Audience

CDR

1

DVD 1636; lineage: Sony ECM-959 -> Denon DTR-80p (master @ 16/48); DAT playback: Sony R-500 -> Sound Devices 722 digital input (@24/48). Mastered: Soundforge Pro 10.0c - *All file manipulation in Soundforge done at 24 bits*. Applied major volume normalization, clap removal, notch EQ-ing out 2 bursts of feedback. Major EQ job. Sample rate conversion 48khz to 44.1khz using iZotope 64-Bit SRC set higher than "Highest Quality" setting w/anti-alias filter. Then dithered to 16 bits using using iZotope MBIT+ with Ultra noise shaping, with high dither settings. Tracked in CDWav.

* There are 3 brief instances in this track where I had to drop down to mono as there was a slight crackle in one channel from my microphone cable
+ this is apparently the only known version of this song ever performed with the band
^ only known performance of this Cocteau Twins song (it's more of a tease)
& contains "Anarchy In the U.K" tease

Minimized 2 short bursts of feedback (@ 1khz in T1 and at 5khz in T4) by spectrum analyzing and then notching out the frequencies in question using the parametric EQ.
There are a few moments where Jeff's soaring vocals overload his vocal mic briefly. The front of house sound mixer was clearly having a tough time mixing this band.

Band:
Matt Johnson - drums
Mick Grondahl - bass

Taper notes:
For the historic 100th entry in my BARN series I had to dig out something a little deeper than my usual jamband related stuff. I decided to pull out something historic from my collection (from a now semi-long gone performer, known as a genius in some circles) that has not been circulated widely. This Jeff Buckley show fits the bill! How many of you can say you had a chance to see this guy while he was alive? And moreso, in the intimate confines of the CBGB 313 Gallery (next door to the actual CBGB club)?

Well, let's back up a little....how in the world did I wind up catching this future legend on his way up...considering I had never heard of him before this night? Well, here's the story: I went to CBGB's 313 Gallery on this night to see a favorite band of mine (also now sadly defunct) since my college days -- Tiny Lights, a Hoboken-based band who I have written about in the past (and will doubtless write about again in the near future)....but as a little appetizer before Tiny Lights, I went to see another band -- Solar, which was a jazz project that Andy Demos, the Tiny Lights drummer played in with Adam Bernstein [no relation] (now the bassist from the Laurie Berkener Band) and Eli Yamin (piano) play at the also-defunct jazz club Deanna's (on St. Mark's Place). This was a funny little club where Deanna, the owner would sing with each band that played there for a few songs per set. Anyway, getting back to the story behind this recording, I caught (and recorded) the Solar set at Deanna's then luckily SQEEZED into Andy's car with all of his drums and got a ride with him over to the Bowery (actually, not too far) for the Tiny Lights set, which was tasty but all too short (look for it real soon as BARN101!).

So Tiny Lights finishes their set, I start packing up to get ready to leave, and before I go, a woman comes up to me -- "Hey are you going to stay and tape Jeff?" "Jeff who?" I replied....Well she tells me he's Jeff Buckley and he's just put this band together and has just put out an EP "Live From Sine'" on Epic Records and that she works for his label and that I should definitely stay and record him because he's amazing. OK, well why not? With such a good pedigree, and someone asking nicely for me to stay and record....and I'm already set up, and it seems that I still have plenty of DAT tape and batteries, it was sort of a no brainer -- a triple-header!

So really it's thanks to this strange series of events that lead up to this show and finally Kia Stora (who I haven't seen or heard from since 1995 or so) that this recording exists at all. So thanks really go to Tiny Lights, Andy Demos, and finally Kia Stora for this.

I tried to go see & tape Jeff 2 more times -- one was unsuccessful (he played at Wetlands on the night that the then-unknown Counting Crows were playing there to celebrate their gig on Saturday Night Live the next night, and I didn't get in because it sold out ONE PERSON in line before I got in, as Counting Crows management apparently bought up all of the tickets to make it a sell out!!!) and once at Maxwell's in Hoboken, which I did get into and record....but Jeff's manager came up to me and confiscated the DAT from me at the end!!!!

Some internet searching proves that this recording has been circulated a little bit. I didn't give copies to many people -- one copy on DAT (to his mentor Gary Lucas) and one on cassette to Kia....so all circulating recordings must be from one of those 2 sources. BUT it has NEVER been circulated in quality like this, and they all seem to be mislabeled as if Jeff had played at actual CBGB's club (which was a completely different venue next door at 315 Bowery -- this was a more cafe-type venue which opened in the later years of CBGBs). I spent a lot of time transferring this its master, smoothing out the extreme volume differences between the quiet and loud parts of this show (I spent *3 hours* just working on mastering his cover of Van Morrison's "The Way Young Lovers Do"), removing annoying claps, and finally shipping it off to one of the guys with the best ears I know - Bill "MMWarchives" Mulvey for a remarkable EQ job. Generally my recordings do not need any EQ and I prefer to leave them exactly as recorded. But some combination of the cheaper mic and DAT recorder I had at the time and a poor mix job from the front of house engineer lead me to think it would really help here. Well he did a spectacular job of fattening up the bass (which was totally deficient in this recording) and adding a touch of extra high end crispness. EXCELLENT.....this recording had never been THIS listenable in the past. I hope you all appreciate the extra care Bill and I have both put into this historic recording.

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