I Am the Wolf: Lyrics and Writings

by Mark Lanegan

Overview

A collection of lyrics and autobiographical commentary by singer Mark Lanegan, with a preface by John Cale and a foreword by Moby

With a voice that Pitchfork has called "as scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather," former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Mark Lanegan draws frequent comparisons to masters like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Lanegan's voice is one of the most distinct and recognizable in rock, but his talents aren't limited to his vocal skills. Lanegan's lyrics are on par with the best of them, exploring with Blake-like insight the stark and scorched emotional terrain that exists somewhere beyond sadness, addiction, trauma, and spiritual longing.

With a body of work that now includes seven albums with the Screaming Trees, eleven acclaimed solo albums, three albums of duets with Belle and Sebastian's Isobel Campbell (including the Mercury Prize-shortlisted Ballad of the Broken Seas), and collaborative albums and singles with the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Moby, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers, and countless others, Mark Lanegan occupies a singular space in rock music.

Now, for the first time ever, the reclusive singer presents a comprehensive look at his lyrics, the stories behind them, and the making of his albums. I Am the Wolf is a rare and candid glimpse into the inner workings and creative process of a legend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306825279
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	08/15/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Mark Lanegan released his first solo album, The Winding Sheet, in 1990. His most recent album is Gargoyle. Lanegan lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

Preface John Cale vii

Foreword Moby ix

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1

The Winding Sheet (1989) 3

Whiskey for the Holy Ghost (1990-1994) 17

Scraps at Midnight (1997-1998) 35

Field Songs (2000-2001) 47

Houston Publishing Demos (2002) 61

Here Comes That Weird Chill/Bubblegum (2003-2004) 73

Soulsavers (2004-2009) 109

Has God Seen My Shadow? 125

Blues Funeral (2012) 133

Black Pudding (2013) 153

No Bells on Sunday/Phantom Radio (2014) 165

Gargoyle (2017) 187

One-offs and Collaborations 201

Credits 225

Index 231

Editorial Reviews

"The pages echo with the resonant hum of a life teetering on the edge of the abyss."—Tom Hansen, author of American Junkie

"Mark Lanegan's body of work is one of the most significant, impressive, and criminally underappreciated accomplishments in the history of modern songwriting. His darkly beautiful lyrics are thrilling to hear and thrilling to read. The lyrics are interspersed by sharply drawn and at times morbidly funny prose accounts of the context and circumstances surrounding the writing, tantalizing peeks at a long, hard road. Buy the records. Listen to the music. Read this book."—Anthony Bourdain, author of Appetites and Kitchen Confidential

"Mark Lanegan—primitive, brutal, and apocalyptic. What's not to love?"—Nick Cave, author of The Sick Bag Song and The Death of Bunny Munro

"I have heard many great vocalists. Mark Lanegan is a great singer. His words and songs have traveled with me. And carried me."—Dave Gahan, Depeche Mode

"Mark is deep as a well. His words carry the weight of cities, nights, and oceans."—Henry Rollins, Rollins Band, Black Flag, author of Get in the Van

"An artistic vision as pure as his voice."—Greg Dulli, The Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers, The Gutter Twins

"A fascinating journey through the works of one of music's great wordsmiths"—Peter Hook, Joy Division and New Order, author of Substance and Unknown Pleasures

"I Am the Wolf will give Mark Lanegan fans a first-ever glimpse into the brilliant mind behind Mark's lyrics; chapters written with the smart economy of wordage we are used to from him in song, but with a humor and candor that many will see here for perhaps the first time. As a fan of great scribes such as Cormac, Ernest H., and Gay Talese, this book will go to the top shelf of my home library."—Duff McKagan, Guns N' Roses, author of It's So Easy and How to Be a Man

"This book, which features chapters of lyrics introduced by a page or two of fragmented but enthralling "autobiographical commentary," is a resonant peek behind the dark curtain."—Salon.com, 'The 30 must-read music books of Fall 2017'

From the Publisher