Mark Lanegan

If you like the sound of Leonard Cohen's voice, but already own all of his music, this album is for you. That is, as long as you don't mind someone other than Leonard Cohen sounding EXACTLY like him. That about sums this album up. Isobel's voice however is still her own and as lovely as ever. Despite the similarities this record has with a classic songwriter, I still recommend it as one of 2008's best releases. After all, if it sounds like Leonard Cohen, it can't be that bad.

I absolutely loved the combination of the voice of Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell on the first album. This album continues the nice combination; however, for me the songs are missing that freshness that was present on the first album. Some of the songs seemed forced vs. the natural flow of the previous work. Also on this disc there is a song that started to wear thin after a few times of listening. There are still a few gems and one of the songs that I love the most is Sally don't you cry but most likely that is due to the fact that I would sing it to my new born daughter when she got fussy at night. This disc brings a few extra songs to the table vs. the import release in May. They are nice additions and add to the purchase power.
I would recommend this disc, but don't expect a better disc than Ballad.

When I was younger I was a HUGE Screaming Trees fan (until the Uncle Anesthesia)source of Mark Lanegan.While Nirvana was getting huge, the Trees were kinda overlooked. Fast forward and I really got into a lot of Scottish bands such as Teenage Fanclub, the Delgados, Arab Strap, and Belle and Sebastian (source of Isobel Campbell early on until she left). Campbell really shined in Gentle Waves which validated my closeted love of old 60s chanteuses. Bringing these two together is like the old Reese's commercials (Hey, you got chocolate in my peanut butter!). Two great, but different tastes that taste even better together.

Lanegan has the worn leather, bourbon and cigarette yet velvety butterscotch warm and fuzzy blanket quality to his voice.

Campbell does not have as many vocals on this title as on the previous CD, but she has this sweet and sexy voice you want to crawl up in and never leave.

The combined force of their voices is like a blunt explosion of emotion. While there are no standouts like Ramblin Man, this is a cd that creates a world that seems somewhat familiar but somehow foreign, and one in which I want to stay in. The photography (as in previous titles) creates a strange sense of nostalgia that is so similar to the music. In fact the complete package is what Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra were trying to do decades ago but were hampered by the limitations of the Sinatra market and the music industry in general at the time, but do find their album and you will hear the roots of Campbell/Lanegan in the original "Some Velvet Morning" (although Slowdive does a nice version).

Alt country fans of bands/musicians like Whiskeytown/Adams, Old97s/Miller, Son Volt/Farrar will like this too.

This is the second release by the unlikely duo of Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, etc.) and Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian), following up their debut of two years ago. This album works just as well as the first did, even if it doesn't necessarily present the listener with anything new. For those unfamiliar with this collaboration, what is given here, is a well-conceived collection of humble acoustic-based songs with storytelling-style vocals and lyrics, featuring the low-key and low-toned gloomy baritone of Mark Lanegan balanced almost too perfectly by the songbird voice of Isobel Campbell.

The album starts off slow, though with some good songs nonetheless, with the focus more on Lanegan. The fourth track, "Who Built the Road," provides something more interesting, with more of an interaction between the duo. "Come On Over" continues in this way, adding a decent string section, and provides something of a laid back lounge club atmosphere. "Back Burner" is a pleasantly grooving track that just barely borders on being monotonous at times, but never quite crosses that line. It also includes a guitar/organ interaction that merits more than one listen. Campbell's vocal section in the "The Flame that Burns" makes it an album highlight, but also makes her drawling singing in the following bluesy song a bit of a downer.

Overall, it's probably safe to say that if you enjoyed the first album, you will enjoy this one for the same reason(s), with the only major drawback being--as said before--the lack of variation. On another note, as consistent as the material is, since the album doesn't have any obvious catches, it could be said that: the more impatient the music listener, the less repeatable the album.

*This is the first of a three-review collection of mine, featuring three albums of 2008 somewhat comparable in style, all featuring boy-meets-girl vocals, and each unique in its own right.
- See _Sunday at Devil Dirt_ by Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan for a more casual and naturalistically folkish album, that is cheerful enough without being sugary, and gloomy enough without being depressing.
- See _Rest_ by Gregor Samsa for a more minimalist and artistic album that will appeal more to highly eclectic music listeners as well as fans of post-rock.
- See _Cove_ by A Weather for an album with similar placidity, and the catchy flow of pop music without actually being pop music.

Those who enjoyed "Ballad Of The Broken Seas" will be pleased by this extension of the Campbell-Lanegan collaboration. "Sunday At Devil Dirt" continues many of the threads of the previous album. Lanegan's earthy throat is contrasted with Campbell's nearly otherworldly whisper, strings and pianos augment spare guitar finger picking and strumming, and the mood is resplendent with lingering love, loss, and regret.

One difference is that on Devil Dirt, 100% of the music and lyrics are penned by Campbell. Lanegan takes the backseat as far as songwriting is concerned, instead delivering humanly-rendered vocal contributions that make many of the songs his. Tropes revolve around botanical imagery, views of the road, sepia-washed nostalgia for Americana and Southern gothic folk.

Where Ballad of the Broken Seas zigs and Sunday At Devil Dirt zags is largely in the production aesthetic. Broken Seas had (slightly) punched-up production (by comparison) and Morricone-esque arrangements in places, Devil Dirt seems ever-so-modestly laid back by comparison. Lanegan's vocals are a touch further back and the arrangements are a touch more straightforward. Both albums benefit from this difference in production aesthetics: Devil Dirt may be a little more accessible to country and folk traditionalists, and none of Broken Seas' novel shine is tarnished. In fact, if the sequence of events wasn't a matter of record, Devil Dirt might come off as the recordings that led up to Broken Seas, rather than vice versa.

A great addition to both Lanegan's and Campbell's catalog, it's good to see this record finally finding domestic release. The five bonus cuts make me glad I didn't get impatient and order the import.

