Blues Funeral

2012 studio album by Mark Lanegan
Blues Funeral
Studio album by
Mark Lanegan
ReleasedFebruary 6, 2012
RecordedJanuary—May 2011
Studio11AD Studio, Hollywood, California
GenreAlternative rock, blues rock
Length55:27
LanguageEnglish
Label4AD
ProducerAlain Johannes
Mark Lanegan chronology
Bubblegum
(2004) 		Blues Funeral
(2012) 		Black Pudding
(2013)
Singles from Blues Funeral
  1. "The Gravedigger's Song"
    Released: December 5, 2011
  2. "Gray Goes Black"
    Released: January 30, 2012 (download only)
  3. "Harborview Hospital"
    Released: April 9, 2012 (promo only)

Blues Funeral is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock musician Mark Lanegan, released on February 6, 2012 on 4AD.[1] The album was recorded with producer Alain Johannes throughout early 2011 and Johannes, as well as other musicians including Greg Dulli, David Catching and Jack Irons, contributed to the recording process.[1] Blues Funeral was announced for release on November 7, 2011 through Lanegan's official website[2] and less than a month later, the album's lead single, "The Gravedigger's Song," was released as a digital download on iTunes.[3]

Aside from collaborative albums with Isobel Campbell, and other collaboration projects including Soulsavers and The Gutter Twins, Blues Funeral was Mark Lanegan's first new material in eight years, since Bubblegum (2004)[4] Upon its release, Blues Funeral received widespread critical acclaim and charted in six countries within the week of its release, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Background

Following extensive collaborations with Isobel Campbell, former vocalist and celloist of indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, Lanegan began working on Blues Funeral after the tour in promotion of their third collaborative studio album, Hawk (2010). The tour concluded on October 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California[5] and Lanegan subsequently began composing songs. In an interview with Mojo, Lanegan described his writing process for the album, saying that: "[all of the songs on the new record] were written right before or during the period when we recorded" and "generally I write on the guitar, but this one I started a few with the keyboard and a drum machine, to do something different. With Al [Johannes], I can show him something on acoustic guitar and give him a description and within a couple of hours it's done."[6]

In his 2017 book I Am the Wolf: Lyrics & Writings, Lanegan admits he had more or less lost interest in writing and singing after a near death experience, and it was only after recording "Burning Jacob's Ladder" with producer Alain Johannes as the initial trailer tune for the video game Rage that the pair continued collaborating, with the singer commenting, "If forced to choose only one of my albums to play live, this would be it."

Composition

The Quietus described the album's sound as: "Blues Funeral incorporates beats marshalled by sequencers with grand cinematic sweeps and a rock & roll sensibility that reveals an artist refusing to paint himself into a corner." Lanegan also noted that "with this new record, because I use a lot of the elements of my influences that I haven't on previous record, I've made a record that's something more like I would personally listen to than some of the records that I've made before,"[7] and listed the album's influences as The Gun Club's Miami, Joy Division's Closer and Roxy Music's Country Life among others. Lanegan reflects on the album and its compositions in I Am the Wolf:

  • "'The Gravedigger's Song' was something I had originally tried to use on someone else's recording, but it didn't make any sense until a drumbeat lifted from an Adam Ant song proved to be its missing component..."
  • "'Riot in My House' was inspired, like many of my tunes through the years, by the music of Swedish band The Leather Nun."
  • "Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher trilogy was the stimulus behind 'Ode to Sad Disco,' and its music was taken in part from the Pusher II soundtrack."
  • "Blues Funeral's title is an homage to the great T.S. McPhee's band The Groundhogs, and its overall sound is reflective of my Krautrock listening habit..."

Release

Lanegan's official website posted a press release on November 7, 2011[2] announcing that Blues Funeral was due to be released worldwide on February 6, 2012. The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes[8] and domestic versions of the album on CD and double LP were made available through the 4AD Store[9] and Amazon.[10] Physical versions of the album were released a day later than the digital release. On January 21, 2012, Amazon previewed thirty-second clips of each songs on the album[10] and on January 31, Mojo made the album available for stream in its entirety.[11]

Tour

Lanegan performing live in Dublin during the Blues Funeral tour.

