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Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

 
Album Review: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
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Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk

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  • Artist: Jeff Buckley
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: May 26, 1998
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Jeff Buckley was a mess of contradictions: a perfectionist who believed in spontaneity, a man who was at once humble and vain, a musician who shunned his father's tumultuous legacy while creating one of his own. These are some of the reasons why he took his time writing and recording the material for his second album, laboring over many songs for months at a time. Given such painstaking methods, it shouldn't have been a surprise that recording was an equally fastidious process. Buckley recorded enough material for an album with producer Tom Verlaine, but deciding that the results weren't quite right, he scrapped them and moved to Memphis to record the album again. He reworked a few songs as home demos as he prepared to cut the album, but it was never made -- Buckley died in a tragic drowning accident before entering the studio. As a way to enlarge his legacy, his mother and record label rounded up the majority of the existing unreleased recordings, releasing them as the double-disc set Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. Excepting a few awkward moments and middle-eights, it's hard to see why Buckley rejected the Verlaine productions that make up disc one. The material isn't necessarily a progression from Grace; it's more like a stripped-down, edgier take on the sweeping, jazz-tinged goth folk-rock that made the first album so distinctive. Neither the nearly finished first disc nor the homemade demos and re-recordings on the second disc offer any revelations, but that's not necessarily a disappointment. Sketches adds several wonderful songs to his catalog, offering further proof of his immense talent. And that, of course, is what makes the album as sad as it is exciting. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks



CD 1

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The Sky Is a Landfill Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe Jeff Buckley (5:09)
Everybody Here Wants You (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:46)
Opened Once (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:29)
Nightmares by the Sea (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:53)
Yard of Blonde Girls (Lyrics) Audrey Clark, Inger Lorre Jeff Buckley (4:07)
Witches' Rave (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:40)
New Year's Prayer (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:40)
Morning Theft (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:39)
Vancouver (Lyrics) Mick Grondahl, Michael Tighe, Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:12)
You and I (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (5:39)


CD 2

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Nightmares by the Sea (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:49)
New Year's Prayer (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:10)
Haven't You Heard (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:07)
I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (4:27)
Murder Suicide Meteor Slave (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (5:55)
Back in N.Y.C. (Lyrics) Steve Hackett, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Ant Banks Jeff Buckley (7:37)
Demon John (Lyrics) Michael Tighe, Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (5:13)
Your Flesh Is So Nice (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:37)
Jewel Box (Lyrics) Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley (3:37)
Satisfied Mind [Live] (Lyrics) Joseph Hayes, Jack Rhodes, J. Hayes Jeff Buckley (6:00)

Credits

David Seitz (Assistant Engineer), Michael J. Clouse (Engineer), Ray Martin (Engineer), Jeff Buckley (Engineer), Bill Flanagan (Liner Notes), Irene Trudel (Engineer), Joe Lizzi (Assistant Engineer), Jim Caruana (Assistant Engineer), Andy Wallace (Engineer), Michael Tighe (Guitar), Jeff Buckley (Vocals), Gail Marowitz (Art Direction), Tom Verlaine (Mixing), Eric Eidel (Drums), Mary Guibert (Mixing), Jeff Buckley (Guitar), Parker Kindred (Drums), Tom Verlaine (Producer), Gail Marowitz (Design), Thom Cadley (Mixing), Andy Wallace (Mixing), Steve Sisco (Mixing Assistant), Nicky Lindeman (Art Direction), Mary Guibert (Liner Notes), Mick Grondahl (Bass), Nicholas Hill (Producer), Chris Theodore (?), Michael J. Clouse (Mixing), Merri Cyr (Photography), Nicky Lindeman (Design), Benjamin Goldstein (?)
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Wikipedia: Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
Studio album by Jeff Buckley
Released 26 May 1998
Recorded Summer 1996, New York; Spring 1997, Memphis
Genre Rock, Alternative rock
Length 91:46
Label Columbia
Producer Nicholas Hill
Tom Verlaine
Professional reviews
Jeff Buckley chronology
Live from the Batacan
(1996)		 Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
(1998)		 Mystery White Boy
(2000)

Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk is a collection of polished studio tracks and four-track demos recorded by Jeff Buckley. Being dissatisfied with material recorded in the summer of 1996 and early in 1997, Buckley worked on many demos to reach the sound he was hoping to achieve. To be titled My Sweetheart, the Drunk, the album was never finished, as the rest of the band were traveling to meet Buckley at the time of his death. It was released posthumously on 26 May 1998 (see 1998 in music). Despite its unfinished state, the album garnered many positive reviews; The Onion's AV Club called it "frustratingly incomplete, but mostly remarkable". The album's original sessions were produced by Television frontman Tom Verlaine.

"My Sweetheart the Drunk" was the working title that Jeff Buckley was using while writing and recording the album; the title was intended by his mother and sole heir of his estate, Mary Guibert, to be rendered with parentheses, as Sketches (for My Sweetheart the Drunk), because Jeff's work was not finished, and therefore was just an outline, or "sketch", of what would have been released, had Jeff been able to complete this project.