This is a GREAT album. Mark Lanegan is such an amazing musician and always seems to include other great musicians. If you liked The Winding Sheet, Lanegan's first, you're sure to love this amazing, nostalgic, beautiful whiskey concoction. Even though I cannot stand whiskey, it sure sounds good when Lanegan and company crack open a bottle.

I've been a fan of Mark ever since I heard him on Mad Season's "Long Gone Day". Since then I've gotten into Screaming Trees, then bought "The Winding Sheet" from 1990, then moved up to "Bubblegum" from 2004. Both of these are great albums in their own way, particularly the former. This album takes over where the last one left off, with a more mature, full and melodic sound. Mark shows a greater vocal range than usual here, and the songs in general are very atmospheric. The extremes range from the haunting opener "The River Rise" to the powerful "Borracho". Not a weak track in the bunch really.

If you're a Screaming Trees/Mad Season fan a little hesitant to try Mark's solo music, this is the place to start. This infectious collection of songs will win you over for good. Get it now!

American musical tastes have always baffled me. Mediocrities extraordinaire like Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, and Dave Matthews sell millions of records, while genuinely talented souls like Mark Lanegan remain unknown except to music connoisseurs. A few know him as the front man and resident genius of Screaming Trees, others as a solo artist, a few more as sometimes member of Queens of the New Age, and a few Isobel Campbell fans as the guy who helped make her latest album so stunningly special. But Mark Lanegan should someone anyone who is obsessed with great music should know well. I honestly believe that if you love great music, there are at least three albums featuring Mark Lanegan that fall into the category of "Must Own": his incredible solo album WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, the superfine Screaming Trees anthology OCEAN OF CONFUSION, and his recent effort in support of Isobel Campbell on her amazing BALLAD OF THE BROKEN SEAS (most of the songs are by Campbell, but he contributes some great supporting vocals, especially a killer version of Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man" and on the album's great closing song "The Circus is Leaving Town").

This was Lanegan's second solo album. The first one, THE WINDING SHEET, was one downer of an album. Bleak, deeply atmospheric, introspective, and seriously unfocused, it represented a significant break from his work with the Screaming Trees. Whatever fans of that band were looking for in a Mark Lanegan solo project, that was definitely not it. WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST is not completely dissimilar from THE WINDING SHEET, but it is better conceived, the songwriting is infinitely sharper, and the melancholy is redeemed by one exquisitely melodic song after another. To this day, Lanegan has not been involved on an album--not with Screaming Trees or anyone else--that was so superb from first cut to the last.

One thing that really comes out on this album is what a low, deep voice Lanegan has. In the Screaming Trees, it is clear he pushes his voice up to its highest possible range, but here he allows it to fall into its natural, low range. Most rock bands force the singers to be high tenors, even a natural baritone like Lanegan. But as a tenor myself, I have to admit that baritones can project a world weariness and ennui that no tenor can intimate. His voice here is perfect for the regret, sadness, and angst he wants to project.

What is most amazing about this album is how great the songs are from first to last. Lanegan's songwriting with the Screaming Trees was never this consistent (one reason why the best way to get to know their music is from the generous anthology OCEAN OF CONFUSION). He would pen several gems that would sandwich some astonishingly bland cuts. No filler here, however. The contrast here is between some astonishingly great songs and songs that are at worst at least interesting (e.g., "Ride the Nightingale"). My favorite cut is probably "El Sol," filled with wonderful musical moments and a casually wonderful vocal. "Carnival" (which I keep thinking should be entitled "Freak Show") is very nearly as good, while "The River Rise," which kicks the album off, is on their par. But there are 3 or 4 other cuts very nearly as strong as these.

So, please do your part to fight the flood of mediocrity that the music industry tries to drown us with. We don't have to accept all the garbage that they tell us we ought to like! We can support great music like this instead! Do your part. If you don't already have this great album, get it. Tell your friends about it. Give it as a gift to friends. Heck, give it to enemies to placate them! Let's just not let this album remain as unknown as it currently is.

mark lanegan second solo album after the fantastic "the winding sheet" and it sort of in the same vein as that nice acoustic/blues/country songs with his remarkable voice singing with delight of subjects that i won;t go into.. but this is a beautiful well thought out finely recorded album an album which draws you in..to the man "mark lanegan" it traps you in a world
which lanegan was living at the time of writing this album as i heard some other reviewer say you can smell the smoke and whiskey when you're playing this album and i truly agree with that reviewer
if you like screaming trees you may find the departure too much.but i loved the screaming trees and i love this along with "the winding sheet" "bubblegum" his recent classic album
this is the third classic lanegan album i don't think you'll ever find a dud in his work a truly one off artist

Lanegan is awesome, is hauntingly charming is the truth only the truth and nothing but the truth, really, his folk is deligthfull and poetic, his lyrics are charged with alcohol, tobaco sadness and melancholy is hard to resist the voice of this tormented soul, the man with the cloud over his head, production on Whiskey for the Holy Ghost counts with excellent producers such as Terry Date, and remarkable musicians such as Ben Shepperd on bass guitar and Van Conner on guitar. Kingdoms of rain, Carnival, Borracho (gooood one) Dead on you and Beggars Blues are just a few of the master pieces contained on maybe his best work to date, American Folk have in Lanegan one of their best elements now that saddly iconic figures such as Johnny Cash have left us but we can trust this beautifull artform of contemporary music have yet future and way to walk , im happy for that
HM

Who would have thought that a rising scottish singer would team up with a lost Seattle grunge legend to make a country blues record but it happened and Im glad it did. Isobel Campbell soft almost childlike voice strangley blends perfectly with Mark Lanegans rapsy old country twang. Ballad Of The Broken Seas is a hauntingly beautiful collection of songs that keeps you wanting more. I wonder if they will duet again be interesting to see what direction they would go in. Great album

Although I have loved a great deal of the previous work of both Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, they are two people I never would have imagined pairing for an album. Not only that, when first learning of this album, I imagined that Lanegan was the principal songwriter for the project. In fact, she wrote nearly all of the songs on the disc, though to his credit Lanegan embraces the ones upon which he sings so marvelously that he does indeed make them sound like his own. As I said, I've loved both of these performers in other projects. Campbell, of course, is the lovely, airy female voice adorning all those incredible Belle and Sebastian songs, though she also has a slightly earlier and very find solo album, AMORINO. What that album revealed was what perhaps few suspected: though taking a backseat to the outrageously gifted Stuart Murdoch (who just might have been the finest writer in all of rock the past decade) in Belle and Sebastian, she is a significant talent in her own right). Lanegan has also produced some great solo work, especially WHISKY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, but is even better known for fronting The Screaming Trees and for his work with Queens of the Stone Age. If I were to compare what these two sound like together I might compare them to Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle on the album they did together or, ever better, the duet that Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue did on his MURDER BALLADES.

