The Winding Sheet

Mark Lanegan

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 22, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B0000035EH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,243 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Indie Music > Rock > Singer-Songwriters

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The singer for the Screaming Trees, Lanegan here choses to substitute his band's psychedelic yawp for the moody introspection of modern blues. His smooth croon transforms into an angry growl when the music turns stormy. "Mockingbirds" features a treacherously descending piano melody; "Wild Flowers" allows for an out-of-tune guitar to explain its world-weariness. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is noted for being the first time a Seattle grunge-rocker tackled the old Leadbelly classic. (The second Seattle guy to tackle it, Kurt Cobain, can be heard on electric guitar and on backing vocals for "Down in the Dark.") --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The spiritual heart of "Seattle" music, October 1, 1999

By	Dan Miller (Reno, NV USA) - See all my reviews

If you strip away the distorted guitar and breathless screaming from the best of what was known as grunge or the Seattle sound you are left with a mood, a sort of aching but wise melancholy. This album is the perfect embodiment of that deep but shining sadness. Where does it come from? Something about the climate? The quality of light on a Seattle winter day when the sun bursts through just before sundown and turns the cold grey city golden for a few short minutes before the long northern night? I don't know, but whatever it is, Lanegan has an almost angelic gift for rendering it into sound. The songs on this album (and his others) are "mood" music that will surely stand the test of time. I only know that in all the years I have owned this album I have never once tired of listening to it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hangover Music, November 25, 2004

A Kid's Review

Mark Lanegan has a voice that will make your eyeballs bleed and he proves it on this solo debut. Although best known at the time for his work in the Seattle band Screaming Trees, Lanegan has become known as one of the most powerful singer/songwriters of his generation and the proof is indeed in the pudding here. "Mockingbirds," "Ugly Sunday," and "Wild Flowers" dig deep into an emotional abyss of heartache and longing, while old friend Kurt Cobain pops up to help on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" and "Down In The Dark." Make no mistake, however, it is Lanegan's songwriting and astonishing voice that makes this one of the most impressive debuts ever. Mostly acoustic, the songs would be fine listening for a grey Sunday morning after a bender when you can't remember a damn thing from the night before. Also check out the haunting "Museum" and the hilarious "Jaurez." This is ground zero from an artist who is already way ahead of the rest of the pack.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Reluctant Loner Hears His First Welcome Knocks., June 17, 1998

By A Customer

Songwriters often spend their time kicking up dust at the crossroads only to catch the attention of the devil. The bad luck of obscurity. Heaven has hired angels to sing of its victories, but the hushed divinity of sadness speaks only in whispers and murmurs. Mark Lanegan's solo efforts, "The Winding Sheet" and "Whiskey for the Holy Ghost" deserve the solemn bows of the masses. They embody a nature of sunshine solemnity that gives the contemplation of human imperfection the glowing positivity of a benediction. Am I overreacting? Yes. I am tired of impersonal pleas and generic recommendations. This is art. Once upon a time these things meant life. You can breathe this music and nothing else. Listen and overreact with me. Knock, knock.