I bought this album because I really liked Scraps at Midnight, which was so good and dark. I was kind of disappointed by I'll Take Care of You, though, it was kind of less consistent in tone, and the songs were a little more sentimental and less satisfyingly growly. So I only ended up listening to the album a few times before stowing it on the shelf where it will be gathering dust until the next time I'm culling my CD collection.
August 2, 2007 |  | Another brilliant Mark Lanegan album |  |
I've been a big Mark Lanegan fan since the eighties when he was the driving force behind the Screaming Trees. He has mellowed considerably since he produced some of the best hard rock in the world and in fact all of his solo albums are been more acoustic than electric (with the occasional but glorious exception like "Hit the City" from BUBBLEGUM). A substantial part of his appeal has been his gifts as a songwriter. Mark Lanegan is a great performer, but his songwriting is an integral part of who he is as a performer. Which makes I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU, a album of covers, all the more shocking. He literally takes these songs and makes them his own.
I'm not sure that Lanegan is paying tribute to his roots. Some artists do that, but I get the sense here that he is simply choosing some marvelous, but neglected songs. Most are unfamiliar. The ones that are more familiar are perhaps the most surprising, like the Bobby Bland classic title track or mildly shocking inclusion of the Buck Owens's (pre-HEE HAW) "Together Again." I was delighted to see him cover the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce (of The Gun Club) song "Carry Home." It is a remarkably diverse body of material, but somehow Lanegan masterfully blends it all together.
My lone complaint with the album is that it is short. It may be the shortest album Lanegan has ever released apart from EPs. Nevertheless, this is one of his crucial albums. His greatest solo album is unquestionably WHISKEY FOR THE HOLY GHOST, but several others are definitely worth getting immersed in, in particular this fine album, BUBBLEGUM (with some of his best individual songs), and SCRAPS AT MIDNIGHT, though I also very highly recommend the great Isobel Campbell album on which Lanegan provides magnificent support (Campbell writes most of the songs, but Lanegan is magnificent throughout, especially in helping her cover Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man" and singing Campbell's great "The Circus is Leaving Town").
May 13, 2007 | | I'm looking for the light | |
Lanegan's tribute to his roots follows the successful template of his solo albums: spare acoustics, tastefully brushed drums, moody flourishes of vibes and the occasional reverbed electric guitar stitched lovingly and intoxicatingly through songs by ...Buck Owens? It works, trust me, it works.
Boasting a superb song selection that covers everything from traditional folk songs to soul chestnuts to re-wired punk, Lanegan and company craft a moody, smokey, ultimately satisfying cover album that -- like the most comfortable beds -- sounds slept in.
February 20, 2007| | | Cigarretes, Whiskey and Lanegan | |
.......And a long nigth listening to this poet and his deep and rough voice delivering deligthfull cuts such as "ill take care of you" "consider me" "on Jesus program" "together again" after a while you will not be able to figure if you fell drunk because of the alcohol or because of the music, you gonna feel yor troath burn but you will not be able to tell if its because of the cigarrete or because song after song you will try to emulate Lanegan s voice since once you listen to him and his words you gonna feel related with his feelings and this is due to Lanegan thoughs are like the point of view of every intelligent man. the songs contained in this particular album are basically covers from bands and composers that have influenced Mark Lanegan and that in one way or other have had some effect in his music as well southern environments and grunge years, as a result Lanegan s album have becoming unique in composing and musical terms
HM
February 7, 2005| | | Taking care of your late night needs... | |
Mark Lanegan has spent years honing his sound on his solo projects, and that sound has drifted further and further away from his previous band, The Screaming Trees, and is miles apart from his work with Queens of the Stone Age. With each subsequent album, Lanegan has become earthier and rootsier in his stylings. This album represents a break between albums and a chance to focus on some influences and to work on some favourite songs. The album is all cover songs but Lanegan has a way of making them sound like original compositions. The standout track on the album is the title song ''I'll Take Care Of You''. I wish I knew who did the original cause I'd love to hear it. If it's as good as this one, then I owe that singer a debt of gratitude. I've put this track on many times before and chicks just melt. It's a song filled with a weariness that comes out in every note, but it's a song of understanding. The song everyone would like sung to them. The arrangement is gorgeous, and the instruments evoke images of smoky, neon lit rooms. There's even a vibraphone and flute which take it beyond mere blues and add a touch of jazz. I am, however, familiar with Eddie Floyd's version of 'Consider Me' which Lanegan takes from a sweet soul lament and turns it into a sad, but hopeful plea. The album as a whole is a tribute to past masters long forgotten in the annals of popular music history. It spans the whole rich spectrum of Americana that's, thankfully, being noticed again these days. The album spans folk, country, blues, western, R & B; soul, rock n' roll and jazz and strips them all down to their basic root, proving that they all come from the same vein. Lanegan's voice is top notch, a deep, rich baritone with a damaged scratchiness that suggests pain, loss and weathered experience. 'Creeping Coastline Of Lights' is a spooky little track that would be perfect to listen to along a deserted Southern California highway. I like how Lanegan takes different singers and songwriters and connects them through his interpretations. An outstanding album that really should be in everyone's collection. File under 'mellow'.
August 4, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(16 reviews)