The pairing of these two talents is magical. While it would be hard to hate Isobel Campbell's singing, her voice is so soft, delicate, and ethereal that it can almost feel otherworldly after a bit. Frequently she seems to be not so much singing as whispering. Lanegan's rough, coarse, raspy baritone, on the other hand, contrasts magnificently with Campbell's. The singing duties are not quite evenly divided, with Campbell seemingly content to Lanegan take lead duties, often contenting herself with singing backup on her own songs. His singing gives an edge to the songs; her singing gives them a spiritual dimension. My one complaint with the disc is that they don't sing more duets. One of my favorite songs on the disc is "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me?" on which Lanegan sings to an acoustic guitar, with Campbell almost nonchalantly providing a counterpoint.

Despite Lanegan's presence and strong singing, this is very much an Isobel Campbell album. If you listen to WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST and then this one, you can't help but be struck by the enormous differences in the songwriting. The songs on both albums are equally good, but they are quite different, the ones here more easily melodious and a bit folksier. This is also just a great set of songs. It starts off strongly with "Deus Ibi Est" and then gets even stronger with "Black Mountain," with Campbell at her very finest. The best song on the disc for my money is the last cut, "The Circus is Leaving Town." Lanegan's lone writing contribution to the album is a good one, "Revolver." One of the highlights of the album, however, is one of the best covers ever of the Hank Williams's classic "Ramblin' Man." They don't cover it so much as reinterpret it, and a very good revisioning it is.

I can't imagine many Isobel Campbell fans being disappointed in this album. Some hardcore Screaming Trees or Queens of the Stone Age fans, however, might not find it to their liking (though I sincerely hope I am wrong about this). But if you just love great music in whatever form it arrives, this could well be your cup of tea.

An unlikely but extreme successful combination, Isobel Campbell's pure Scottishness married to Mark Lanegan's weathered American blues is a beautiful union. It's the swaggering, smoulderingly sexy cover of Hank Williams' 'Ramblin' Man' that immediately grabs the attention, but closer inspection reveals a wealth of treasures. The darkly understasted 'Deus Ibi Est' recalls Nick Cave and Tom Waits, and the log-cabin folk of the Lanegan-penned 'Revolver' is rhythmically interesting and has a beckoning quality. The upbeat and poppy 'Honey Child What Can I Do' is easily the closest thing to Campbell's old band Belle & Sebastian here, and ranks with some of their best offerings. There's a mystical, foggy, ethereal quality to the string-adorned 'The False Husband' and Campbell-led tracks 'Black Mountain' and 'Saturday's Gone', while the title track is spaced-out blues. Only 'Do You Wanna Come Walk With Me', a purely acoustic ditty with an incredibly simple chorus, is a little disappointing. A subtle and special record.

On paper, it looks tantalizing: the wispy-voiced Scottish sweetie teams with the hard-living, asphalt-throated American drifter. Twee meets grunge, all doe-eyed glint and ginger-bearded grunt. But that's paper.

For all the intrigue that an Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan partnership elicits, the anticipated magic never materializes. Blame the disappointment on two factors: Campbell's songwriting and Campbell herself. She wrote nine of Ballad's songs (Lanegan only contributes one, and the duo tackles two covers), and her work is marked by conventional, predictable chord progressions and unconvincing narratives. Rather than playing to her strengths, Campbell attempts to imbue her songs with a seedy grit presumably suited to the style of her gruff counterpart. Unfortunately, she couldn't pull off "gritty" if she bathed in Metamucil. The title track is a case in point: Campbell gets Lanegan to spout schmaltzy clichés like "went from the frying pan into the fire" and "I'll drown in an ocean of tears" over the slightest of melodies. No sadness and no pain are conveyed, and you get the feeling that Campbell is playacting; this material is simply not believable. Elsewhere, "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me" is creepy for all the wrong reasons, conjuring images of pedophilia instead of hard-won love. Later, the barely-there instrumental waltz of "Dusty Wreath" caps a dreadful three-song stretch that includes an ill-fitting attempt at lush "Bryter Layter"-style pop ("It's Hard to Kill a Bad Thing") and cliché-ridden ersatz country-soul ("Honey Child What Can I Do?").

The two best tracks, "Black Mountain" and "The False Husband" are more up Campbell's alley. They're soft, vulnerable and mysterious, and they feature Lanegan in a very limited role. Truth be told, Lanegan doesn't have much to do even on the tracks on which he sings lead. Too bad--the potential of this collaboration really did seem intriguing. Maybe its failure can be attributed to the fact that, in fact, "Ballad of the Broken Seas" isn't a true collaboration. It ends up playing like a record whose stars are separated, literally and figuratively, by thousands of miles of broken seas.

Sophisicated and beautiful effort. Timeless and NOT trendy. Lots of orchestration and does not "rock". This is something you can listen to twenty years from now with no regrets. Kick back, have a drink(if you are so inclined) and enjoy.

Truly one of the most underrated artists out there. This album soothes the soul. I've only had it two years now, but i haven't stopped listening to it. Great music.

After enjoying Lanegan's sophomore effort "Whiskey For The Holy Ghost", I decided to go back to the beginning with his menacing debut 'The Winding Sheet'. After a few listens to this album I thought it was decent, and a solid singer/songwriter effort. However, with repeated listens over the years, this album has become right up there with my favourites, and probably my favourite late-night melancholy outing.

