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Whiskey for the Holy Ghost

 
Album Review: Whiskey for the Holy Ghost

  • Artist: Mark Lanegan
  • Rating: StarStarStarStar
  • Release Date: January 18, 1994
  • Total Time: 49:22
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Mark Lanegan's first solo album, 1990's The Winding Sheet, was a darker, quieter, and more emotionally troubling affair than what fans were accustomed to from his work as lead singer with the Screaming Trees. The follow-up album, 1994 's Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, used The Winding Sheet's sound and style as a starting point, with Lanegan and producer/instrumentalist Mike Johnson constructing resonant but low-key instrumental backdrops for the singer's tales of heartbreak, alcohol, and dashed hopes. While The Winding Sheet often sounded inspired but tentative, like the solo project from a member of an established band, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost speaks with a quiet but steely confidence of an artist emerging with his own distinct vision. The songs are more literate and better realized than on the debut, the arrangements are subtle and supportive (often eschewing electric guitars for keyboards and acoustic instruments), and Lanegan's voice, bathed in bourbon and nicotine, transforms the deep sorrow of the country blues (a clear inspiration for this music) into something new, compelling, and entirely his own. Whiskey for the Holy Ghost made it clear that Mark Lanegan had truly arrived as a solo artist, and it ranks alongside American Music Club's Everclear as one of the best "dark night of the soul" albums of the 1990s. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The River Rise Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (4:29)
Borracho (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (5:40)
House a Home (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:07)
Kingdoms of Rain (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:24)
Carnival (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:40)
Riding the Nightingale (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (6:17)
El Sol Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:42)
Dead on You (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:11)
Shooting Gallery (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (3:32)
Sunrise (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (2:55)
Pendulum (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (2:12)
Judas Touch (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (1:37)
Beggar's Blues (Lyrics) Mark Lanegan Mark Lanegan (5:36)

Credits

Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Jack Endino (Engineer), Tad Doyle (Drums), John Agnello (Engineer), Mike Johnson (Harmonica), Dave Kreuger (Violin), Mike Johnson (Arranger), John Agnello (Mixing), Arthur S. Aubry (Photography), Mark Lanegan (Producer), J Mascis (Drums), Sally Barry (Vocals (Background)), Mike Johnson (Guitar (Electric)), Ed Brooks (Engineer), Mike Johnson (Producer), Michael Lavine (Photography), Ted Trewhella (Piano), Frank Cody (Piano), Dan Peters (Drums), Phil Sparks (Bowed Bass), Terry Date (Engineer), Tad Doyle (Drums (Snare)), Mark Pickerel (Drums), Justin Williams (Organ), Mark Lanegan (Arranger), Mike Johnson (Bass), Frank Cody (Organ), Phil Sparks (Bass (Upright)), Mike Johnson (Vocals (Background)), Mike Johnson (Organ), Mike Johnson (Slide Guitar), Mark Lanegan (Guitar (Electric)), Kurt Fedora (Bass), Mike Johnson (Piano), Krisha Augerot (Vocals (Background)), Art Chantry (Design), Mike Johnson (Guitar (Acoustic))
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Wikipedia: Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
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Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
Studio album by Mark Lanegan
Released January 18, 1994
Recorded Ironwood, Riciprocal, & Steve Lawson Studios, Seattle, WA, & Messina Music, NYC
Genre Alternative rock, Blues rock
Length 49:22
Label Sub Pop
Producer Mike Johnson & Mark Lanegan
Professional reviews
Mark Lanegan chronology
The Winding Sheet
(1990)
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
(1994)
Scraps at Midnight
(1998)

Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is the second solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. The album builds upon the roots music foundation that Lanegan had established with his debut The Winding Sheet. Released during the grunge explosion of the early 1990s, Whiskey for The Holy Ghost showcases Lanegan's growing maturation as a songwriter and vocalist.

The recording was reportedly a frustrating affair for Lanegan; at one point the singer had to be physically prevented from throwing the masters tapes into a river by producer Jack Endino. Despite the album's slow gestation and Lanegan's notorious substance abuse problems, the songs on Whiskey for The Holy Ghost sound remarkably cohesive. Lyrically, Lanegan continues to delve into the darker side of the human experience on songs like "Borracho" and the Biblical "Pendulum" ("Jesus Christ been here and gone, what a painful price to pay"). Other songs reveal a beautiful vulnerability, such as "The River Rise," "Carnival," and the stunning "Riding The Nightengale."

"House A Home" was released as a single with an accompanying video. "The River Rise" was used in the 1996 grunge documentary Hype!, where it accompanied a montage filmed at the vigil following Kurt Cobain's death.

Dan Peters of Mudhoney plays drums on "Borracho."

Track listing

  1. "The River Rise" - 4:29
  2. "Borracho" - 5:40
  3. "House a Home" - 3:07
  4. "Kingdoms of Rain" - 3:24
  5. "Carnival" - 3:40
  6. "Riding the Nightingale" - 6:17
  7. "El Sol" - 3:42
  8. "Dead on You" - 3:11
  9. "Shooting Gallery" - 3:32
  10. "Sunrise" - 2:55
  11. "Pendulum" - 2:12
  12. "Judas Touch" - 1:37
  13. "Beggar's Blues" - 5:36

Personnel

  • John Agnello - Engineer, Mixing
  • Krisha Augerot - Background Vocals
  • Sally Barry - Background Vocals
  • Ed Brooks - Engineer
  • Frank Cody - Organ, Piano
  • Terry Date - Engineer
  • Tad Doyle - Drums
  • Jack Endino - Engineer
  • Kurt Fedora - Bass
  • Mike Johnson - Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Harmonica, Piano, Guitar (Electric), Background Vocals, Producer, Slide Guitar
  • Dave Kreuger - Violin
  • Mark Lanegan - Vocals, Guitar, Producer
  • Bob Ludwig - Mastering
  • J Mascis - Drums
  • Dan Peters - Drums
  • Mark Pickerel - Drums
  • Mike Stinnett [1] (misspelled as "Stinette") - Alto Sax
  • Phil Sparks - Bowed Bass, Bass (Upright)
  • Ted Trewhella - Piano
  • Justin Williams - Organ

External links



 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Whiskey for the Holy Ghost" Read more