Customer Reviews

Scraps at Midnight

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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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...

His best album. Somber folk-blues-rock with beautiful atmospheric production & arrangements (thanks to Mike Johnson). The slide guitar & piano on the tender, perfect Bell Black Ocean are alone worth the purchase. Of course, the main attraction hear is Lanegan's voice, a throaty nicotine-scarred, white-blues which all fans of Waits, Cave, Lee Hazlewood, etc. will appreciate. Much, much, much better than anything the Screaming Trees have done. There's a single for Stay which is worth seeking out for the b-sides (trad. folk song Death Don't Have No Mercy & the 13th Floor Elevators' haunting, country-tinged Slide Machine).

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

Any music that can transport you away is great. It may get a little slow at times but the musics great and can be listened to over and over. A little Prozac afterwards is all you need!

With all the commercial formulaic junk that passes for music these days, and gets shoved down our throats by the industry, its easy to miss some true gems out there. One being the great Mark Lanegan. He is the white man's vocal answer to Barry White and then some. That voice is soo deep and raspy, it makes any accompaning music sound good. He incorporates a variety and instruments and musicians as well. There's just too much to rave about. The sound transends labels.

Scraps at Midnight is a truly great album by one of the finest singer-songwriters in American music. Lanegan cut his teeth and made his reputation as lead singer of the Screaming Trees and has also contributed his talents to Queens of the Stone Age, but his solo work has always held more appeal for me. Lanegan's distinctive bluesy growl of a voice -- informed and weathered by cigarettes and alcohol -- is one of a kind for sure. It's also what distinguishes Lanegan from the pack as a brilliant singer who always gives a song exactly what it needs. Others have pointed out song highlights on Scraps of Midnight so I won't, except to say from the chilling opener Hospital Roll Call to closer Because of This, this album is a consistently fine ride. Field Songs is nearly as good and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is a laudable, while a bit inconsistent effort, Scraps at Midnight gets my vote as the best Mark Lanegan album.

Screaming Trees frontman, Mark Lanegan, is back with his third solo album "Scraps At Midnight." From first sight of the album's cover artwork you will know that this album is nothing normal. In fact this album is so different that it is revolutionary. Do not expect a Screaming Trees album here. This is soley Mark Lanegan and anything can happen. Whether Lanegan is influenced by his musical genius or his outside addictions; this album is a throaty, blues masterpiece. Do not expect any national airplay from this record but you will be happy with yourself for buying it. The only bad thing about this album is that it only has 10 tracks to live through. The real feeling in this album can be felt when you light some candles, turn off all of the lights, hit play on the CD player, light up a cigarette and relax while listening to classic Mark Lanegan. You will be taken away by the music and your money will be well spent.

The way to judge good pizza: if you can nuke in the second day and it still tastes good, it has excellent reheat value. That's how this record is: no matter how many times I listen it still tastes good. I can't get tired of it. Nothing else compares (well, except his other two!)

There is nobody that can do it like Mark does. If you haven't already, go get this CD and lose yourself in his voice. Great music to go to sleep to.

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.