What Lanegan did for this solo debut was take his whiskey soaked, emotionally charged voice, write some earnest lyrics about love, longing and mental frailty, and lace it all with simplistic and mellow acoustic guitars. A tried and tested formula, and it works. His later albums would add more instrumentation and more complex structures, but to me, this is his best album.

For one thing the album is extremely consistent, something necessary with its stripped down style to keep the attention of the listener. The opener "Mockingbird" is probably the most layered song on the album, with drums, acoustic and electric guitars, and piano thrown into the mix. It's a great opener, and sets up the moody style of the album, with Lanegan's husky croons of "your voice is a mockingbird, telling me where I'm going wrong". The album just continues with this style, albeit slightly stripped down. My personal highlights from the rest of it include the extremely calming "Eyes of a Child" in which Lanegan really shines, almost whispering the beautiful chorus lines of "see through the eyes of a child...". The title track creates mental toil through Lanegan's desperate voice, a really powerful song, it flows through its entirety with distant echoing guitars and Lanegan's haunting lyrics, peaked by the shimmering line "I am sick in my soul". "Wild Flowers" is another favourite of mine, essentially a very simple track evolving around the most basic of chord progressions and, to be honest, a rather simple vocal melody. But it is just a great listen, mostly due to Lanegan's calming vocals.

And that is the general theme for this album, simple yet effective...man and guitar.

So Screaming Trees were as we all very well know-great. But Mark Lanegan solo has this erie quality to his voice. He sounds older than he did with Screaming Trees.. and the songs are unlike what I thought they'd be. It's a great cd. Mark Lanegan is great. Just greatness all around. There aren't even words for me to tell you why its great.. just that it is.. Great.

The Winding Sheet is Lanegans first effort to give himself to his folk influences , to become a respected songwritter and an individual musician without the other "trees" this Lanegans solo album is quite different to his previous work with his Seattle Grunge emblematic band Screaming Trees , its depressive, melancholic, intense, troubled and beautifull, this album opens with "mocking birds" and a sad but appealing at the same time environment sorrounds the space, cuts like "juarez" are kinda funny in the middle of the grey atmosphere,"loveyou little girl" is another nice short track, "where did you sleep last night" were recorded in the days were Kurt Cobain still were in this world and you can hear his voice in the backing vocals as well Novoselic bass, later Nirvana did their own version of this song a good one too, The Winding Sheet
may be the darkest album in Lanegans discography but is one of the most appealing.

HM

mark lanegan's first solo album with the yet unknown artist kurdt cobain under his wing, singing backing vocals and guitar on a couple of tracks but this is not about kurdt this is about mark lanegan and his brilliant first solo album only surpress by the beautiful sombre "bubblegum" that was released in 2004 to rave reviews
this album has all the trademarks of an artist finding his feet and giving a middle finger to anyone who doesn't care,
this album features the classic cover which nirvana would remarkably cover nearly 5 years later yes you know what i'm talking about the classic blues/artist leadbelly huddie leadbetter aka leadbelly "where did you sleep last night" i'm not saying i hate the nirvana version but mark's voice sorts it better
well the cover out the way there's more classics
musuem mockingbirds ugly sunday, eyes of a child, WOE,
and juarez
mark lanegan the gravely voiced genius puts a notch on his belt..
A FANTASTIC DEBUT AND CLASSIC country/grunge

So I was catching up on what Greg Dulli's been up to, (his recent Twilight Singers effort "Powder Burns" is just great). Well Lanegan as many of you probably know appears quite a bit with Greg and in fact offers a nice contribution with his low gravelly voice providing a nice contrast to Dulli's vocals. As an old Screaming Trees loyalist, it was a natural jump to take a gander at Lanegan's solo projects.

I listened to Bubblegum plenty of times, and while the good contributions he makes to the work of others are present in Bubblegum, there are gaping holes as well, namely the songwriting. The lyrics are fine, the production is fine, but the music is boring, weak, and completely forgettable. Thankfully forgettable. I couldn't find a single track to move me. Unless you can't live without his voice, I'd recommend living without this album.

Music: 5/10 Vocals: 5/5 Lyrics: 4/5 Production: 4/5
Total: 18 of 25: B-

Mark's vocals can be described as whiskey soaked with a healthy dose of cigarettes and low enough to rattle the floor. He has a truly amazing voice that really is totally unique. So it comes as no surprise that the vocals on Bubblegum are fantastic. Coupled with several duets, including two with PJ Harvey. In fact, those two are excellent songs.

Most of the album focuses on Mark's vocals and leaves the band in the background. One exception is the song "Strange Religion" which features Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan from Guns and Roses fame. But for the rest, the band is secondary which hurts the overall experience. Much of the music is fodder and pap. He even has some fuzzy guitar in a tunnel overtop a drum machine. Ug. Mark can certainly get a better canvas for his voice. The exceptions are the slow and somber duets which Lanegan croons over.

Give Mark a real band and he would be king of the world. Maybe in this new world where the labels aren't as important, perhaps the Screaming Trees can rise again to their former glory. But for now, if you're a Lanegan fan, pick up Bubblegum. There are certainly a handful of great songs. But if you've never heard of him, pass by this album. It's just not good enough.

