Post-mortem music always wins me over. Hearing music from someone who died before he or she could realize his or her impact on a fan base makes for an interesting listen. There, I said it. One of my favorite artists of all time is Jeff Buckley. His lyrics, his melodies, that voice and his timid-yet-commanding presence all convinced me that he was an amazing musician. He died at the prolific age of 28 from drowning, but the technicalities of the incident are still a mystery.

His story reads like that of his many predecessors who died young - amazing talent cut short and never to be realized fully during their lives. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Nick Drake, Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Shannon Hoon, Elliot Smith and so many more all died prematurely during their burgeoning careers. Time didn’t take a negative toll on their careers, allowing them to age and possibly forcing them into music that was obligatory for money.

(I remember the members of Nickelback before they were big and forced down our throats, ca. 1998, but now I just wince in pain whenever I see or hear them.) But, their visions were fresh, and they still carried importance in their music, and to me, that is what makes a musician a musician. Maintaining substance can be difficult in music. There are so many elements when it comes to song writing that any small turn can affect the process.

Is the song too long or too short, too deep or not deep enough, too melodic or are the instruments all wrong? These can all determine the outcome of a song. Attempting to materialize creativity is an effort within itself, let alone convincing other people that it’s right, so musicians have a tendency to go crazy trying to write songs.