus told me. Here are some of the upcoming Jeff Buckley albums that you will be able to buy:

Grace: Slightly Louder This Time
Last Goodbye: Only The Guitar Parts
My Sweetheart The Drunk: Track #4 Is Now Track #1
The Sound Of Jeff Buckley's Old Apartment (ten tracks of room noise)

Look. All I'm asking is that you just move ON already. Tell these record labels to stop trying to make a quick buck(ley) off my death. Whenever you miss me, just pop in your old copy of
Grace and listen to it the way it was supposed to be done: curled up in a ball on your bed, staring out the window, while occasionally kissing your pillow as if it was that cute boy on the football team.

This is our last goodbye (until you get to heaven),

Jeff Buckley


The full tracklisting of the collection is:

1. "Last Goodbye"
2. "Lover, You Should Have Come Over"
3. "Forget Her"
4. "Eternal Life" (Road Version)
5. "Dream Brother" (Alternate Take)
6. "The Sky Is A Landfill"
7. "Everybody Here Wants You'"
8. "So Real" (Live and Acoustic In Japan)
9. "Mojo Pin" (Live at Sin-e)
10. "Vancouver"
11. "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" (Live at Sin-e)
12. "Grace"
13. "Hallelujah"
14. "I Know It's Over" (radio session)

Jeff Buckley "Last Goodbye"

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