Mark Lanegan's sixth solo album, Bubblegum is definitely the most varied work of his entire career.
The record starts off with the sparse, very Tom Waits-ish "When Your Number Isn't Up", and already you can tell this is a different kind of Lanegan record. Next up is "Hit the City", one of two songs on the album that feature the vocal contributions of the immensely talented PJ Harvey. The song is a relaxed, kind of droning rock duet. It's nice, and plays well off the first track.
"Wedding Dress" is a lovely track featuring Lanegan's ex-wife Wendy Rae Fowler. It features some odd instrumentation and some beautiful lyrics ("would you put on that long white dress, and burn like there's no more tomorrows?") It fades out to a short but rocking guitar solo courtesy of Josh Homme-- just one of many friends and colleagues Lanegan enlisted to play on the record. "Methamphetamine Blues" is an interesting rocker with an industrial groove. This is also reminiscent of Tom Waits material. If you really listen, almost every player on the record appears here--for sure an album highlight.
Things slow down for the next three songs. "100 Days" is an acoustic track with Mark backed by Chris Goss (Masters of Reality). "Bombed" is short little duet with Fowler that packs a lot of potent imagery into just over a minute. "Strange Religion" Keeps the mellow vibe going, and is one of the album's best ballads.
Suddenly we find ourselves back in rock territory with the retro tinged "Sideways in Reverse". This is just a really fun song complete with a guest vocal by Izzy Stradlin! It helps to get you back on your feet after three really downer songs. Next is the second PJ track, which is an acoustic and string number, with a really classic feel to it. PJ and Mark trade verses until the lovely choruses. A brilliant song with two of the best voices in the music world.
"Like Little Willie John" is one of the weirdest songs here, again, with a strong Tom Waits influence. The vocals and the mood and atmosphere on this song are just so good. "Can't Come Down" is perhaps the only somewhat forgettable track here. It almost sounds like a Tricky type song, and it does not have a Lanegan vocal. 'Morning Glory Wine" is another great, haunting ballad. Lanegan sounds really world weary and down here. "Head" is the next track, and it is possibly the album's catchiest song. It has a good keyboard and guitar beat that drives it along.
The overdriven guitar of Alan Johannes takes center stage on the next track,"Driving Death Valley Blues". This is perhaps the most out and out rock song on the album, with the exception of "Sideways". Electric drums combined with the alternating crunching, squealing guitar create quite the soundscape.
The final track is the understated acoustic number "Out of Nowhere". The vocals are excellent here, and this track serves to bring a good end to the album.
Overall, Lanegan has managed to create with Bubblegum a thrilling piece of music that is impossible to pigeonhole in one genre. It is always unexpected, and shows off the writing and vocal talents of one of the most underrated artists of the 90's.

My first exposure to Mark Lanegan was hearing "I Nearly Lost You" in the background of the embarassing 90s movie "singles" when I was say 12. I ignored the Screaming Trees as this was one of maybe 2 or 3 songs (out of hundreds) of his I don't enjoy. It took another decade to hear this and subsequently buy everything in his catalogue. If you're frequently broke as I am, go straightedge for a few days until you save $100 or so and buy everything of his. It's all gold. At least buy this, field songs and whiskey for the holy ghost. So worth it.

How do you define this record? It cannot be done. This is the mark of a
great artist... when you cannot catagorize his music, or say "it sounds
like..." Lanegan spins tales of sadness and despair without ever being
melodramatic. His voice rarely gets over a whisper on a lot of the tracks. Yes, there are some rocking tunes, but the introspective stuff
like "Strange Religion" and "Morning Glory Wine" are the real masterpieces here. If you are looking for a Screaming Trees style rock
record (and I was) you will be out of luck. But what I found was something much better and much deeper. At first listen it doesnt sound
like much, but it creeps under your skin and infects you. He really does
sound like a lounge act, and pulls great supporting performances out of a
number of high-profile guest musicians. This is truly great stuff and I
cannot wait to get some of his other discs. Who knew he had so many
records!!

I bought this album because I really liked Scraps at Midnight, which was so good and dark. I was kind of disappointed by I'll Take Care of You, though, it was kind of less consistent in tone, and the songs were a little more sentimental and less satisfyingly growly. So I only ended up listening to the album a few times before stowing it on the shelf where it will be gathering dust until the next time I'm culling my CD collection.

I've been a big Mark Lanegan fan since the eighties when he was the driving force behind the Screaming Trees. He has mellowed considerably since he produced some of the best hard rock in the world and in fact all of his solo albums are been more acoustic than electric (with the occasional but glorious exception like "Hit the City" from BUBBLEGUM). A substantial part of his appeal has been his gifts as a songwriter. Mark Lanegan is a great performer, but his songwriting is an integral part of who he is as a performer. Which makes I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU, a album of covers, all the more shocking. He literally takes these songs and makes them his own.

I'm not sure that Lanegan is paying tribute to his roots. Some artists do that, but I get the sense here that he is simply choosing some marvelous, but neglected songs. Most are unfamiliar. The ones that are more familiar are perhaps the most surprising, like the Bobby Bland classic title track or mildly shocking inclusion of the Buck Owens's (pre-HEE HAW) "Together Again." I was delighted to see him cover the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce (of The Gun Club) song "Carry Home." It is a remarkably diverse body of material, but somehow Lanegan masterfully blends it all together.

My lone complaint with the album is that it is short. It may be the shortest album Lanegan has ever released apart from EPs. Nevertheless, this is one of his crucial albums. His greatest solo album is unquestionably WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, but several others are definitely worth getting immersed in, in particular this fine album, BUBBLEGUM (with some of his best individual songs), and SCRAPS AT MIDNIGHT, though I also very highly recommend the great Isobel Campbell album on which Lanegan provides magnificent support (Campbell writes most of the songs, but Lanegan is magnificent throughout, especially in helping her cover Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man" and singing Campbell's great "The Circus is Leaving Town").

Lanegan's tribute to his roots follows the successful template of his solo albums: spare acoustics, tastefully brushed drums, moody flourishes of vibes and the occasional reverbed electric guitar stitched lovingly and intoxicatingly through songs by ...Buck Owens? It works, trust me, it works.

Boasting a superb song selection that covers everything from traditional folk songs to soul chestnuts to re-wired punk, Lanegan and company craft a moody, smokey, ultimately satisfying cover album that -- like the most comfortable beds -- sounds slept in.