Contents

Track listing

All tracks composed by Jeff Buckley; except where indicated

  • Disc One
  1. "The Sky Is a Landfill" (Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe) – 5:09
  2. "Everybody Here Wants You" – 4:46
  3. "Opened Once" – 3:29
  4. "Nightmares by the Sea" – 3:53
  5. "Yard of Blonde Girls" (Audrey Clark, Lori Kramer, Inger Lorre) – 4:07
  6. "Witches' Rave" – 4:40
  7. "New Year's Prayer" – 4:40
  8. "Morning Theft" – 3:39
  9. "Vancouver" (Jeff Buckley, Mick Grondahl, Michael Tighe) – 3:12
  10. "You and I" – 5:39
  • Disc Two
  1. "Nightmares by the Sea" (Original Mix) – 3:49
  2. "New Year's Prayer" (Original Mix) – 4:10
  3. "Haven't You Heard" – 4:07
  4. "I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)" – 4:27
  5. "Murder Suicide Meteor Slave" – 5:55
  6. "Back in N.Y.C." (Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford) – 7:37
  7. "Demon John" (Jeff Buckley, Michael Tighe) – 5:13
  8. "Your Flesh Is So Nice" – 3:37
  9. "Jewel Box" – 3:37
  10. "Satisfied Mind" (Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes) (recorded 1992.10.11 WFMU) – 6:00

International (non-US) editions of Disc 2 include the bonus track "Gunshot Glitter" (Jeff Buckley) as Track 7 for a total of 21 tracks. The Japanese edition of Disc 2 also includes the bonus track "Thousand Fold" (Jeff Buckley) as Track 11 for a total of 22 tracks.[1]

Samples
"New Year's Prayer"
"New Year's Prayer" by Jeff Buckley.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Personnel

  • Jeff Buckley - guitar, vocals
  • Michael Tighe - guitar
  • Mick Grondahl - bass
  • Eric Eidel - drums
  • Parker Kindred - drums
  • Benjamin Goldstein - ?
  • Chris Theodore - ?
  • Producers: Nicholas Hill, Tom Verlaine
  • Engineers: Jeff Buckley, Michael J. Clouse, Ray Martin, Irene Trudel
  • Assistant engineers: Jim Caruana, Joe Lizzi, David Seitz
  • Mixing: Tom Cadley, Michael J. Clouse, Mary Guibert, Tom Verlaine, Andy Wallace
  • Mixing assistant: Steve Sisco
  • Art direction: Nicky Lindeman, Gail Marowitz
  • Design: Nicky Lindeman, Gail Marowitz
  • Photography: Merri Cyr
  • Liner notes: Bill Flanagan, Mary Guibert

Charts

Album

Chart Position
US [2] 64
Australia [3] 1
Belgium [4] 13
France [5] 6
Netherlands [6] 62
New Zealand [7] 7
Norway [8] 10
Sweden [9] 29
UK[10] 7

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1998 "Everybody Here Wants You" Australian Top 100 [11] 35
1998 "Everybody Here Wants You" UK Singles Chart [10] 43

Miscellaneous

  • Swedish Gothic Rock band Katatonia recorded a cover of "Nightmares by the Sea", which appeared on the "Tonight's Decision" album and then later on "The Black Sessions" compilation.
  • The USA original series The Dead Zone (based on the Stephen King novel of the same name) uses "New Year's Prayer" as its theme song.

References

  1. ^ Kane, Rebecca (1999). "Kingdom For A Kiss - The JB F.A.Q.: Sketches". http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/faq/17sketches.html. Retrieved 2007-05-24. 
  2. ^ "US: Albums". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3xfoxqq5ldse~T50. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  3. ^ "Australia: Albums". australian-charts.com. http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  4. ^ "Belgium: Albums". www.ultratop.be. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?key=18234&cat=a. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  5. ^ "France: Albums". lescharts.com. http://lescharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  6. ^ "Netherlands: Albums". dutchcharts.nl. http://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=a&cat2=s&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  7. ^ "New Zealand: Albums". charts.org.nz. http://charts.org.nz/search.asp?cat=a&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  8. ^ "Norway: Albums". norwegiancharts.com. http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  9. ^ "Sweden: Albums". swedishcharts.com. http://swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  10. ^ a b "UK Chartlog". zobbel.de. http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_B.HTM. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
  11. ^ "Australia: Singles". Australian-charts.com. http://australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=s&search=Jeff+Buckley. Retrieved 28 December 2008. 
Preceded by
The Wedding Singer: Music from the Motion Picture
by Various artists		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
17 May - 23 May 1998		 Succeeded by
Yourself or Someone Like You
by Matchbox 20
v • d • e
Jeff Buckley
Studio albums
Grace · Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk · Songs to No One 1991–1992
Live albums
Compilations
Singles
DVDs
Related articles

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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