Mark Lanegan

[Shaun Jam]

Think I might see him in Hamburg, just above 30€.

[Revelator]

It's been a busy year for Mark Lanegan. He's released a collaboration with British acoustic blues guitarist Duke Garwood called Black Pudding, made his usual cameo appearance on a new Queens of the Stone Age album, contributed vocals to Moby's new record, and recorded the theme song for Anthony Bourdain's latest TV series. But with the release of the new covers record Imitations on Tuesday (September 17) via Vagrant, the focus is squarely back on Lanegan, and it's an album he's been waiting to record for a while.

"This album has been in the back of my mind for a long, long time," he tells Exclaim! "I tried a couple of these kinds of songs when I made [1999's I'll Take Care of You]. I recorded an Engelbert Humperdinck song and a Frank Sinatra song, but they didn't mesh with the rest of the record. I just set those aside and said one day I'll do a record that's fully committed to that kind of material, or at least that kind of sound. By that I mean that '60s pop sound, for lack of a better term; the kind of records Andy Williams made, with orchestration."

The covers collection follows a similar formula to I'll Take Care of You, but this time he takes on the role of '60s crooner with such unlikely choices as "Mack the Knife," the James Bond theme "You Only Live Twice" and French singer/songwriter Gerard Manset's "Elegie Funebre," all filtered through his unrivalled song interpretation skills. Also included are tracks written by Nick Cave, John Cale, and acclaimed young L.A. songstress Chelsea Wolfe. But with its tasteful string arrangements by Andrew Joslyn, Imitations is unlike anything Lanegan has done before.

It may be to hard to fathom one of the grunge scene's true survivors pulling out songs commonly found in most grandparents' record collections, but the former Screaming Trees frontman's great skill has always been finding soul in whatever he is singing. Since turning his life around after years of drug abuse, Lanegan's voice has gracefully matured without losing any of its edge.

"I've been feeling more comfortable as a human being in general," he says. "I guess that would lead to comfort in all of these other aspect of my life, singing being one of them. It's not nearly as hard as it was when I started. It was really difficult to sing, nobody showed me how to do it. I remember early Screaming Trees shows in the '80s, when I'd walk away with a pounding headache from trying to sing way out of my range. It took a long time to really learn how to sing in a natural way, but I've been there for quite a while now, luckily."

Lanegan will be touring in support of Imitations with a stripped-down acoustic band, including strings, but after only a handful of dates in major U.S. cities starting in October, he'll be spending most of the remainder of the year in Europe, where he can escape the grunge tag that follows him on this side of the Atlantic.

"To be honest, when I do interviews with North American press, it's usually a lot of questions about grunge music, Nirvana — 'How do you feel about the new Nirvana reissue?' — that kind of shit. So, you know, it's not much fun to discuss that stuff over and over again. That doesn't happen in Europe. I think a lot of people that listen to my music over there might not even be aware of the Screaming Trees. In fact, I know that's true. It's not like I'm ashamed of it, but it's like talking about that year of kindergarten over and over again. It was a learning experience, and that's about it."

This man bleeds integrity

[stip]

There is another thing of his later in the year, right? A comp?

[Revelator]

There is another thing of his later in the year, right? A comp?

Yeah I believe it's called "Has God Seen My Shadow. An Anthology 1989-2011." No release date posted yet but I think everyone assumed it'd be this year. Track list looks promising. If you click on the "Tracks" section, you can see the songs on the playlist which I assume are included on the anthology.

http://lightintheattic.net/search?x=0&y ... rk+lanegan

01 Bombed
02 One Hundred Days
03 Come to Me
04 Mirrored
05 Pill Hill
06 One Way Street
07 Kimiko's
08 Low
09 Resurrection
10 Shiloh Town
11 Creeping Coastline
12 Lexington
13 Last One in the World
14 Wheels
15 Mockingbirds
16 Wild Flowers
17 Sunrise
18 Carnival
19 Pendulum
20 The River Rise

21 Dream Lullabye
22 Leaving New River Blues
23 Sympathy
24 To Valencia Courthouse
25 Song While Waiting
26 Blues for D vocal version
27 Big White Cloud
28 No Contestar
29 Following the Rain
30 Grey Goes Black
31 Halcyon Daze
32 Blues Run the Game live

[VinylGuy]

i still havent listened to Interiors.

[psychobain]

Imitations is quite enjoyable.

[VinylGuy]

Imitations is quite enjoyable.

That was the record i re-called "Interiors".

I havent listened to Imitations then.

[psychobain]

It's very soft and mellow.

Puts me to sleep everytime, and it's not a bad thing.

[stip]

I am still waiting for it to arrive. This week I think...

[tk]

Nevermind

[stip]

finally listening to imitations. Here we go.

Flatlands is good.

[tk]

I though the strings were a bit much throughout the album. Still enjoyable.

[Fuzzcharger]

It's very soft and mellow.

Puts me to sleep everytime, and it's not a bad thing.

Yeah a very low key, mellow disc. No real surprises with the performances.

[stip]

you know, i was kinda disappointed in this after one (not ideal conditions) listen. Flatlands is good and I love Mack the Knife. the rest didn't leave much of an impresion

[DeLima]

Is the writer of Flatland's stuff good? Chelsea Wolfe?

[VinylGuy]

i cant seem to end this new album. Its off putting for me i dont know why.

Maybe because there are other new and better album i dont know..

[Revelator]

Took me a few listens to really take it in, I think it's gorgeous. Flatlands and Solitaire are probably my favs. Still not crazy about Mack The Knife, only one I can't get into. Deepest Shade is sex

[stip]

maybe i like mack the knife for the 3 penny opera connection

[Revelator]

I was never into the original, it's definitely not a bad cover or anything IMO.

I love the vocal on She's Gone, too.

Anyone else check out the linear notes yet? Fucking awesome to see that Mike Johnson played on a majority of the songs--like the first time in 12 yrs prob my favorite contributor on Mark's 90s albums.

[VinylGuy]

I was never into the original, it's definitely not a bad cover or anything IMO. I love the vocal in She's Gone too.

Anyone else check out the linear notes yet? Fucking awesome to see that Mike Johnson played on a majority of the songs--like the first time in 12 yrs prob my favorite contributor on Mark's 90s albums.

Really, Mike is there again? Nice.
I love his Dino Jr phase too.