.......And a long nigth listening to this poet and his deep and rough voice delivering deligthfull cuts such as "ill take care of you" "consider me" "on Jesus program" "together again" after a while you will not be able to figure if you fell drunk because of the alcohol or because of the music, you gonna feel yor troath burn but you will not be able to tell if its because of the cigarrete or because song after song you will try to emulate Lanegan s voice since once you listen to him and his words you gonna feel related with his feelings and this is due to Lanegan thoughs are like the point of view of every intelligent man. the songs contained in this particular album are basically covers from bands and composers that have influenced Mark Lanegan and that in one way or other have had some effect in his music as well southern environments and grunge years, as a result Lanegan s album have becoming unique in composing and musical terms
HM

Mark Lanegan has spent years honing his sound on his solo projects, and that sound has drifted further and further away from his previous band, The Screaming Trees, and is miles apart from his work with Queens of the Stone Age. With each subsequent album, Lanegan has become earthier and rootsier in his stylings. This album represents a break between albums and a chance to focus on some influences and to work on some favourite songs. The album is all cover songs but Lanegan has a way of making them sound like original compositions. The standout track on the album is the title song ''I'll Take Care Of You''. I wish I knew who did the original cause I'd love to hear it. If it's as good as this one, then I owe that singer a debt of gratitude. I've put this track on many times before and chicks just melt. It's a song filled with a weariness that comes out in every note, but it's a song of understanding. The song everyone would like sung to them. The arrangement is gorgeous, and the instruments evoke images of smoky, neon lit rooms. There's even a vibraphone and flute which take it beyond mere blues and add a touch of jazz. I am, however, familiar with Eddie Floyd's version of 'Consider Me' which Lanegan takes from a sweet soul lament and turns it into a sad, but hopeful plea. The album as a whole is a tribute to past masters long forgotten in the annals of popular music history. It spans the whole rich spectrum of Americana that's, thankfully, being noticed again these days. The album spans folk, country, blues, western, R & B; soul, rock n' roll and jazz and strips them all down to their basic root, proving that they all come from the same vein. Lanegan's voice is top notch, a deep, rich baritone with a damaged scratchiness that suggests pain, loss and weathered experience. 'Creeping Coastline Of Lights' is a spooky little track that would be perfect to listen to along a deserted Southern California highway. I like how Lanegan takes different singers and songwriters and connects them through his interpretations. An outstanding album that really should be in everyone's collection. File under 'mellow'.

I first fell in love with Isobel's voice when she was with Belle & Sebastian, so i had no surprise discovering she was on track. Very charming and deep voice, that bang bang looks like sound i suggest you hear.
I dream to see her on stage with Calexico: how soon?

I am a big fan of Mark Lanegan and bought this ep (and the full disc) based off that fact. I was not disappointed and in fact was surprised and how nice Isobell Campbell's voice is (not being familar with her songs.) The two voices meld perfectly in Rambling Man give a modern sound at the same time it gives an almost 20s jazzy sound (amazingly cool.) And even the songs that Mark is not on sound great. My favorite song on the EP has the be the remake of the often redone never to this sucess of St. James Infirmry.

Mark Lanegan, the former frontman for Screaming Trees, has been doing the dark alt.country thing for a while now; he's always done it well, but in this collaboration with Belle & Sebastian's Isobell Campbell he does it superbly. It takes a big voice and a swagger to successfully cover the Hank Williams-penned title track, and Lanegan has both. Though nobody can fill the cultural hole that Johnny Cash has left behind, Lanegan makes a good case that his weathered baritone can fill the sonic one.

Lanegan treats Campbell like his secret weapon, bringing her out slowly and purposefully. She lays down a soft accompaniment on the title track while handling some decidedly June Carter-esque harmonies on the wonderfully charming ballad "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me." "Revolver Pt. 2" has Campbell bringing out her inner chateneuse to whispersing over Lanegan's creepy-barely-there guitar, a spectre singing to a ghost town. The track is affecting, minimal, striking, gorgeous. It's a black hole that would swallow up the other songs on most EPs, but to Lanegan's credit his other selections stand strong. Lanegan's voice is absent for the folk standard "St. James Infirmary," but in exchange we get the entrance of Campbell's cello and some heady gender swapping in her performance of the male narrator's voice.

The teases of harmony the duo hand us here are tantalizing, and one gets the sense that if both singers were to go at full-tilt we'd get sonic gold. The Ramblin Man EP is just a preview of the full length collaboration due some time later this year, and if the rest of the material is this good then it may be time to start firing up those Top 10 Lists.

8.7/10

I've heard a lot of different versions of "Ramblin' Man," and this just may be the definitive one. Lanegan's weathered croak and Campbell's feathery delivery are beautifully juxtaposed. A great feel to this EP, with barely a hint of Belle and Sebastian.

This 4-song EP will only make you more excited to hear the full-length album in 2006.

"Ramblin' Man" is brilliant.

What does have this man that every song he creates is beautifull? in a completely men perspective Mr Lanegan creates melancholic and appealing atmospheres, so folk, southern , grey , very enjoyable, Mr Lanegan thougths are 100% male and its about time a rigth and perfect image of real men (like i consider myself)were showed by a singer/songwritter like this great performer, poetry surrounds every melody, and beautifull lyrics fill that acoustic riffs that are the main ingredient in his albums, it worths to get every Mark Lanegan recording.
HM

Fans of Mark Lanegan had to wait five long years for his third solo LP, SCRAPS AT MIDNIGHT. Was it worth the wait? You bet your brooding ass it was! After a few years spent taking just about any drink or drug handed to him, Lanegan surfaces with an album that sketches a world with its own everlasting sense of regret and loss. It also features Lanegan's wry wit, excellent lyrics, and elegantly raw voice. In other words, poison to teeny-boppers.

The album opens with "Hospital Roll Call," a Sergio Leone type western dirge with Mark growling "sixteen" over and over again ("16" was Lanegan's room number in a rehab clinic). An effective overture, the song gives way to "Hotel," one of the most darkly affecting songs in Lanegan canon. Lanegan has often downplayed this side of his musical character but when he sings "I remember your face/But it's been a long, long day/And what I did along the way/I wouldn't care to say" it is delivered with the sort of world-weariness that you would associate with Lightnin' Hopkins or Hank Williams. It is, simply put, a gripping voice.

