Blues Funeral

Mark Lanegan Band | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (February 7, 2012)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: 4ad Records
• ASIN: B006CC0Y0Q
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,372 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #93 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > General

Track Listings

1. The Gravedigger's Song

2. Bleeding Muddy Water

3. Grey Goes Black

4. St Louis Elegy

5. Riot In My House

6. Ode To Sad Disco

7. Phantasmagoria Blues

8. Quiver Syndrome

9. Harborview Hospital

10. Leviathan

11. Deep Black Vanishing Train

12. Tiny Grain Of Truth

Editorial Reviews

Blues Funeral is the first Mark Lanegan Band album since 2004's Bubblegum.

It was recorded in Hollywood, California by Alain Johannes at his 11ad studio. The music was played by Johannes and Jack Irons with appearances from Greg Dulli, Josh Homme et al.

Mark Lanegan has sung with Screaming Trees, Queens Of the Stone Age, The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins, Soulsavers and Isobel Campbell.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Brilliant Album From Mark, February 7, 2012

By 

B. Wilkie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blues Funeral (Audio CD)

With this album Mark Lanegan treads new ground, but the album is unmistakably a Mark Lanegan album. His trademark gorgeous voice is in top form, sounding better than ever, perhaps as a result from his quitting smoking. The vocals on "St. Louis Elegy" send chills down my spine every time I hear it. Lyrically the album covers familiar ground as well, with imagery of birds, flowers, and of course the usual coverage of dark subject matter and bleak mood you would expect from Mark. The newness of the album comes from the electronic instrumentation, which was featured but not predominant in Bubblegum, but is heavy on this album. I definitely see the influence of his time with the Soulsavers, so fans of that project should love this as well. But the album does not rely only on electronic sound; the blues is still there on songs like "Bleeding Muddy Water", "St. Louis Elegy" and "Phantasmagoria Blues", and "Riot In My House" and "Quiver Syndrome" rock as hard as "Sideways In Reverse" or "Driving Death Valley Blues" from Bubblegum. "Grey Goes Black" even seems reminiscent of the early Screaming Trees records. But heavily electronic songs like "Harborview Hospital", "Tiny Grain of Truth", and "Ode to Sad Disco" are equally as beautiful and addictive. All of these various sounds and influences flow seamlessly though, creating a cohesive album where each song is strong individually, but when listened all the way through in order it becomes something greater, like any great album should do. I'd say Mark's jump into new territory paid off, as this is a brilliant and beautiful album that I will be listening to non-stop for quite a while.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Lanegan Band - The dark disco blues, February 8, 2012

By 

Red on Black (Cardiff) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Blues Funeral (Audio CD)

Mark Lanegan is the type of artist who couldn't be dull if he tried. From his days in the great unheralded Screaming Trees whose masterpiece "Dust" should be force fed our children in public schools through to collaborations with Isobel Campbell, Josh Homme and Greg Dulli he positively oozes class and has charisma to spare. His most potent weapon however is that borderline death yowl of a baritone which has survived a heavy drug dependency over the years and can tackle blues, hard rock and folk and make it sound effortless. It is a tremendous asset and it is on full display in this scintillating new album in which "shock horror" Lanegan tackles disco head on and succeeds with arrogant aplomb. It is Lanegan of course and the album is about as dark as Kazumura Cave without a flashlight containing much of his best work since god knows when.

It all quicks off with verve on the pounding blues of "The Gravediggers Song" with almost an Adam Ant style drum back beat and a brooding vocal so nasty that social services should be called. Throughout there are a range of cracking songs and the classic blues motif spread over the six minutes plus of "Bleeding Muddy Waters" is one of those. "St Louis Elegy" is a beautifully dark beast with a feast of ferocious imagery while that is clearly a Visage style disco beat lurking inthe backdrop of the excellent "Grey goes black". As you can tell it really is difficult to single out any songs for special praise since there is strength in depth here and taken as a whole set Lanegan barely puts a foot wrong. "Riot in my house" for example echoes the best rocking preoccupations of the Screaming Trees and what higher recommendation do you need? One of the longest tracks here "Ode to a Sad Disco" could be profitably covered by Donna Summer and it would be equally great, it has that sort of pounding synth electronica combined with high melody which New Order once patented. At over six minutes it passes at great speed and shows an artist prepared to take risks and not so much rest on his laurels as burn them. By the time the standout long concluding track "Tiny grain of truth" ends the album in a mix of first class acoustic blues and concludes in a wave of synths you know you have been on one of the more interesting musical journeys on a "Deep Black Vanishing Train" in quite a long time and you have thankful that Lanegan picked you up at the station. Add to this that in songs like the "Quiver Syndrome" he displays a ear for melody which would take any other artist in the direction of the album chart top ten and squat there for age.

There is enough musical variety in "Blues Funeral" to stage the album in the Radio City Music Hall. It is gritty, exciting, threatening and shows this great singer on top of his game. This is an album that grabs you by the collars on your first listen and eyeballs you to ensure your full attention. It is time well spent for this album deserves tractor loads of praise and a generous potion of hyperbole. How many singers do you know who can can away with a line like "if tears were liquor/I'd have drunk myself sick" and yet you know that he sings this with the raw honesty of a man who has ridden the emotional and chemical roller coaster yet emerged the other side all the better a musician for it. The musical stakes are raised for 2012.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Triumphant return, February 7, 2012

By 

Luke (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blues Funeral (Audio CD)

Blues Funeral is the first Mark Lanegan solo album since 2004's critically acclaimed Bubblegum. Despite a lengthy break Lanegan's prolific work rate has been in full force, with guest spots and collaborations with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell, the Gutter Twins, Soulsavers and Bomb the Bass. Blues Funeral is an equally familiar and surprising evolution in Lanegan's remarkable, if still underappreciated solo career. Lanegan is in fine form and his vocals seem to get better with age; a rich, world-weary growl with stunning control and depth. His fruitful artistic endeavours are reflected throughout Blues Funeral, unearthing some of his most adventurous song-writing amidst an impressive cast of contributors. Guests include Jack Irons, Chris Goss, Greg Dulli and multi-instrumentalist and production wizard Alain Johannes who rubber stamps Lanegan's superb arrangements with warm, textured production.

The biggest surprise is the increased integration of electronic textures and synth-pop influence. This works particularly well on the mesmerising 'Ode to Sad Disco' and the darkly upbeat `Harborview Hospital'. Elsewhere Lanegan delves into more familiar territory on the brooding, bluesy balladry of `Phantasmagoria Blues' and the sublime `St Louis Elegy'. `Riot in my House' is a delightfully raucous rocker with an inspired guest appearance by guitarist Joshua Homme. `Quiver Syndrome' follows a similarly rockier path, while `Gray goes Black' is shady pop-rock brilliance. The varied instrumentation and rich dynamics are complimented by an inspired collection of genuinely memorable, engaging songs.

The gloomy atmosphere of Blues Funeral; and its accompanying lyrical bent of dark imagery, despair and regret is offset by a lilting sense of hope and redemption, maintaining a darker edge without sounding depressing or one-dimensional. Lanegan has created one of his most accomplished efforts; an album that transcends genres and trends, carving its own unique path of musical growth, artistic integrity and gritty resolve. Blues Funeral is destined to become a modern classic.