Before Jeff Buckley became the beautiful poster boy for the next generationof tragic troubadours cut down before their prime, he was a member of Gods &Monsters, a New York avant rock aggregate led by former Captain Beefheart guitaristGary Lucas. After meeting at Hal Willner's 1991 Tim Buckley tribute, Buckleyaccepted Lucas' invitation to join G&M, beginning the process of Buckleyfinding his own unique muse. Songs to No One represents the full gamutof the G&M experience, from rehearsal tapes (the ethereal throb of the 11-minute"Hymne À L'Amour") to live soundboard recordings (seminalversions of "Mojo Pin" and "Grace," the incendiary "Cruel").Although posthumous work tapes are generally a suspicious source of enlightenmentabout any artist, Jeff Buckley remains an exception, simply because of the passionand brevity of his reign. Songs to No One is an imperfect document ofBuckley's term with Gods & Monsters, but it aptly frames hisfragile legend.