Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk (+Bonus Track) [Import]

Amazon.com
Perhaps the most talented "son act" in pop music, Jeff Buckley combined the often harrowing eclecticism of estranged papa Tim Buckley with the rock acrobatics of Robert Plant. This posthumously released collection of four-track demos and sessions helmed by Tom Verlaine indicates that Buckley's astonishing full-length debut, Grace, was no fluke. The young singer-songwriter puts his falsetto to good use on an extraordinary collection of original material, from the soulful "Everybody Wants You" to the psychedelic "Murder Suicide Meteor Slave." And while his bluesy take on Porter Wagoner's "Satisfied Mind" may not be as revelatory as his earlier version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," this album offers ample proof that Buckley was among his generation's most gifted voices. --Bill Forman

Product Description
Japanese edition of his posthumous 1998 & second album, 'Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk', with 'Gunshot Glitter' & 'Thousand Fold' added as bonus tracks. 22 tracks total. Double jewel case. A Sony Records release. Also includes lyircs to all tracks.

Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk (+Bonus Track),Jeff Buckley,Sbme Import,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Pop/Rock,Folk-Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter

Average customer rating: Strange Sketches Half polished, half sketches... Disc 2 is just AMAZING! The masterpiece even Buckley missed? "I feel so collectable!"

Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk) Jeff Buckley Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Grace Jeff Buckley - Live in Chicago Live at Sin-é Grace Mystery White Boy: Live '95-'96 ASIN: B000006O7C Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

1. The Sky Is A Landfill
2. Everybody Here Wants You
3. Opened Once
4. Nightmares By The Sea
5. Yard Of Blonde Girls
6. Witches' Rave
7. New Year's Prayer
8. Morning Theft
9. Vancouver
10. You & I

Tracks:

1. Nightmares By The Sea
2. New Year's Prayer
3. Haven't You Heard
4. I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted To Be)
5. Murder Suicide Meteor Slave
6. Back In N.Y.C.
7. Demon John
8. Your Flesh Is So Nice
9. Jewel Box
10. Satisfied Mind

Amazon.com

Culled both from studio sessions that his friends maintain he wasn't pleased with, and from four-track demo tapes never intended for public consumption, Sketches is an unfair representation of Jeff Buckley's musical world. At times quite touching ("Morning Theft, "Jewel Box"), the 2 CD set illustrates the stylistic struggle Buckley was confronting before he drowned last year at 30. His wiry voice was well- suited for gospel music, but his instincts were underdeveloped ("Satisfied Mind"). He couldn't rock without getting fancy, and the mellow material ("Everybody Here Wants You") touches on "lite" FM. The second disc features mostly home studio noodlings that might have been interesting on a box set looking over many years' output. As his last recordings, they point out a strong imagination that never had the time to grow into a unified vision. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Strange Sketches.......2006-12-01

One thing that turns a lot of people off about this collection is how
much werider it is than grace. Many songs have much more strange subject
matter, "your flesh is so nice," "demon john" the bizarre, " murder
suicide meteor slave." But, "witches rave," is one of the most amazing
songs buckley has written. As is, "vancouver," "the sky is a landfill."
Both versions of, "nitemares by the sea," are pretty good, probably one
is the best. Disc two feels more like a bonus disc of rarities. 4-9
are pretty raw. "Back in N.Y.C." is a genesis cover. This is just a
taste of un-finished music that would have been another album.

Half polished, half sketches..........2006-07-31

Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk is so good, and, at the same time, so hard to listen to. Jeff Buckley had planned to go into the studio to record his sophomore album, My Sweetheart the Drunk, in June of 1997. He died in May. This album, a two-CD compilation of three studio sessions and a fourth unofficial recording session, was released posthumously.

The first disc, a mix of the studio sessions sounds like a real album. The second disc has a few polished songs, but is mostly a sampling of Buckley's rough four-track recordings. He sounds like he was playing with where to go next, and it's a tragedy that the album will never be fully realized. (That sense of unfinished business gives the CD its amended title.)

As the audiophile who introduced me to Buckley said, "It's no Grace." Well, no, it isn't. You shouldn't expect it to be, either. Not everyone is as fortunate as, say, Warren Zevon, who, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002, made an album before he died, knowing it would be his last.

