Mark Lanegan Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Removing himself for a moment from the rowdy world of grunge, Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan put his best solo foot forward with a set of acoustic dirges. His menacing voice haunts each track as the blues come to life throughout the album. Capturing the melancholy mentality of the Pacific Northwest, his words descend like raindrops upon deep puddles of mud. The undeniable beauty of a song such as "Ugly Sunday" obviously comes from reveling in the mire, something that Lanegan has been all too familiar with as a recovering addict. He finds a kindred spirit in Kurt Cobain as the two join forces to present "Down in the Dark." And his version of Leadbelly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is as charged as ever with pent-up frustration and jealousy. An emotional journey through the pains of life, The Winding Sheet is an album that accurately expresses the candid underbelly of the grunge aesthetic. ~ Robert Gabriel, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With the Screaming Trees an increasingly distant memory and his brief tenure with Queens of the Stone Age seemingly over and done, Mark Lanegan appears to have well and truly become a solo artist, and while the dark and blues-shot introspections of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost and The Winding Sheet felt like a respite from Lanegan's usual musical diet of the time, Bubblegum sounds like an effort to fuse the nocturnal atmospherics of his solo work with the impressive brain/brawn ratio of his better-known bands. Credited to the Mark Lanegan Band (though there's no consistent set of musicians from track to track), Bubblegum is hardly short on the moody stuff, with Lanegan's nicotine-buffered pipes leading these songs though any number of empty streets and unhappy events, as on the jonesed-out road trip of "Strange Religion," the pained drift of "One Hundred Days," and the wasted longing of "Morning Glory Wine" -- notice a common theme yet? (Oh, and in case you were wondering, the album's title refers not to teen-centric pop music, but a line from his song "Bombed": "When I'm bombed, I stretch like bubblegum/And look too long straight at the morning sun.") But Lanegan was also of a mind to rock out a bit while making this album (or figured that his newer fans were expecting it of him), and with his QOTSA pals Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri helping out on a few cuts, he does indeed deliver the rock, most notably the clanking menace of "Methamphetamine Blues," the straightforward bash of "Sideways in Reverse," and the organ-driven ooze of "Hit the City" (the latter featuring Polly Jean Harvey in an inspired duet appearance). But while most guys making a solo album after a stint with a successful band create music that speaks of freedom and release, Bubblegum finds Lanegan digging ever deeper into the obsessions and appetites that drag him into the same corner every time. It sure doesn't sound like a life most of us would wish to lead, but it makes for damned compelling art, and the dank emotional caverns of Bubblegum offer some territory well worth exploring for the strong-willed. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Those looking for some stylistic shifts in Mark Lanegan's fifth solo outing might be a bit disappointed. Lanegan pours out blues- and gospel-tinged country-rock over ice and sips it for 42 and a half minutes -- and that's precisely what he's been up to since 1990's The Winding Sheet. Why the heck not? He's damn good at it, and he proves it here on Field Songs. Some new things are abreast on this record as Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) is present on most tracks lending his guitar and bass hands. Also present are Bill Rieflin (KMFDM, Lard, Ministry, etc.) and Duff McKagen (Guns N' Roses) who each play on one track and are a part of Lanegan's touring band along with Shepherd. Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) has been on each of Lanegan's albums and continues to add much of the building blocks and the mortar necessary to pluck out these songs that are constructed much in the same vein as in the past but with some nuances and a greater color depth. Upon repeated listens, standout tracks such as "Miracle," "Kimiko's Dream House," and "Fix" become infectiously memorable as convincing tales about love gained and lost. All in all, every track is solid and worthy of numerous spins. ~ Jack LV Isles, All Music Guide
'I'll Take Care of You'
Release Date 9/17/1999
Tracks 11
Label Beggars Banquet
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What The Critics Say
