February 22, 2022

Mark Lanegan R.I.P.

The Singles soundtrack was the first CD I ever owned. The soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's tale of life and love during the big music boom in Seattle in the very early 90's. 15 year old me was all over it for new (to me) tunes from Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins. It introduced me to so much more though. Jimi Hendrix, The Replacements (by way of Paul Westerberg), Led Zeppelin through a cover of The Battle Of Evermore by The Lovemongers and a great song called I Nearly Lost You by a band called The Screaming Trees who I'd never heard of before.


There's a tune that would make you fall in love with a voice. That raspy unique voice a million miles from the polished tones of Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder. It's probably why he never made it as big as those fellas but his music was always captivating. When he left The Screaming Trees and went his own direction things got even better but sadly like so many singers from Seattle in that era smack took hold though he was always able to shake it and he just kept coming back with better than ever. 


Mark passed away in Kerry earlier today after Covid-19 felled him last year. There wasn't many like him. There won't be again.

No comments: