Blues Funeral

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title: "Blues Funeral" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2012-albums", "mark-lanegan-albums", "4ad-albums", "albums-produced-by-alain-johannes"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues_Funeral" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameBlues Funeral
typestudio
artistMark Lanegan
coverBlues Funeral.jpg
releasedFebruary 6, 2012
recordedJanuary—May 2011
studio11AD Studio, Hollywood, California
genreAlternative rock, blues rock
length55:27
languageEnglish
label4AD
producerAlain Johannes
prev_titleBubblegum
prev_year2004
next_titleBlack Pudding
next_year2013
misc{{Singles
nameBlues Funeral
typestudio
single1The Gravedigger's Song
single1dateDecember 5, 2011
single2Gray Goes Black
single2dateJanuary 30, 2012 (download only)
single3Harborview Hospital
single3dateApril 9, 2012 (promo only)
::

| name = Blues Funeral | type = studio | artist = Mark Lanegan | cover = Blues Funeral.jpg | alt = | released = February 6, 2012 | recorded = January—May 2011 | studio = 11AD Studio, Hollywood, California | venue = | genre = Alternative rock, blues rock | length = 55:27 | language = English | label = 4AD | producer = Alain Johannes | prev_title = Bubblegum | prev_year = 2004 | next_title = Black Pudding | next_year = 2013 | misc = {{Singles | name = Blues Funeral | type = studio | single1 = The Gravedigger's Song | single1date = December 5, 2011 | single2 = Gray Goes Black | single2date = January 30, 2012 (download only) | single3 = Harborview Hospital | single3date = 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. 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. Blues Funeral was announced for release on November 7, 2011, through Lanegan's official website and less than a month later, the album's lead single, "The Gravedigger's Song," was released as a digital download on iTunes.

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) 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 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."

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," 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 announcing that Blues Funeral was due to be released worldwide on February 6, 2012. The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes and domestic versions of the album on CD and double LP were made available through the 4AD Store and Amazon. 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 and on January 31, Mojo made the album available for stream in its entirety.

Tour

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Lanegan_in_Dublin_2012.jpg" caption="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 and at Echoplex in Los Angeles, California on February 9— prior to the European tour which would last from February 24 to April 2. The tour would 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 2012 and with twelve shows in the United States, Mexico and Canada in May 2012.

::data[format=table]

DateCityCountryVenue
North America
February 7, 2012New York City
February 9, 2012Los Angeles
Europe
February 24, 2012Tromsø
(Aurora Rock)
February 25, 2012Oslo
February 26, 2012Helsinki
February 28, 2012Groningen
February 29, 2012Amsterdam
March 1, 2012Eindhoven
March 2, 2012AntwerpBelgium
March 3, 2012
March 4, 2012Bristol
March 5, 2012Manchester
March 7, 2012Dublin
March 8, 2012Belfast
March 9, 2012Glasgow
March 10, 2012Leeds
March 12, 2012Birmingham
March 13, 2012London
March 14, 2012Cologne
March 15, 2012Hamburg
March 17, 2012Copenhagen
March 18, 2012Berlin
March 19, 2012Warsaw
March 20, 2012Prague
March 22, 2012Vienna
March 23, 2012Zurich
(M4Music)
March 24, 2012Bologna
March 25, 2012Milan
March 27, 2012Bilbao
March 28, 2012Santiago
March 30, 2012Porto
March 31, 2012Lisbon
April 1, 2012Madrid
April 2, 2012Barcelona
Oceania
April 18, 2012Mount Eden
April 20, 2012Sydney
April 21, 2012Brisbane
April 24, 2012Adelaide
April 26, 2012Melbourne
North America
May 10, 2012New York City
May 11, 2012Washington
May 12, 2012Philadelphia
May 13, 2012Boston
May 15, 2012Toronto
May 16, 2012Detroit
May 17, 2012Chicago
May 20, 2012Denver
May 22, 2012Los Angeles
May 23, 2012San Francisco
May 25, 2012George
(Sasquatch! Music Festival)
May 26, 2012Portland
Europe
November 3, 2012Dornbirn
November 4, 2012Stuttgart
November 5, 2012Erlangen
November 6, 2012Wrocław
November 7, 2012Katowice
November 9, 2012Aarhus
November 10, 2012Lund
November 11, 2012Stockholm
November 13, 2012Hanover
November 15, 2012Enschede
November 16, 2012The Hague
November 17, 2012Wangels
November 18, 2012Brussels
November 20, 2012Bratislava
November 21, 2012Belgrade
November 22, 2012Budapest
November 24, 2012Zagreb
November 25, 2012Ljubljana
November 26, 2012Graz
November 27, 2012Lausanne
November 29, 2012Ciampino
November 30, 2012Florence
December 1, 2012Zurich
December 2, 2012Heidelberg
December 4, 2012London
December 5, 2012Paris
December 7, 2012Madrid
December 8, 2012Barcelona
December 10, 2012Tel Aviv
December 11, 2012Istanbul
::

Reception

| ADM = 7.6/10 | MC = 75/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2Score = C− | rev3 = The Guardian | rev3Score = | rev4 = The Independent | rev4Score = | rev5 = Mojo | rev5Score = | rev6 = Pitchfork | rev6Score = 5.9/10 | rev7 = Q | rev7Score = | rev8 = Rolling Stone | rev8Score = | rev9 = Spin | rev9Score = 8/10 | rev10 = Uncut | rev10Score = 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". 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." 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". 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." 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". 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". 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". 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"). 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".