By now, anyone who has heard one of Mark Lanegan's solo albums knows exactly what the others will sound like -- Lanegan's weathered, smoky voice intones tales of quiet desperation over echoing electric guitar arpeggios, folky acoustic guitar work, and the occasional piano, organ, or violin embellishment. This approach has resulted in a compelling body of work, often possessed of remarkable depth, but it's also become something of a stylistic straitjacket over the course of several albums. And that's the only major knock against the otherwise brilliant I'll Take Care of You, Lanegan's fourth solo album, which marks the first time it hasn't taken him four years to deliver a follow-up. Perhaps that's because there's no original material here -- I'll Take Care of You applies the drifting, elegiac qualities of its predecessors to a selection of well-chosen, mostly underexposed folk, country, and blues covers. It's a testament to Lanegan's interpretive skill that he's able to use his already well-established style so effectively yet again, as most of these versions range from stunning to merely excellent. His sources are widely varied: acclaimed but undervalued folk artists like Tim Hardin and Fred Neil, soul-blues singer Bobby Bland (the Brook Benton-penned title track), cult indie bands the Gun Club and the Leaving Trains, country superstar Buck Owens, and traditional folk songs best known through Dave Van Ronk and Doc Watson. Yet the uniformity of Lanegan's sound works in his favor, tying his disparate sources together and making them seem like the product of a unified worldview. Even on the more upbeat, major-key tunes, Lanegan's treatments make the singer's happiness sound wistful and fleeting, as though he's achieved a quiet peace and is already mourning its inevitable end. Moreover, he never overplays the darker dirges, and the restrained arrangements help ensure that his melancholy never seems forced. As good as they are, there are parts of every Lanegan album that float off into the ether; however, the material on I'll Take Care of You helps keep him tethered, actually improving on his signature sound by tightening it up. So, even if you think you've heard it all from Lanegan before -- and even if he'll have to open up his sound or risk diluting the qualities that make him compelling -- I'll Take Care of You really is one of his most affecting, accessible recordings, if not the most. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Scraps at Midnight'
Release Date 7/20/1998
Tracks 10
Label Beggars Banquet
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What The Critics Say
With the Screaming Trees, Mark Lanegan is part of a dysfunctional family that can only pull its act together once in a while. As he's struggling to make the group work, he's taken away from his solo career, which has proven to be far more consistent than his band's. Scraps at Midnight, Lanegan's third solo effort (one arrives every four years or so), follows a similar path as his first two albums -- it's a haunted, low-key affair steeped in blues, folk and country. The rustic setting allows Lanegan to spin some captivating tales, all delivered in his powerful, throaty growl. Although it's similar to its predecessor, Scraps at Midnight is arguably his most accomplished -- it might just miss matching the excellence of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, but with songs as uniformly strong and performances as passionate as these, it comes damn close. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Whiskey for the Holy Ghost'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 13
Label Sub Pop
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What The Critics Say
Mark Lanegan's first solo album, 1990's The Winding Sheet, was a darker, quieter, and more emotionally troubling affair than what fans were accustomed to from his work as lead singer with the Screaming Trees. The follow-up album, 1994 's Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, used The Winding Sheet's sound and style as a starting point, with Lanegan and producer/instrumentalist Mike Johnson constructing resonant but low-key instrumental backdrops for the singer's tales of heartbreak, alcohol, and dashed hopes. While The Winding Sheet often sounded inspired but tentative, like the solo project from a member of an established band, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost speaks with a quiet but steely confidence of an artist emerging with his own distinct vision. The songs are more literate and better realized than on the debut, the arrangements are subtle and supportive (often eschewing electric guitars for keyboards and acoustic instruments), and Lanegan's voice, bathed in bourbon and nicotine, transforms the deep sorrow of the country blues (a clear inspiration for this music) into something new, compelling, and entirely his own. Whiskey for the Holy Ghost made it clear that Mark Lanegan had truly arrived as a solo artist, and it ranks alongside American Music Club's Everclear as one of the best "dark night of the soul" albums of the 1990s. ~ Mark Deming , All Music Guide