Mike Johnson is back, co-producing the album with Mark and helping him paint musical landcapes that give a perfect backdrop to Lanegan's often mesmerizing songs. Lanegan, like Seattle contemporary Chris Cornell, remains one of the most versatile singers of his generation, and the ex-Screaming Trees frontman proves it here with songs ranging from the delicate "Bell Black Ocean" and "The Last One In The World" to the intense anxiety of "Waiting On A Train" and the epic "Because Of This." As with his previous masterpiece, WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, Lanegan handles all of it with apparent ease, although many of the songs on this album will leave you feeling at times that there is somebody watching you outside your window. SCRAPS AT MIDNIGHT features Mark Lanegan carving out a style that he can distinctly call his own, simply because nobody else is doing this kind of music with such authenticity. Some might find it "morbid." Again, no teeny-boppers allowed...

This is one of my favorite Mark Lanegan albums along with Whiskey For the Holy Ghost and Field Songs. If you're considering Scraps At Midnight, then you probably already know that Mark has an incredible, yet chilling voice. The songs on Scraps are beautifully done... This isn't a rocking-out kind of album, no. It's more intense, acoustic and atmospheric in style. I listen to Scraps often and consider it to be one of those indispensable CDs I'd take with me, if ever on a deserted island ;-)

One huge reason anyone should buy this record, is for the song "Because of This." That is one of his best songs...

are things looking up for lanegan? not really. but it hasn't gotten any worse either. Thats the feel of this record. The somewhat sinister feel of 'hospital roll call' is balanced by slow crooner's like 'wheels'. Then theres the closer, 'because of this' that turns the mood of the music up to then on its ear. A cool song with a great finish but it just doesn't seem to fit with the other 9 tracks. Sounds very treeish. All in all, a solid effort from one of the more realistic observers to emerge from the decayed seattle gunge scene.

Those familiar with Mark Lanegan's previous outings into brooding folk/blues music will have no surprises with "Field Songs". Combine his sublime whiskey-drenched delivery (which immediately recalls the gravely tones of Tom Waits), a refined understanding of traditional folk and blues and then throw in the rock sensibility of 90s band Screaming Trees and "Field Songs" is the result. Perhaps Lanegan's best album to date with improved and more diverse writing, it still tragically remains an overlooked gem in the realms of singer/songwriter music.

"Field Songs" boasts some of Lanegan's best song writing. "No Easy Action" is a sumptuous flourishing rock song - fashioning very unique vocal harmonies thanks to middle-Eastern styled female vocals sustaining held notes over the top of Lanegan's delivery. This flows effortlessly into an archetypal Lanegan slow-burner in "Miracle", a shift in mood and atmosphere that is both bold and highly successful. "Don't Forget Me" and "Fix" are two of Lanegan's best blues romps, combining strong writing and menacing, gritty vocal performances. "Kimiko's Dream House" is a surprising soft and subtle highlight, and shows Lanegan's diversity as a writer. My personal favourite of the album, and quite possibly my favourite Lanegan song to date, is the stunning "Resurrection Song". The song instantly draws parallels to "Riding The Nightingale" from the album "Whiskey For The Holy Ghost" due to its stripped down atmosphere, focusing solely on guitar and voice, and forging a wonderfully engaging and raw piece.

"Field Songs" showcases a more diverse album than past releases thanks to tracks such as "No Easy Action" and "Kimiko's Dream House". It also refines the trademark Lanegan song, and combines to make a truly wonderful singer/songwriter album I highly recommend.

Let me start by saying that Lanegan and his former band The Screaming Trees are probably the most underrated artists in rock. Field Songs is a bit more subdued than some of Lanegan's prior and subsequent work, but every song save "Blues in D" (which drags a little),is excellent. Stylistically very diverse Field Songs ranges from blues to an eastern influence on "No Easy Action" and blends acoustic, electric and sparse drums with Lanegan's distinctive baritone. Notable guests include ex Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, who proves to be a more than capable guitar player. If you are a Screaming Trees fan, or just a fan of good music, buy this album.

mark lanegan's solo albums get over-looked for his fantastic work with his former band the screaming trees and his other band that's he just left q.O.t.S.A i bought this album before christmas and it's been sitting on my cd rack for three months and last night i decide to finally spin the album as i thought it's night time something to relax my senses so i put it in and i was blown away as the beauty of the guitar chords lanegan's graceful deep voice and the beautiful words and that was just on no easy action i couldn't believe what i was hearing.
i have all his solo albums the winding sheet whiskey for the holy ghost here comes that weird chill ep bubblegum[being my second favorite] now this album being the masterpiece i have missed all them months because i'm an idiot
get and reap the genius of a beautiful folk/blues enlightning album
there are a few special musican's playing on this album

chris goss synth and voice track 11
mike johnson electric guitar tracks 1-7 &12
acoustic guitar 1-3 5-9 11;
wurlitser track 2 piano track 7
duff mckagen[bass player for GNR now velvet revolver]
plays drums on drums & fender rhodes track 12
ben shepherd plays electric guitar on most tracks

a classic album from a great man

i'm a sucker for marlboro red smoking whiskey drinking americana, but this goes beyond all that. his voice is rough and dry one minute then noteperfect smooth the next, the guitar is mellow and lets him do the talking. in my opinion this is genuinely beautiful music.
one way street is such a mournfully strong song i never get tired of it.
i wish miracle went on longer, feels like the first verse to a great song.
dont forget me is another brilliant one,
and that work of art called resurrection song is for when you're lying out under the moon staring at stars and floating away, or wandering through fields alone at night when trees are swaying like the hypnotic guitar.
in fact the whole album's brilliant.
if you like music that's mellow and a singer who sounds like he's seen and done almost everything then get it. and get it if you don't cuz this album will convert you.

I love that song so much. Its like the perfect combination of blues and pop. Its growly and airy at the same time. The production is immaculate. Probably the best thing Lanegan ever did, and certainly the most outstanding ballad I've heard up to now.