Buckley wasn't finished. I suppose you could make the argument that no artist ever is. But, listening to this album, you can't help but wonder what might have been.

As his mother says in the liner notes, "If Jeff had lived and chosen to erase these sketches, it would have been a relative minor loss. He could have written hundreds of songs and made dozens of albums in their place. Unfortunately, God had something else in mind for my son, and for me."

Disc 2 is just AMAZING!.......2006-01-13

This CD is one of my favourite CD's of all time. You people saying that the disc 2 is not worth listening to, you haven't got it, have you..? When disc 2 really starts with "haven't you heard" (the first two songs are remixes from disc one), it takes you to a totally unique experience all the way to the last chord is played.

I feel dragged into a spiritual world in a way I've never been before when listening to this record. It's so raw and naked that it took me a long time to like it, but when I first did, it just got better and better for each time I listened to it, and it still does. Jeff Buckley is truly one of the most gifted and talented musicians of all times, if not THE most gifted. My favourites on the disc 2 are perhaps "we could be so happy baby (if we wanted to be)", "murder suicide meteor slave", "demon john", and "Jewel Box", but all of the songs, except "your flesh is so nice" perhaps, are just unbelievable.

I do not dare to think about what this could have become if he got to finish it.. Jeff Buckley has, with all of his music, added new aspects into my life, and I am forever grateful.

But it surely takes time to like the second disc, you will probably think it's just weird and far too raw if you don't give it a real try, but if you are a Buckley fan (which you all should be), listen to it until you like it, and trust me, you won't regret it. I can't get it out of my cd-player, not even to play Grace!!

By the way, the first disc also rocks!!("Vancouver" is just soo cool!!)

The masterpiece even Buckley missed?.......2006-01-09

I'll add a few thoughts for the person considering this CD, particularly who only knows the album Grace: The first disc of this set is a relatively finished product produced for Buckley by Tom Verlaine (with some subsequent minor clean-up). The second disc consists mainly of rough drafts for unrecorded songs, and should be considered as such. The second CD is not easy listening, and is really for the most devoted fans only (as is fully disclosed in the liner notes).

It is said that Buckley was dissatisfied with the Verlaine sessions. I recall that Buckley's biographer reported that Verlaine told Buckley, essentially: "If you don't like the tapes, destroy them, or they'll find their way into the public eye eventually." Buckley didn't destroy them. He and Verlaine worked on them in Memphis, then Buckley set them aside.

Buckley chose Verlaine to produce the sessions. Verlaine produced Buckley's music with a far more stripped-down sound then you find on Grace. Buckley and his band (save for the drummers on the tapes) had been touring for quite some time, and were deeply attuned to one another's playing. They had a wonderful sound, simple, centered on electric guitars (played with relatively few effects), bass, and drums, supporting Buckley's vocals. This is the sound that Verlaine, and perhaps Buckley, wanted to capture. And they did, very well.

I describe the sound as "simple"--what I mean is that the ingredients were as straight-forward as your basic bar band. What they did with those ingredients was 10 levels beyond your basic bar band. Buckley had developed into a first-rate writer of deceptively complex songs. A song, like "The Sky is a Landfill," might start out rather like a basic rock 'n roll song, but pretty soon you're in another place...the verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure generally vanishes; the 2 guitars (sometimes more) and bass play off of one another (with considerable panache and skill) into different layers and blends, and Buckley sings his serpentine melodies, unflinchingly exploring his uniquely wide range and timbres. It still rocks, and often pretty hard, too, but it requires, and greatly rewards, attention. (There are several ballads as well--not surprising for Buckley, who was a master of the form.)

None of this is utterly different from Grace, but Grace was more heavily worked in the studio, with considerable multi-tracking of vocal parts, multiple and various-sounding electric and acoustic guitars (some "treated"), some keyboards, strings, etc. And Grace is terrific. But so is Sketches...even though Sketches is thought to be something of a rough draft. In terms of the way it sounds to this listener, it's not that rough--certainly no "first draft." Maybe more of a "works in progress," by a band that, like any really active, working band, is always somewhat "in progress."

