As a kid I only knew of Mark Lanegan was he sang that song “Nearly Lost You” that was in the “Singles” soundtrack. I always enjoyed that song and would repeat it two or three times before moving to the next song on the CD. The strange thing for me is I never decided to check out other songs by the Screaming Trees even though I loved that song. I got stuck with the “mainstream” bands on the album like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains and never thought any more about them. Didn’t have the internet to go and check out their other stuff and what others thought of em so it never crossed my mind to go any further. After all, they always put the best song by a band on soundtracks to get people who don’t know the band to go buy more. As I grew up I had forgotten about that song and Screaming Trees until I saw one of their albums in the Soundgarden section cause the album was produced by Chris Cornell. I bought it and listened to it maybe once and wasn’t really into it. It didn’t have “Nearly lost You” as well. I end up selling it later cause I didn’t really like it after that one listen.

Fast forward to working in a record store. Start getting into this band Queens Of The Stone Age cause Dave Grohl from Nirvana and Foo Fighters is playing drums. Get 4 tracks into the album “Songs For The Deaf” and who should show up doing lead vocals?? The guy from Screaming Trees, Mark Lanegan. His voice really ravaged from what sounds to be years and years or smoking and drinking whiskey. He sounded pissed and evil, nothing from what I remember from when I was a kid, but I liked it. The more and more I listened to the album the more I wanted to hear Mark sing. If he were to sing ALL the QOTSA songs the album would be way more brutal than it already is. This lead me back to finding more stuff by em. I started with his solo albums and the first one i get was all slow and mellow and not what I was expecting. I then got another one to see if that might be the evil sound of Lanegan. Nope, another mellow one. At this point I just decide to stick with the QOTSA songs. Then I hear he’s doing a new solo album with the Queens guys as his backing band. Could this be it? Could this be the album I’m looking for? Close, but not totally. There is a mix of rocking songs and mellow songs.

Give another solo album a chance? Why not? It doesent hurt to try right? The album I pick up is “I’ll Take Care Of You” and it is mostly old folk songs sang by Marks so as you can probably tell I’ll hate the album right?? NO!!! I loved the album. How could I have not noticed before how great he is both mellow and evil at the same time? That shows he is a great musician and can do pretty much anything and any style. I spend the next month or so going back to the other solo albums and even Screaming Trees. I buy as much of his stuff I can and listen to pretty much nothing but albums Mark has sang on. And just when I think I’ve gotten everything he has done what happens? He does a duet album with Isobel Campbell of Belle & Sabastian. Another strange pairing, but Mark can do some pretty amazing stuff. Sure enough “Ballad Of Broken Seas” is great. I’m not to big on Isobel’s voice so I shy from the album a bit. Just when I’m starting to listen to less of Mark’s stuff then I hear there is a new project called the Gutter Twins that he is doing with Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs. Greg is another one of those guys that I’ll buy anything they do just cause he’s got some good songs and his voice sounds like he’s been smoking and drinking for many years as well. Their vocals just fit so well together. I for one hope that they continue doing music together cause their album “Saturnalia” is one of the best this year. Then the other night as i had my itunes on shuffle a song by Mad Season came on and Mark was doing vocals. Another album I’ve had forever with him on it but I never realized how much I liked that song till I knew who Lanegan was.

My sister in law got me into watching the TV show Grey’s Anatomy and for one of the season finalies a really mellow, almost spiritual, song came on. It fit perfectly with the way the show was ending and when the vocals came in it was Mark. It was from the album he did with the Soulsavers. He sang on 8 of the 11 tracks on the album. I of course had this album and bought it as soon as I heard Lanegan was working with them. I didn’t know he was until we got the album in stock at Lou’s. That’s the one thing I don’t like about his work habbit. He does projects with people and I don’t find out about em until they are out. I think that might be something he does on purpose cause he seems like the type of person who keeps to themselves.

So do yourself a favor, check out some music by Mark Lanegan. Doesn’t matter if it is Screaming Trees, Queens Of The Stone Age, Soulsavers, Gutter Twins or his solo stuff. I don’t think you will be dissapointed.

To me, there’s something wrong with this picture. Especially since everyone is making such a big deal over these little lapel pins.