Who would have thought that a rising scottish singer would team up with a lost Seattle grunge legend to make a country blues record but it happened and Im glad it did. Isobel Campbell soft almost childlike voice strangley blends perfectly with Mark Lanegans rapsy old country twang. Ballad Of The Broken Seas is a hauntingly beautiful collection of songs that keeps you wanting more. I wonder if they will duet again be interesting to see what direction they would go in. Great album

Although I have loved a great deal of the previous work of both Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, they are two people I never would have imagined pairing for an album. Not only that, when first learning of this album, I imagined that Lanegan was the principal songwriter for the project. In fact, she wrote nearly all of the songs on the disc, though to his credit Lanegan embraces the ones upon which he sings so marvelously that he does indeed make them sound like his own. As I said, I've loved both of these performers in other projects. Campbell, of course, is the lovely, airy female voice adorning all those incredible Belle and Sebastian songs, though she also has a slightly earlier and very find solo album, AMORINO. What that album revealed was what perhaps few suspected: though taking a backseat to the outrageously gifted Stuart Murdoch (who just might have been the finest writer in all of rock the past decade) in Belle and Sebastian, she is a significant talent in her own right). Lanegan has also produced some great solo work, especially WHISKY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, but is even better known for fronting The Screaming Trees and for his work with Queens of the Stone Age. If I were to compare what these two sound like together I might compare them to Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle on the album they did together or, ever better, the duet that Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue did on his MURDER BALLADES.

The pairing of these two talents is magical. While it would be hard to hate Isobel Campbell's singing, her voice is so soft, delicate, and ethereal that it can almost feel otherworldly after a bit. Frequently she seems to be not so much singing as whispering. Lanegan's rough, coarse, raspy baritone, on the other hand, contrasts magnificently with Campbell's. The singing duties are not quite evenly divided, with Campbell seemingly content to Lanegan take lead duties, often contenting herself with singing backup on her own songs. His singing gives an edge to the songs; her singing gives them a spiritual dimension. My one complaint with the disc is that they don't sing more duets. One of my favorite songs on the disc is "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me?" on which Lanegan sings to an acoustic guitar, with Campbell almost nonchalantly providing a counterpoint.

Despite Lanegan's presence and strong singing, this is very much an Isobel Campbell album. If you listen to WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST and then this one, you can't help but be struck by the enormous differences in the songwriting. The songs on both albums are equally good, but they are quite different, the ones here more easily melodious and a bit folksier. This is also just a great set of songs. It starts off strongly with "Deus Ibi Est" and then gets even stronger with "Black Mountain," with Campbell at her very finest. The best song on the disc for my money is the last cut, "The Circus is Leaving Town." Lanegan's lone writing contribution to the album is a good one, "Revolver." One of the highlights of the album, however, is one of the best covers ever of the Hank Williams's classic "Ramblin' Man." They don't cover it so much as reinterpret it, and a very good revisioning it is.

I can't imagine many Isobel Campbell fans being disappointed in this album. Some hardcore Screaming Trees or Queens of the Stone Age fans, however, might not find it to their liking (though I sincerely hope I am wrong about this). But if you just love great music in whatever form it arrives, this could well be your cup of tea.

An unlikely but extreme successful combination, Isobel Campbell's pure Scottishness married to Mark Lanegan's weathered American blues is a beautiful union. It's the swaggering, smoulderingly sexy cover of Hank Williams' 'Ramblin' Man' that immediately grabs the attention, but closer inspection reveals a wealth of treasures. The darkly understasted 'Deus Ibi Est' recalls Nick Cave and Tom Waits, and the log-cabin folk of the Lanegan-penned 'Revolver' is rhythmically interesting and has a beckoning quality. The upbeat and poppy 'Honey Child What Can I Do' is easily the closest thing to Campbell's old band Belle & Sebastian here, and ranks with some of their best offerings. There's a mystical, foggy, ethereal quality to the string-adorned 'The False Husband' and Campbell-led tracks 'Black Mountain' and 'Saturday's Gone', while the title track is spaced-out blues. Only 'Do You Wanna Come Walk With Me', a purely acoustic ditty with an incredibly simple chorus, is a little disappointing. A subtle and special record.

On paper, it looks tantalizing: the wispy-voiced Scottish sweetie teams with the hard-living, asphalt-throated American drifter. Twee meets grunge, all doe-eyed glint and ginger-bearded grunt. But that's paper.

For all the intrigue that an Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan partnership elicits, the anticipated magic never materializes. Blame the disappointment on two factors: Campbell's songwriting and Campbell herself. She wrote nine of Ballad's songs (Lanegan only contributes one, and the duo tackles two covers), and her work is marked by conventional, predictable chord progressions and unconvincing narratives. Rather than playing to her strengths, Campbell attempts to imbue her songs with a seedy grit presumably suited to the style of her gruff counterpart. Unfortunately, she couldn't pull off "gritty" if she bathed in Metamucil. The title track is a case in point: Campbell gets Lanegan to spout schmaltzy clichés like "went from the frying pan into the fire" and "I'll drown in an ocean of tears" over the slightest of melodies. No sadness and no pain are conveyed, and you get the feeling that Campbell is playacting; this material is simply not believable. Elsewhere, "(Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me" is creepy for all the wrong reasons, conjuring images of pedophilia instead of hard-won love. Later, the barely-there instrumental waltz of "Dusty Wreath" caps a dreadful three-song stretch that includes an ill-fitting attempt at lush "Bryter Layter"-style pop ("It's Hard to Kill a Bad Thing") and cliché-ridden ersatz country-soul ("Honey Child What Can I Do?").

The two best tracks, "Black Mountain" and "The False Husband" are more up Campbell's alley. They're soft, vulnerable and mysterious, and they feature Lanegan in a very limited role. Truth be told, Lanegan doesn't have much to do even on the tracks on which he sings lead. Too bad--the potential of this collaboration really did seem intriguing. Maybe its failure can be attributed to the fact that, in fact, "Ballad of the Broken Seas" isn't a true collaboration. It ends up playing like a record whose stars are separated, literally and figuratively, by thousands of miles of broken seas.

Sophisicated and beautiful effort. Timeless and NOT trendy. Lots of orchestration and does not "rock". This is something you can listen to twenty years from now with no regrets. Kick back, have a drink(if you are so inclined) and enjoy.