But what about Buckley's dissatisfaction? Is it possible that we're dealing with an end result that, though excellent otherwise, just didn't match his vision for it, and thus simply disappointed him at the time? Is it possible that he would have turned to it later and been pleasantly surprised? We'll never know. But he didn't destroy it. And now we have it, and can be grateful for it.

"I feel so collectable!".......2005-11-30

Sketches (For My Sweetheart the Drunk) is the first posthumous release of the late great Jeff Buckley. The songs on these two disks were taken from what Buckley had been working on during the time of his accidental drowning. Most of the tracks were taped onto old Michael Bolton tapes in Buckley's in-home studio. He used electronics and his own musical talents to record; there was no one else there to aid him. The cover of the CD is really effective; it is a photograph of Jeff Buckley reflected through a mirror. Instead of this collection being Jeff's own, it is his work tweaked by friends and family in an attempt to make the album as close to what Buckley would have wanted.

Disk One is probably the easiest to begin with if you want to like this CD. The songs are more polished; a few of the songs are included in lesser form on the second CD. However, this is the half that most people can identify with. Fans of Grace might surprised at the change in Buckley's style, but Buckley is Buckley. He's absolutely amazing.
The Sky is a Landfill is obviously one of those songs Buckley wrote first as a poem, then a song. The lyrics are really beautiful and the message is strong. It could be used for a political movement; it is really good. The music that accompanies the lyrics is not as outstanding, so one might look over the song right off, but take another listen. I promise, with anything Jeff Buckley related, taking a second look is always rewarding.
Everybody Here Wants You is a very feminine nightclub type of a song. One can just see the smoke and the dismal men at the bar staring at an attractive girl. It's really a beautiful little song, but it is certainly one of Buckley's most feminine on this set.
Opened Once is a sad lament with some really gorgeous lyrics. It is short and quiet, a personal song.
Nightmares By the Sea is an excellent catchy song with better than average lyrics. It seems to be a warning to young lovers and the damnation they face. It's dreamy and mournful but happy and beautiful at the same time.
Yard of Blonde Girls was not written by Buckley. It is a slow, louder type of a song.
Witches' Rave is a truly fun song, one you'll find yourself singing along to and bouncing to in the car.
New Year's Prayer is an acid-trippy psychedelic song with a persistent beat and wavy echoing vocals.
Morning Theft is an excellent example of the uncharacteristic style of Buckley. He is able to change a song's mood right in the middle of a song making it progressively more gorgeous as it goes.
Vancouver is an overlooked gem. It began as a long instrumental song, but with lyrics and Buckley's vocals became a million times more powerful.
You & I is a haunting, somewhat disturbing song. There is an ominous hollow sound in the background as Buckley sings these strong lyrics. The result is raw but very emotional.

Disk Two is much more raw than the first. This disk captures more of the energy that Buckley had live. Here is his with mistakes and all, just him and a guitar sometimes, or sometimes with a few other gadgets thrown in.
Nightmares By the Sea is a repeat from the first CD. This version seems to have more effects done on the voice and the backgrounds; they seem less natural. This version is actually my favorite of the two because it seems more ominous which lends to the lyrics.
New Year's Prayer is also included a second time. This one seems to have more echo but the lyrics are the same and there don't seem to be many differences.
Haven't You Heard is a song that is practically shouted, but it is really good. It is lacking a bit in the music department; things are left to a minimum there.
I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted To Be) is certainly a work in progress. It has a very bare guitar sound and less than perfect vocals. However, this turns out to be quite effective.
Murder Suicide Meteor Slave is hard to get used to, but it is actually enjoyable once you get used to it. The ending, however, is very, very strange.
Back In N.Y.C. was not written by Buckley, and thank goodness. I can't get myself to like this song. It is very raw and very strange.
Demon John is also a little difficult to get used to. It just seems to wander around aimlessly.
Your Flesh Is So Nice is an incredibly funny song. It is really bare musically, but the words will have you in stitches.
Jewel Box is a sweet little tune. The vocals and guitar are not perfect, but that adds to the song's appeal. When listening, one can just imagine Buckley sitting in front of a recorder with a guitar on his lap singing with a smile on his face.
Satisfied Mind was originally a country song. This is a perfect example of Buckley's interest in all sorts of music. This one has a good message, that one doesn't have to be rich to be happy. It's a simple, sweet song, and a great way to end the set.

