Customer Reviews

Bubblegum

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lanegan is a man of many "phases." As a matter of fact, you may be reading this review either because of his work with Screaming Tress, his haunting and stripped down Americana solo output, or his recent singing contributions to Queens Of The Stone Age, have interested you enough to see what our boy is up to here.
The good news here is that Lanegan, rather than "returning" or "departing" from what you may be used to, has brought all of it together into a an intense boil, and come out of it with a powerful collection of songs that will offer immediate, if different, favorites for everyone.
In addition to this, the list of musicians called on to help his efforts is quite impressive and likely to make you salivate, even before the album starts playing. Whether it is PJ Harvey, Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers' mastermind Greg Dulli, or Josh Homme -from QOFTA- to name only the ones I was most excited about and intrigued by for what they may add to this album, their contributions are a major plus to "Bubblegum'"s sound.
Speaking of "bubblegum" -a reference from a line in the song "Bombed"-Lanegan could not sound farther from what that word may make you expect. Actually, he sounds closer to Tom Waits than ever before, a similar tone yet not ever trying to imitate Tom, and he phrases his words in ways that remind me -at least me- of the dark sensuality of Jim Morrison.
The reference to Morrison may be more apparent on "When Your Number Isn't Up," and ominous and prophetic slow tune about mortality, or "Wedding Dress," as dark a "love song" as you can expect.
As far as Lanegan ability to bring into a single album everything he's explored musically in the past, I'd like to name some of the remaining tunes. "Methamphetamine Blues" is probably densest piece of the bunch, in part thanks to Homme's raging guitar and the machine-like pipe-banging that drives the song from the beginning ... Let's just say its title could not be more accurate
PJ Harvey's duet on the quieter "Come To Me" -one of two songs she sings on- makes it another high moment from this album, giving it a sensuous and menacing mood, think of it as a hymn to dark love.
Other songs I particularly recommend are "Morning Glory Wine," as tender a ballad as Lanegan gets; the bluesy "Like Little Willie John;" and the dense beauty of "Strange Religion" and "One Hundred Ways."
Last but not least, I must mention Chris Goss' co-production, which gives Lanegan a partner who seems to read his mind and soul, and pushes him to further greatness, and Wendy Rae Fowler whom I didn't know but whose voice adds incredible depth to the above-mentioned "Wedding Dress, and the very brief, although sad and gorgeous, "Bombed."
All in all, this is a remarkable album, a dark and fierce set of songs that has stretched Mark Lanegan in more directions than any of his prior recordings, and, to my taste, one of the best albums of 2004.

I haven't really given Mark Lanegan much of a thought since the Screaming Trees "Dust." It seems that I should have. Bubblegum is a fine album evoking both 60's acid rock (as the Screaming Trees often did) and more out there artists like Tom Waits. The fact that Lanegan measures favorably with Waits instead of as a second rate copy speaks is very impressive. This is a very diverse album with some great rock songs in Hit the City and Driving Death Valley Blues, lots of late night atmospherics, and a wonderful duet with PJ Harvey on Come To Me.
Bubblegum is worth your attention.

I just, finally, discovered Mark Lanegan -his solo work- after so much time. I regret that I didn't do it earlier. I just can't see how I survived without his music. And it's hard to understand why he's not well known outside the fanbase of QOTSA and The 'Trees. I've been listening to Queens of The Stone Age for some time. And then some Screaming Trees. I finally decided to check out Lanegans' solo efforts and I'm just taken aback at the huge amount of great music and incredibly great lyrics he's produced. I really loved The Screaming Trees 'Dust' album, but his solo efforts are better. Not to be compared really, but it is apparent that he really is in his right element with his bluesier material. Lanegan is, most certainly, one of the few great songwriters. And his collaborations with P.J. Harvey are so beautiful and perfect!

Listening to Lanegan continues to create unique listening experiences. He comes off as both a wise sage who has come to guide you through some dangerous place, and yet he also comes off as one of the rogues that makes the place dangerous. He encourages listeners to have patience in life and to wait for their ship to come in ("one hundred days"), then tempts the audience to give in and give up, to hide, and not care about anything ("Bombed"). Bubblegum and Field Songs are great albums. Albums that grow on you (and maybe in you). Thank You Mark

