Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, released by Columbia Records on May 11, 1998, a year after his death. It comprises recordings Buckley made while working on his second album, My Sweetheart the Drunk, with the producer Tom Verlaine in 1996 and 1997. It was released after negotiation with Buckley's mother, the owner of his estate, who feared that Sony was trying to exploit his legacy. It received positive reviews.
Recording and release
Buckley released his debut album, Grace, in 1994. He began recording his second album with the working title My Sweetheart the Drunk in late 1996 with the producer Tom Verlaine. Unsatisfied with the results, Buckley discarded the recordings and went to Memphis with his band to start anew. On the evening of May 29, 1997, Buckley went swimming in the Mississippi River and drowned.
As Buckley left no will, his estate transferred to his mother, Mary Guibert. Soon after Buckley's memorial ceremonies, Guibert learned that Sony was in the process of mixing and mastering the Verlaine recordings for release. This angered Guibert and Buckley's band, as Buckley had not wanted to release them. Through her lawyer, Guibert sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sony.
| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev2score = A−
| rev3 = The Guardian
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| rev4 = Los Angeles Times
| rev4score =
| rev5 = NME
| rev5score = 8/10
| rev6 = Pitchfork
| rev6score = 8.0/10
| rev7 = Rolling Stone
| rev7score =
| rev8 = Slant Magazine
| rev8score =
| rev9 = Spin
| rev9score = 4/10
| rev10 = USA Today
| rev10score =
My Sweetheart the Drunk received positive reviews. Biographers and critics wrote that Buckley had been "reaching fruitfully in multiple directions". The Los Angeles Times cited John Lennon and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as references. The reviewer Steve Hochman likened the track "Everybody Here Wants You" to a "70s-ish soul experiment worthy of Marvin Gaye or Al Green", and linked "New Year's Prayer" to Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir".
Track listing
All tracks composed by Jeff Buckley, except where noted.
International (non-US) editions of disc two include the track "Gunshot Glitter" (Jeff Buckley) as track 7, moving tracks 7–10 of the US edition down a place for a total of 21 tracks.
Personnel
- Jeff Buckley – vocals, guitar
- Michael Tighe – guitar
- Mick Grøndahl – bass
- Parker Kindred – drums
- Eric Eidel – drums ("The Sky Is A Landfill", "Morning Theft", and "Vancouver")
Technical
- Tom Verlaine – producer
- Nicholas Hill – producer on "Satisfied Mind"
- Jeff Buckley, Michael J. Clouse, Ray Martin, Irene Trudel – engineer
- Jim Caruana, Joe Lizzi, David Seitz – assistant engineer
- Tom Cadley, Michael J. Clouse, Mary Guibert, Tom Verlaine, Andy Wallace – mixing
- Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
- Nicky Lindeman, Gail Marowitz – art direction, design
- Merri Cyr – photography
- Bill Flanagan, Mary Guibert – liner notes
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1998 weekly chart performance for Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
! scope="col"| Chart (1998)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| European Albums (Eurotipsheet)
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"|Irish Albums (IFPI)
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2025 weekly chart performance for Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
! scope="col"| Chart (2025)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Greek Albums (IFPI)
| 63
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1998 year-end chart performance for Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
! scope="col"| Chart (1998)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)
| 52
|-
! scope="row"| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
| 96
|}