Overall, Buckley fans will love this CD and new converts might warm up to him, but must be wary right at first and give Jeff his proper chance.

Average customer rating:

Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk Jeff Buckley ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Grace ASIN: B000024ZZM Release Date: 2001-07-03

Tracks:

1. Sky Is a Landfill
2. Everybody Here Wants You
3. Opened Once
4. Nightmares by the Sea
5. Yard of Blonde Girls
6. Witches' Rave
7. New Year's Prayer
8. Morning Theft
9. Vancouver
10. You and I

Tracks:

1. Nightmares by the Sea
2. New Year's Prayer
3. Haven't You Heard
4. I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)
5. Murder Suicide Meteor Slave
6. Back in N.Y.C.
7. Demon John
8. Your Flesh Is So Nice
9. Jewel Box
10. Satisfied Mind

Album Description

International edition of the late Buckley's posthumous collection with 'Gunshot Glitter' added as a bonus track not available on the U.S. version. 21 tracks total. The album is his final studio sessions & four track home recordings. Double slimline jewel case. Sony. 1998.

Average customer rating: Music At Its Best! An Incredible Tribute to an Amazing Vocalist

Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk (+Bonus Track) Jeff Buckley Manufacturer: Sony Japan ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Grace Live at Sin-é The Grace EPs ASIN: B00000899U Release Date: 1998-02-06

Tracks:

1. Sky Is a Landfill
2. Everybody Here Wants You
3. Opened Once
4. Nightmares by the Sea
5. Yard of Blonde Girls
6. Witches' Rave
7. New Year's Prayer
8. Morning Theft
9. Vancouver
10. You and I

Tracks:

1. Nightmares by the Sea [Remix]
2. New Year's Prayer [Remix]
3. Haven't You Heard
4. I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)
5. Murder Suicide Meteor Slave
6. Back in N.Y.C.
7. Gunshot Glitter [*]
8. Demon John
9. Your Flesh Is So Nice
10. Jewel Box
11. Thousand Fold [*]
12. Satisfied Mind

Amazon.com

Perhaps the most talented "son act" in pop music, Jeff Buckley combined the often harrowing eclecticism of estranged papa Tim Buckley with the rock acrobatics of Robert Plant. This posthumously released collection of four-track demos and sessions helmed by Tom Verlaine indicates that Buckley's astonishing full-length debut, Grace, was no fluke. The young singer-songwriter puts his falsetto to good use on an extraordinary collection of original material, from the soulful "Everybody Wants You" to the psychedelic "Murder Suicide Meteor Slave." And while his bluesy take on Porter Wagoner's "Satisfied Mind" may not be as revelatory as his earlier version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," this album offers ample proof that Buckley was among his generation's most gifted voices. --Bill Forman

Album Description

Japanese edition of his posthumous 1998 & second album, 'Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk', with 'Gunshot Glitter' & 'Thousand Fold' added as bonus tracks. 22 tracks total. Double jewel case. A Sony Records release. Also includes lyircs to all tracks.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks: Gunshot Glitter, and Thousand Fold.

Customer Reviews:

Music At Its Best!.......2004-01-06

This album is my bible Jeff Buckley is my God we come together to make a chance in the starlight, altough Jeff never finished this album his un finished music leaves you thinking what if he did finish it? does it even get better than this? but then you realise there is no what if and only what is and this album along with grace, Is one of the best albums I had ever heard and a voice like no other, a voice you will never hear more perfect and beautifull then the voice of Jeff Buckley it is indeed a voice to hold in the dark!

An Incredible Tribute to an Amazing Vocalist.......1998-06-17

This album, put together by the people who loved Jeff after his far too early death, is an incredible tribute. It truly shows the wondrous talent this young man had. His writing and volcalizing abilities show through even in the cuts that were still in very raw form. For any fan of Jeff Buckley, this is a must. My favorite cut so far? Well, it is a tie I think between Everybody Here Wants You, in which Jeff's vocal talents shine bright as ever; and Your Flesh Is So Nice, which makes him sound like a horny college kid on a typical weekend night. His range wass vast, as were his abilities...The music world lost alot when we lost Jeff Buckley.