Mark Lanegan sings like he means every single solitary syllable. The new CD, Bubblegum is like buying an E ticket to the best sideshow you are ever going to experience.
The lyrics are as deep as the deepest coal mine on the planet. Each song tells a story and if you take the time the tales he tells are often so real they hurt. Most of the stories are troubled and true. With every solo work Lanegan has produced you get the feeling that you are looking, feeling and hearing things that are on a truely personal level. Drug addiction, worry, death, trying, failing, hope, fear, love... you name it and Lanegan can piece together a tale that will bring you in, sit you down, and make you understand. Bubblegum is no exception. He truly has a gift. That is why I have every Lanegan solo,album and every Screaming Trees lp(yes...lp's) since Clairvoyance. I have seen the Screaming Trees live. It was a sight. Intense. I saw QOTSA (Kyuss was ok) but I went to see Lanegan. Daisy Theatre in Memphis, Tenn. When Lanegan came on stage the temperature and mood in the room changed! He has that ability. The people in the audience who had been rocking to QOTSA took a step back and then eased forward looking at each other and thinking "What is this"? The side conversations stopped, people payed attention. Lanegan held on to the mike stand with both hands like it was the last solid object on the earth and let fly. One of the best damn singer/songwriters ever!

I bought this album on the strength of the two singles - Sideways in Reverse + Hit the City. As such, I was expecting a bluesy, fuzzy, rocky ride through the underground.

It isn't quite what I expected. Every song has its own unique sound, no two songs sound alike, and each one has its own story to tell.

The two singles are brilliant, fuzzed-up blues underground glam rock, if that makes any sense whatsoever. Imagine the Velvet Underground on even more chemicals, and you've got Hit The City.

Immediate highlight is Methamphetamine Blues, just for the driving, shipyard drumbeat, and the drawling lyrics.
"Keep a lock on the kitchen / Do this for your daddy /
I'll do it daddy / Eyes wide open, keep my shotgun loaded"

Another highlight is Strange Religion, featuring Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan. This is a tender, touching moment, full of introspective lyrics and gentle arrangements.

One of my favourite parts of the album is Out of Nowhere, specifically, the piano break. On a fairly downbeat song, the piano plays a lovely, uplifting melody, which pleased me immensely.

Don't expect a straightforward rock record - don't expect anything straightforward. This is a unique CD, with great songwriting, singing and most importantly, a tangible atmosphere.
Lanegan proves his genius many times over on this album, and you'd be remiss to ignore it.

This is yet another quality album from Mark Lanegan and his crew of well known and proven musicians that play on it.Features Chriss Goss, Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri, PJ Harvey, Dave Catching, and others. Nothing like previous work with Screaming Trees or Queens, Lanegan continues to evolve and produces music with quality and integrity rarely seen in today's music environment.

A voice unlike any. Is compared to others, like Tom Waits, no other has the pure grittyness and edge of Lanegan. This album was worth the wait.

Yes, Mark Lanegan's voice is a whiskey-soaked, cigarette ravaged bed of nails. We know that. It's exactly what makes him such an obvious candidate to sing the white man blues."Bubblegum" is his blooze masterpiece.

This disc is for the most part a fairly quiet endeavor. His tales of addiction/survival are all the more chilling for it. Even the "rawkers" like "Hit The City" & "Driving Death Valley Blues" have a spareness to them that evokes the ghost of Robert Johnson signing on the dotted line. By the way, whoever thought of pairing Lanegan with PJ Harvey was a freaking genius. Two of the most intense voices in any genre that fuse into a monster of mood & menace.

"Wedding Dress" pulses & creeps along towards some dark, disturbing altar.
"Methamphetamine Blues" has an industrial clank and tortured guitar providing just enough dread to a dreadful confession.

But it's really in the quietest moments where Lanegan is at his most effective. In "Bombed", "Strange Religion" & "Morning Glory Wine" he reaches an artistic peak his prior recordings have merely hinted at. These songs are torn and frayed like fallen angels staggering up to the bar. As beautiful as they are sad.

I've reconciled myself to the fact that the hard pop psychedelia of Screaming Trees will never be revisited. That's okay though, the dank, dangerous delta that Lanegan's muse currently resides feels pretty close to home.

I bought this album two days ago and have been listening to it non-stop. Of all of his albums, this is by far the most consistent and rewarding (with all of his previous work I would love about half of the songs and was left unmoved by the other half). Here I'd be hard-pressed to disparage any of the 15 tunes.

While it's true it's not as acoustic as his previous few albums, there are still a number of haunting, quiet tunes as well as a few rockers, which have pretty been non-existent on his previous work (and the change of pace is welcome). There's also a lot more subtle experimenting with the sound and the production; in some cases it even reminds me of Tom Waits' "Bone Machine". Indeed, with his voice, Lanegan almost reminds of a more talented, and wearier Jim Morrison singing like Tom Waits, a voice full of whiskey, cigarette and regrets.

I almost never give five star ratings (I think they're used far too often) but in this case I believe it's deserved. A strong contender for album of the year.

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.