The 20-song collection, due out May 26, is likely to be followed by a
series of additional recordings taken from both concert and studio tapes,
according to Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert. Among the work listed for
possible release is material described by Buckley's drummer, Parker
Kindred, as "mind-blowing, flooring music" that is sure to carry on his
legacy.
"We are already anticipating that the follow-up album to this will consist
of live
performances, most likely in-concert recordings from the final leg of the
Australian tour," Guibert said in a prepared statement issued by the highly
acclaimed singer/songwriter's label, Columbia Records.
"However, there is a wealth of material from other concerts and live
performances from radio shows around the world," Guibert added. "Other
possibilities are outtakes from [Buckley's debut studio album] Grace and
Live
Sin-é."
In addition, Guibert noted that there are several tracks that were not
included on
Sketches because of space limitations or time constraints. One of those
songs, "Mood Swing Whiskey," "sounds like [the legendary Hollywood
actress/performer] Judy Garland," according to Kindred.
Prior to his death at age 30, the East Village, N.Y., songwriter and son
of the
famed folk-troubadour Tim Buckley had achieved critical acclaim with Grace
(which has sold over 200,000 copies in the U.S. to date, according to
SoundScan). Buckley, whose father died from a heroin overdose at 28, left
behind numerous unreleased recordings featuring his characteristic soaring
vocals.
Among the other tracks cited by Guibert for possible future release are
"Sky Blue Skin," "Woke Up In A
Strange Place" and "Don't Listen To Anyone But Me."
Guibert also worked with Columbia Records in compiling the tracks for the
Sketches album. The
20-track, two-CD set features some tracks that Buckley had recorded during
the summer of 1996 and
winter of 1997 -- during sessions produced by former Television guitarist
Tom Verlaine -- as well as
Buckley's own four-track home recordings.
In the weeks before Buckley drowned last May while swimming in the Mississippi
River near Memphis,
Tenn., he had sent Kindred -- along with Buckley's backup guitarist Michael
Tighe and bassist Mick
Grondahl -- four-track home recordings of songs that the band was expected
to record when it rejoined
Buckley in Memphis at the end of the month, including "Mood Swing Whiskey"
and another song called
"Let's Bomb The Moonlight."
"He sent us a letter and it said, 'Don't study this -- you guys are going
to come down and add the color.
These are just black and white, static,' " Kindred recalled. "This was
mind-blowing, flooring music. It was
the next step to the continuation of his amazing stuff."
Sadly, Buckley died on May 29, the day that his bandmates arrived for recording.