Average customer rating: Could have been... but still one of the best Can someone please list the tracks on this CD?

Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk Jeff Buckley Manufacturer: Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000009HPP Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

1. Sky Is a Landfill
2. Everybody Here Wants You
3. Opened Once
4. Nightmares by the Sea
5. Yard of Blonde Girls
6. Witches' Rave
7. New Year's Prayer
8. Morning Theft
9. Vancouver
10. You and I

Tracks:

1. Nightmares by the Sea
2. New Year's Prayer
3. Haven't You Heard
4. I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted to Be)
5. Murder Suicide Meteor Slave
6. Back in N.Y.C.
7. Gunshot Glitter [*]
8. Demon John
9. Your Flesh Is So Nice
10. Jewel Box
11. Satisfied Mind

Amazon.com

Perhaps the most talented "son act" in pop music, Jeff Buckley combined the often harrowing eclecticism of estranged papa Tim Buckley with the rock acrobatics of Robert Plant. This posthumously released collection of four-track demos and sessions helmed by Tom Verlaine indicates that Buckley's astonishing full-length debut, Grace, was no fluke. The young singer-songwriter puts his falsetto to good use on an extraordinary collection of original material, from the soulful "Everybody Wants You" to the psychedelic "Murder Suicide Meteor Slave." And while his bluesy take on Porter Wagoner's "Satisfied Mind" may not be as revelatory as his earlier version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," this album offers ample proof that Buckley was among his generation's most gifted voices. --Bill Forman

Album Description

European edition of the late Buckley's posthumous collection with 'Gunshot Glitter' added as a bonus track not available on the U.S. version. 21 tracks total. The album is his final studio sessions & four track home recordings. Double slimline jewel case. 1998 Columbia release.

Customer Reviews:

Could have been... but still one of the best.......2002-06-28

Grace is probably my favorite single album. I bought sketches not really knowing what to expect, and got more than I hoped. The first CD is all professionally done studio tracks that Jeff recorded with his band in between Grace and his death. This disc is incredible. If he had released that alone as his second album it would have easily met the expectations set among his fans by Grace. 'The Sky is a Landfill', 'New Year's Prayer', and 'Morning Theft' are three incredible songs that come on tracks 1, 7 and 8, and hold this incredible CD together. The only tracks I'm not as fond of are 9 and 10, but still this is an incredible CD.

The second CD is not as impressive at first listen. It is more tragic. The different mixes of 'Nightmare by the Sea' and especially of 'New Year's Prayer' that start this off are actually better than the mixes on the first CD. Then come 7 tracks that Jeff made at home preparing for the studio sessions that were to lead the 'My Sweetheart the Drunk'. As his mother explains in the liner notes, these are just Jeff at home with his four track. The sound quality isn't as good, but you can still feel the artistry coming through. The last track rivals 'Hallelujah' as the best cover ever. 'Satisfied Mind' is a particularly appropriate song to finish off this CD. Overall, the second disk is not as fun to have in the CD player all the time, but if you listen to both CD's, you can just hear what would have been' Jeff's final version of the album coming together, and it would have been awesome. Put together some of the best of the first CD with full versions of the stuff on the second, and you would have gotten a CD maybe even more masterful than 'Grace'. If you like Jeff Buckley, you need this CD before anything else of his but 'Grace'.

Can someone please list the tracks on this CD?.......1999-12-29

Love Jeff Buckley, like everyone else reading this. But would someone please post what tracks are on this import verses the other three Sketches imports that also have other tracks? are they all different? What gives? Why doesn't Amazon.com just include a song list?

Average customer rating:

Three Songs From Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk Manufacturer: Columbia ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000BT4416

Product Description

Tracks: 1. Everybody here wants you (4:45)~~ 2. The Sky Is A Landfill (5:09)~~ 3. Haven't You Heard (4:06)~~ This is a promo.

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