A two-leg tour was planned to accompany the release of Blues Funeral throughout spring 2012. Lanegan performed two shows in the United States—at the Bowery Ballroom in New York on February 7[12] and at Echoplex in Los Angeles, California on February 9[13]— prior to the European tour which will last from February 24 to April 2. The tour will include Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal. Following the release of the album, Lanegan announced two further legs of the tour with five shows in Australia and New Zealand in April[14] and with twelve shows in the United States, Mexico and Canada in May.[15]

Date City Country Venue
North America[16][17]
February 7, 2012 New York City United States Bowery Ballroom
February 9, 2012 Los Angeles Echoplex
Europe[16][18]
February 24, 2012 Tromsø Norway KulturHuset
(Aurora Rock)
February 25, 2012 Oslo Rockefeller Music Hall
February 26, 2012 Helsinki Finland The Circus
February 28, 2012 Groningen Netherlands De Oosterpoort
February 29, 2012 Amsterdam Paradiso
March 1, 2012 Eindhoven Effenaar
March 2, 2012 Antwerp Belgium Muziekcentrum TRIX
March 3, 2012
March 4, 2012 Bristol United Kingdom O2 Academy Bristol
March 5, 2012 Manchester Academy 2
March 7, 2012 Dublin Ireland The Academy
March 8, 2012 Belfast Mandela Hall
March 9, 2012 Glasgow United Kingdom O2 ABC Glasgow
March 10, 2012 Leeds The Cockpit
March 12, 2012 Birmingham HMV Institute
March 13, 2012 London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
March 14, 2012 Cologne Germany Gloria
March 15, 2012 Hamburg Grünspan Club
March 17, 2012 Copenhagen Denmark Amager Bio
March 18, 2012 Berlin Germany C-Club
March 19, 2012 Warsaw Poland Proxima
March 20, 2012 Prague Czech Republic Lucerna Music Hall
March 22, 2012 Vienna Austria Arena
March 23, 2012 Zurich Switzerland Schiffbau
(M4Music)
March 24, 2012 Bologna Italy Estragon
March 25, 2012 Milan Alcatraz
March 27, 2012 Bilbao Spain Kafe Antzokia
March 28, 2012 Santiago Sala Capitol
March 30, 2012 Porto Portugal Hard Club
March 31, 2012 Lisbon TMN ao Vivo
April 1, 2012 Madrid Spain Sala Kapital
April 2, 2012 Barcelona Sala Bikini
Oceania[14][16]
April 18, 2012 Mount Eden New Zealand The Powerstation
April 20, 2012 Sydney Australia The Hi-Fi
April 21, 2012 Brisbane The Tivoli
April 24, 2012 Adelaide The Gov
April 26, 2012 Melbourne Forum Theatre
North America[15][16]
May 10, 2012 New York City United States Webster Hall}
May 11, 2012 Washington 9:30 Club
May 12, 2012 Philadelphia The TLA
May 13, 2012 Boston Paradise Rock Club
May 15, 2012 Toronto Canada Mod Club Theatre
May 16, 2012 Detroit United States Small's
May 17, 2012 Chicago Metro
May 20, 2012 Denver Bluebird Theater
May 22, 2012 Los Angeles Gene Autry Museum
May 23, 2012 San Francisco Great American Music Hall
May 25, 2012 George Gorge Amphitheatre
(Sasquatch! Music Festival)
May 26, 2012 Portland Wonder Ballroom
Europe[16]
November 3, 2012 Dornbirn Austria Conrad Sohm
November 4, 2012 Stuttgart Germany Universum
November 5, 2012 Erlangen E-Werk
November 6, 2012 Wrocław Poland Firlej
November 7, 2012 Katowice Jazz Club Hipnoza
November 9, 2012 Aarhus Denmark VoxHall
November 10, 2012 Lund Sweden Mejeriet
November 11, 2012 Stockholm Göta Källare
November 13, 2012 Hanover Germany Musikzentrum
November 15, 2012 Enschede Netherlands Poppodium Atak
November 16, 2012 The Hague Nationaal Toneel Gebouw
November 17, 2012 Wangels Germany Weißenhäuser Strand
November 18, 2012 Brussels Belgium Cirque Royal
November 20, 2012 Bratislava Slovakia Klub za Zrkadlom
November 21, 2012 Belgrade Serbia Omladine
November 22, 2012 Budapest Hungary A38
November 24, 2012 Zagreb Croatia PAUK
November 25, 2012 Ljubljana Slovenia KS
November 26, 2012 Graz Austria PPC
November 27, 2012 Lausanne Switzerland Les Docks
November 29, 2012 Ciampino Italy Orion
November 30, 2012 Florence Viper
December 1, 2012 Zurich Switzerland abart
December 2, 2012 Heidelberg Germany Karlstorbahnhof
December 4, 2012 London England HMV Forum
December 5, 2012 Paris France Le Trabendo
December 7, 2012 Madrid Spain Primavera Club
December 8, 2012 Barcelona Primavera Club
December 10, 2012 Tel Aviv Israel Barby
December 11, 2012 Istanbul Turkey Salon IKSV

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[19]
Metacritic75/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[21]
The A.V. ClubC−[22]
The Guardian[23]
The Independent[24]
Mojo[25]
Pitchfork5.9/10[26]
Q[27]
Rolling Stone[28]
Spin8/10[29]
Uncut[30]

