Mark Lanegan’s gifts were many. Yes, the late singer-songwriter and Screaming Trees frontman was blessed with one of rock’s most remarkable voices, a grizzly, great vocal that swing from bulldozing menace to wounded brute, but he was also in possession of hard-won wisdom and a darkly comic turn-of-phrase, as anyone who read his incredible 2020 memoir Sing Backwards And Weep can testify. Around the time of the book's release, this writer spoke to Lanegan and came away, as I imagine anyone who crossed his path did, feeling a bit like they’d been handed some tools to deal with life a little better. One crucial rule Lanegan imparted was that it was important to keep your sense of humour intact.
“In this age of technology and social media, people like me who make music are privy to immediate criticism or praise, and are able to comment in return just as quickly,” he explained. “I admit being guilty of spending too much of my rare down-time taking shots at the low hanging fruit of the cliched descriptors, less-than-informed reviewers, and the speculators who seem to know the motivation and meaning behind every song lyric. I sometimes find it irresistible to play the curmudgeonly old vampire and show up with a surprise ball-buster at a super-fan’s feed on occasion as well. I’m probably the only guy out there who will find faux-fault when someone writes “It’s his greatest record ever!” Usually the ensuing brief internet conversation ends with me laughing and hopefully my target doing the same.”
