Mark Lanegan’s Solo Work Is Important
Mark Lanegan’s solo work is better than anything from Screaming Trees. There, I said it.
Out of all of the individuals who played a role in what has become known as ‘the Seattle scene’, I believe that Mark Lanegan’s solo work is the most overlooked part of the entire landscape. Since 1990, Lanegan has released 12 solo albums, with his most recent album, Straight Songs of Sorrow, seeing its release in May 2020. Lanegan’s talent as a vocalist needs no explanation, with his baritone voice coming in the vein of Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen, soaked in deep, deep soul. To me, the most striking element of Lanegan’s work are his lyrics. Lanegan’s grappling with his own internal demons and questions have taken front stage on his records for the last 30 years. One of the newer entries into his body of work is his memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep, more on that in a forthcoming website entry.
In my opinion, four essential Lanegan albums are 1990’s The Winding Sheet, 1994’s Whiskey For The Holy Ghost, 2004’s Bubblegum, and 2020’s Straight Songs of Sorrow. His ability to communicate and relate his experiences to the listener’s own experiences is absolutely remarkable, particularly when the listener is looking to stare down their own battles. What an interesting phenomenon it is for music to be able to provide such catharsis for someone, a stranger to the artist, who is hurting. Lanegan’s records have served that purpose for me time and time again, and his words strike home.
Below are some examples of words of his that have struck me deeply:
“Anytime you find your race is run,
felt much colder standin' in the sun.
Waitin' for some warmth and comin' down,
felt much older than I really was,
waitin' for some warmth and comin' down.”
(‘El Sol’ from Whiskey For The Holy Ghost)
“This life might eventually just be the end of me, will I still be with you?
Get in next to me, just keep driving.
Cause of you I been alive,
and this Buick's a Century, '73 like you,
some strange religion.”
(‘Strange Religion from Bubblegum)
“Skeleton key, bent and rusted,
as broken as the heart the dirt has eaten.
Love me, don't pretend to love me.
I've lost enough to know when I am beaten.”
(‘Skeleton Key’ from Straight Songs Of Sorrow)
I’ve been continuously inspired by the profundity with which Lanegan can relate his experiences. For me, I don’t just hear the greatest songwriters, I feel them. Lanegan’s work affects me in exactly that way. He communicates in such a way that the listener is able to feel his words, and apply them to their own situation, and he deserves to be heard.
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