Track listing

| total_length = 55:27 | all_writing = Mark Lanegan | title1 = The Gravedigger's Song | writer1 = | length1 = 3:43 | title2 = Bleeding Muddy Water | writer2 = | length2 = 6:17 | title3 = Gray Goes Black | writer3 = | length3 = 4:11 | title4 = St Louis Elegy | writer4 = | length4 = 4:34 | title5 = Riot in My House | writer5 = | length5 = 3:53 | title6 = Ode to Sad Disco | writer6 = | note6 = Contains elements of "Sad Disco" by Keli Hlodversson | length6 = 6:24 | title7 = Phantasmagoria Blues | writer7 = | length7 = 3:16 | title8 = Quiver Syndrome | writer8 = | length8 = 4:03 | title9 = Harborview Hospital | writer9 = | length9 = 4:31 | title10 = Leviathan | writer10 = | length10 = 4:22 | title11 = Deep Black Vanishing Train | writer11 = | length11 = 3:06 | title12 = Tiny Grain of Truth | writer12 = | length12 = 7:07

;Japanese bonus track |title13 = Burning Jacob's Ladder |length13 = 3:48

Personnel

;Musicians

;Technical personnel

Chart positions

::data[format=table] | Chart (2012) | Peak position | |---|---| | Austrian Top 40 | 42 | | Belgian Albums Chart (Vl) | 4 | | Belgian Albums Chart (WA) | 50 | | Canadian Albums Chart | 172 | | Danish Albums Chart | 37 | | Dutch Top 40 | 20 | | Finnish Albums Chart | 24 | | French Albums Chart | 51 | | German Albums Chart | 41 | | title= IRMA |url=http://irma.ie/aucharts.asp |work=Irish Recorded Music Association |date=February 9, 2012 |accessdate=February 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511020134/http://irma.ie/aucharts.asp |archive-date=May 11, 2012 |df=mdy }} | 12 | | Irish Independent Albums Chart | 2 | | Italian Albums Chart | 38 | | Norwegian Albums Chart | 12 | | Spanish Albums Chart | 53 | | Swedish Albums Chart | 23 | | Swiss Albums Chart | 27 | | New Zealand Albums Chart | 40 | | UK Albums Chart | 21 | | |US Billboard 200 | 99 | | US Billboard Alternative Albums | 16 | | US Billboard Independent Albums | 15 | | US Billboard Rock Albums | 26 | | US Billboard Tastemaker Albums | 5 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2012)PositionBelgian Albums Chart (Flanders)
42
::

References

References

  1. (December 2011). "4AD – Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band". [[4AD]].
  2. (November 7, 2011). "Mark Lanegan Band". marklanegan.com.
  3. (December 5, 2011). "iTunes – Music – The Gravedigger's Song – Single by Mark Lanegan Band". [[iTunes Store]].
  4. Daniel Kreps. (December 5, 2011). "Listen to Mark Lanegan Band's New Single 'The Gravedigger's Song' {{pipe}} SPIN.COM". [[Spin (magazine).
  5. Tom Breihan. (August 2, 2010). "Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan Band Book Tour Together {{pipe}} News {{pipe}} Pitchfork". [[Pitchfork Media]].
  6. Brett Buchanan. (2012). "Interview with Mark Lanegan". [[Mojo (magazine).
  7. Julian Marszalek. (January 26, 2012). "The Quietus {{pipe}} Features {{pipe}} Baker's Dozen {{pipe}} "You Can't Escape Your Influence" – Mark Lanegan's Favourite Albums". [[The Quietus]].
  8. (December 2011). "Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band – Preorder Blues Funeral on iTunes". iTunes Store.
  9. (December 2011). "4AD Store". 4AD.
  10. (December 2011). "Amazon.com: Blues Funeral: Mark Lanegan: Music". [[Amazon.com]].
  11. Ross Bennett. (January 31, 2012). "LISTEN NOW: Mark Lanegan Band's Blues Funeral – News – Mojo". Mojo.
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  19. "Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band reviews". AnyDecentMusic?.
  20. "Reviews for Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan". [[Metacritic]].
  21. Jurek, Thom. "Blues Funeral – Mark Lanegan Band". [[AllMusic]].
  22. Heller, Jason. (February 7, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". [[The A.V. Club]].
  23. Hughes, Tom. (February 2, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral – review". [[The Guardian]].
  24. Gill, Andy. (February 3, 2012). "Album: Mark Lanegan Band, Blues Funeral (4AD)". [[The Independent]].
  25. Cameron, Keith. (February 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". [[Mojo (magazine).
  26. Cohen, Ian. (February 7, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". [[Pitchfork (website).
  27. (March 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". [[Q (magazine).
  28. Hermes, Will. (February 27, 2012). "Blues Funeral".
  29. Peisner, David. (February 9, 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band, 'Blues Funeral' (4AD)". [[Spin (magazine).
  30. (March 2012). "Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral". [[Uncut (magazine).
  31. Harley, Kevin. (February 1, 2012). "Review of Mark Lanegan Band – Blues Funeral". [[BBC Music]].
  32. Leedham, Robert. (February 1, 2012). "Album Review: Mark Lanegan – Blues Funeral". [[Drowned in Sound]].
  33. Briehan, Tom. (February 7, 2012). "Album Of The Week: Mark Lanegan Band, Blues Funeral". [[Stereogum]].
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  55. "ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS".

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