Blues Funeral was released to positive critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20] Mojo reviewer Keith Cameron said that "no other singer of his generation plumbs the depths so credibly, or does mournful with such grace", awarded the album a full five stars and referred to it as an "instant MOJO classic."[25] Andy Gill of The Independent called Blues Funeral "the most accomplished of Lanegan's albums," adding that the album is "boasting a rare congruence between lyrical themes and musical evocations".[24] BBC Music's Kevin Harley said that the album "deepens his pitch while exhibiting a range and grace beyond his death's-head profile" and "sells [the songs] with conviction and character."[31] Tom Hughes of The Guardian described it as "bluesy, lugubrious, modernish rock, elevated by Lanegan's remarkable gravel-pit of a voice" but concluded that "running close to a full hour, this can feel like a long funeral".[23] Drowned in Sound reviewer Robert Leedham referred to the album as "deliciously callous but cursedly familiar" and added that it was "a record for ardent fans and not casual admirers".[32] Jason Heller of The A.V. Club referred to the album as "a blatant and lackluster attempt to keep up with the times" and criticised its production "in which no note or texture is left digitally unprocessed".[22] Pitchfork described Blues Funeral as "a mixed bag" and the songs as "many dirges that simply drag", but positively noted the album's influences and Lanegan's vocals ("almost invariably powerful on a sheer physical level").[26] Stereogum listed the album as Album of the Week upon its release and gave a very positive review applauding Lanegan's vocals, the album's synthpop influences and "his most unburdened album in many, many years".[33]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mark Lanegan

No.TitleLength
1."The Gravedigger's Song"3:43
2."Bleeding Muddy Water"6:17
3."Gray Goes Black"4:11
4."St Louis Elegy"4:34
5."Riot in My House"3:53
6."Ode to Sad Disco" (Contains elements of "Sad Disco" by Keli Hlodversson[34])6:24
7."Phantasmagoria Blues"3:16
8."Quiver Syndrome"4:03
9."Harborview Hospital"4:31
10."Leviathan"4:22
11."Deep Black Vanishing Train"3:06
12."Tiny Grain of Truth"7:07
Total length:55:27
Japanese[35] bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Burning Jacob's Ladder"3:48

Personnel

Musicians[36]
Guest musicians[36]
Technical personnel[36]
  • Alain Johannes – producer, engineer, mixing

Chart positions

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Austrian Top 40[37] 42
Belgian Albums Chart (Vl)[38] 4
Belgian Albums Chart (WA)[38] 50
Canadian Albums Chart[39] 172
Danish Albums Chart[40] 37
Dutch Top 40[41] 20
Finnish Albums Chart[42] 24
French Albums Chart[43] 51
German Albums Chart[44] 41
Irish Albums Chart[45] 12
Irish Independent Albums Chart[45] 2
Italian Albums Chart[46] 38
Norwegian Albums Chart[47] 12
Spanish Albums Chart[48] 53
Swedish Albums Chart[49] 23
Swiss Albums Chart[50] 27
New Zealand Albums Chart[51] 40
UK Albums Chart[52] 21
US Billboard 200[53] 99
US Billboard Alternative Albums[53] 16
US Billboard Independent Albums[53] 15
US Billboard Rock Albums[53] 26
US Billboard Tastemaker Albums[54] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2012) Position
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[55] 42

References

  1. ^ a b "4AD – Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band". 4AD. December 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Mark Lanegan Band". marklanegan.com. November 7, 2011. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  3. ^ "iTunes – Music – The Gravedigger's Song – Single by Mark Lanegan Band". iTunes Store. December 5, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  4. ^ Daniel Kreps (December 5, 2011). "Listen to Mark Lanegan Band's New Single 'The Gravedigger's Song' | SPIN.COM". Spin. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Tom Breihan (August 2, 2010). "Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan Band Book Tour Together | News | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  6. ^ Brett Buchanan (2012). "Interview with Mark Lanegan". Mojo (February 2012). Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  7. ^ Julian Marszalek (January 26, 2012). "The Quietus | Features | Baker's Dozen | "You Can't Escape Your Influence" – Mark Lanegan's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  8. ^ "Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band – Preorder Blues Funeral on iTunes". iTunes Store. December 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  9. ^ "4AD Store". 4AD. December 2011. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Amazon.com: Blues Funeral: Mark Lanegan: Music". Amazon.com. December 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  11. ^ Ross Bennett (January 31, 2012). "LISTEN NOW: Mark Lanegan Band's Blues Funeral – News – Mojo". Mojo. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  12. ^ "Mark Lanegan Band Tickets at Bowery Ballroom, New York – NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  13. ^ "the echo and echoplex » Thursday 02.09.12: Mark Lanegan Band @ Echoplex". Echoplex. December 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
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  17. ^ Hilary Saunders (January 4, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band Announces New Album, Tour :: Music :: News :: Paste". Paste Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
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  20. ^ a b "Reviews for Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan". Metacritic. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  21. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Blues Funeral – Mark Lanegan Band". AllMusic. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
  22. ^ a b Heller, Jason (February 7, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
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