Mark Lanegan - Whiskey for the Holy Ghost

For his second solo album, Lanegan, the singer for the Screaming Trees, decided to go wider and deeper. The arrangements are mostly acoustic and electric guitars, bass and drums, but the subtle addition of violin and saxophone on select cuts makes for greater variance and gives the album a rich, epic scope. As always, Lanegan sees the glass as neither half-empty or half-full, just dirty. "Borracho" reaches a cathartic wall of shrieking feedback, but mostly Lanegan tunes down for the ambulatory emissions and Seattle blues of "Shooting Gallery," "Judas Touch," and "Kingdoms of Rain." --Rob O'Connor Amazon.com

Without a doubt, Mark Lanegan's best.

I've been a fan of Mark ever since I heard him on Mad Season's "Long Gone Day". Since then I've gotten into Screaming Trees, then bought "The Winding Sheet" from 1990, then moved up to "Bubblegum" from 2004. Both of these are great albums in their own way, particularly the former. This album takes over where the last one left off, with a more mature, full and melodic sound. Mark shows a greater vocal range than usual here, and the songs in general are very atmospheric. The extremes range from the haunting opener "The River Rise" to the powerful "Borracho". Not a weak track in the bunch really.

If you're a Screaming Trees/Mad Season fan a little hesitant to try Mark's solo music, this is the place to start. This infectious collection of songs will win you over for good. Get it now! March 24, 2007

One of the most underrated albums of the nineties

American musical tastes have always baffled me. Mediocrities extraordinaire like Britney Spears, Linkin Park, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, and Dave Matthews sell millions of records, while genuinely talented souls like Mark Lanegan remain unknown except to music connoisseurs. A few know him as the front man and resident genius of Screaming Trees, others as a solo artist, a few more as sometimes member of Queens of the New Age, and a few Isobel Campbell fans as the guy who helped make her latest album so stunningly special. But Mark Lanegan should someone anyone who is obsessed with great music should know well. I honestly believe that if you love great music, there are at least three albums featuring Mark Lanegan that fall into the category of "Must Own": his incredible solo album WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, the superfine Screaming Trees anthology OCEAN OF CONFUSION, and his recent effort in support of Isobel Campbell on her amazing BALLAD OF THE BROKEN SEAS (most of the songs are by Campbell, but he contributes some great supporting vocals, especially a killer version of Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man" and on the album's great closing song "The Circus is Leaving Town").

This was Lanegan's second solo album. The first one, THE WINDING SHEET, was one downer of an album. Bleak, deeply atmospheric, introspective, and seriously unfocused, it represented a significant break from his work with the Screaming Trees. Whatever fans of that band were looking for in a Mark Lanegan solo project, that was definitely not it. WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST is not completely dissimilar from THE WINDING SHEET, but it is better conceived, the songwriting is infinitely sharper, and the melancholy is redeemed by one exquisitely melodic song after another. To this day, Lanegan has not been involved on an album--not with Screaming Trees or anyone else--that was so superb from first cut to the last.

One thing that really comes out on this album is what a low, deep voice Lanegan has. In the Screaming Trees, it is clear he pushes his voice up to its highest possible range, but here he allows it to fall into its natural, low range. Most rock bands force the singers to be high tenors, even a natural baritone like Lanegan. But as a tenor myself, I have to admit that baritones can project a world weariness and ennui that no tenor can intimate. His voice here is perfect for the regret, sadness, and angst he wants to project.

What is most amazing about this album is how great the songs are from first to last. Lanegan's songwriting with the Screaming Trees was never this consistent (one reason why the best way to get to know their music is from the generous anthology OCEAN OF CONFUSION). He would pen several gems that would sandwich some astonishingly bland cuts. No filler here, however. The contrast here is between some astonishingly great songs and songs that are at worst at least interesting (e.g., "Ride the Nightingale"). My favorite cut is probably "El Sol," filled with wonderful musical moments and a casually wonderful vocal. "Carnival" (which I keep thinking should be entitled "Freak Show") is very nearly as good, while "The River Rise," which kicks the album off, is on their par. But there are 3 or 4 other cuts very nearly as strong as these.

So, please do your part to fight the flood of mediocrity that the music industry tries to drown us with. We don't have to accept all the garbage that they tell us we ought to like! We can support great music like this instead! Do your part. If you don't already have this great album, get it. Tell your friends about it. Give it as a gift to friends. Heck, give it to enemies to placate them! Let's just not let this album remain as unknown as it currently is. December 3, 2006

Whiskey with alot of soul

mark lanegan second solo album after the fantastic "the winding sheet" and it sort of in the same vein as that nice acoustic/blues/country songs with his remarkable voice singing with delight of subjects that i won;t go into.. but this is a beautiful well thought out finely recorded album an album which draws you in..to the man "mark lanegan" it traps you in a world
which lanegan was living at the time of writing this album as i heard some other reviewer say you can smell the smoke and whiskey when you're playing this album and i truly agree with that reviewer
if you like screaming trees you may find the departure too much.but i loved the screaming trees and i love this along with "the winding sheet" "bubblegum" his recent classic album
this is the third classic lanegan album i don't think you'll ever find a dud in his work a truly one off artist
November 24, 2005

Here comes the Devil...............!!!!!

Lanegan is awesome, is hauntingly charming is the truth only the truth and nothing but the truth, really, his folk is deligthfull and poetic, his lyrics are charged with alcohol, tobaco sadness and melancholy is hard to resist the voice of this tormented soul, the man with the cloud over his head, production on Whiskey for the Holy Ghost counts with excellent producers such as Terry Date, and remarkable musicians such as Ben Shepperd on bass guitar and Van Conner on guitar. Kingdoms of rain, Carnival, Borracho (gooood one) Dead on you and Beggars Blues are just a few of the master pieces contained on maybe his best work to date, American Folk have in Lanegan one of their best elements now that saddly iconic figures such as Johnny Cash have left us but we can trust this beautifull artform of contemporary music have yet future and way to walk , im happy for that
HM
September 27, 2005

music as mysterious and spooky as a shrill cold night staring into a black, blue skied and windy moonlit night.

Most of the songs on this album are quite introspective and moody. I enjoy that kinda music. If you like the way that sounds.those words..then you may be inclined to appreciate the sounds lanegan makes with others. very soulful yet stinging in the sweetest most cruel sense of the word.

Man...has lanegan put his yearning for answers to life's never ending question marks to music so well and so expressively....enchanting.....dark, brooding and when I listen to his music I envision walking down a spiraling staircase as I pass many little black hells lit with the faded orange torch lights of his slow scorching voice...he just cuts my soul slowly and dangerously with that ol pleading voice of his. Enjoy this one...its "very real"..his genuiness..a rarity in todays music industry. September 2, 2005

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