Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. It was produced by Mark Lanegan and longtime collaborator Mike Johnson, and was released in 1998.
Scraps at Midnight could arguably be considered the final installment of a trilogy of albums (preceded by The Winding Sheet and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost) which feature the songwriter's interpretation of American roots music set to troubling lyrics that explore themes of loss, sin, and redemption. In a 2004 interview (currently available on YouTube), Lanegan stated "That's always been my goal since I started...It's sort of been my obsession to make records that had the feeling of the blues, the spirit of them, I think, but without being what we'd consider to be traditional blues, or twelve bar bar band blues, which is a boring, outdated mode and I'm not interested in it. But I am interested in the real feelings behind it."
Recording
The album was recorded at the Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree, California. Opener "Hospital Roll Call" and the Cohenesque "Hotel" expands on the theme of self-abuse ("Hear the roars and the hush and the cold chill of time, and I'm happy murdering my mind"), while the gentle "Bell Black Ocean" and "Stay" deal with themes of love and perseverance ("Livin's not hard, it's just not easy, always keepin' the dogs off"). In his 2017 book I Am the Wolf: Lyrics and Writings, Lanegan elaborates on several of the compositions and clears up some misconceptions, writing that "Last One in the World" was not written about Kurt Cobain, as some have speculated, but "for my friend Layne Staley, who was still living at the time. I loved them both as family: Kurt was like a little brother, Layne like a twin." He also relates that the minimal lyrics to "Hospital Roll Call" came from "an unpleasant eight-day stay at a decrepit infirmary hallway in Montreal. Sixteen wasn't the room number, just what was written in black marker on the wall above my gurney."
In a 2012 interview, Lanegan expressed mixed feelings about the album: "If I heard it today I’d totally cringe, though there are a couple of songs on there, one of which I still play acoustically – 'Because of This' – that I think are really good."[4]
Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic writes "Although it's similar to its predecessor, Scraps at Midnight is arguably his most accomplished - it might just miss matching the excellence of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, but with songs as uniformly strong and performances as passionate as these, it comes damn close."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mark Lanegan and Mike Johnson except where noted.
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Hospital Roll Call" (Lanegan)
2:58
2.
"Hotel" (Lanegan)
3:10
3.
"Stay"
3:29
4.
"Bell Black Ocean" (Lanegan, Johnson, Keni Richards)
2:43
5.
"Last One in the World"
4:24
6.
"Wheels" (Lanegan)
4:35
7.
"Waiting on a Train"
4:32
8.
"Day and Night" (Lanegan)
3:16
9.
"Praying Ground"
3:07
10.
"Because of This" (Lanegan, Johnson, Richards, Paul Solger Dana)
^Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 2, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ . Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2007. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^"The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Pulling Son House from a Burning Building: Mark Lanegan Interviewed".
^"Mark Lanegan - Scraps At Midnight". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
January 20, 2023
scraps, midnight, third, solo, album, former, screaming, trees, vocalist, mark, lanegan, produced, mark, lanegan, longtime, collaborator, mike, johnson, released, 1998, studio, album, mark, laneganreleasedjuly, 1998genrealternative, rock, blues, rocklength40, . Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan It was produced by Mark Lanegan and longtime collaborator Mike Johnson and was released in 1998 Scraps at MidnightStudio album by Mark LaneganReleasedJuly 21 1998GenreAlternative rock blues rockLength40 33LabelSub PopBeggars BanquetProducerMike Johnson amp Mark LaneganMark Lanegan chronologyWhiskey for the Holy Ghost 1994 Scraps at Midnight 1998 I ll Take Care of You 1999 Singles from Scraps at Midnight Stay Released September 28 1998Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 1 Rolling Stone 2 Pitchfork7 9 10 3 Contents 1 Background 2 Recording 3 Reception 4 Track listing 5 Personnel 5 5 1 Additional personnel 5 2 Technical personnel 6 ReferencesBackground EditScraps at Midnight could arguably be considered the final installment of a trilogy of albums preceded by The Winding Sheet and Whiskey for the Holy Ghost which feature the songwriter s interpretation of American roots music set to troubling lyrics that explore themes of loss sin and redemption In a 2004 interview currently available on YouTube Lanegan stated That s always been my goal since I started It s sort of been my obsession to make records that had the feeling of the blues the spirit of them I think but without being what we d consider to be traditional blues or twelve bar bar band blues which is a boring outdated mode and I m not interested in it But I am interested in the real feelings behind it Recording EditThe album was recorded at the Rancho de la Luna in Joshua Tree California Opener Hospital Roll Call and the Cohenesque Hotel expands on the theme of self abuse Hear the roars and the hush and the cold chill of time and I m happy murdering my mind while the gentle Bell Black Ocean and Stay deal with themes of love and perseverance Livin s not hard it s just not easy always keepin the dogs off In his 2017 book I Am the Wolf Lyrics and Writings Lanegan elaborates on several of the compositions and clears up some misconceptions writing that Last One in the World was not written about Kurt Cobain as some have speculated but for my friend Layne Staley who was still living at the time I loved them both as family Kurt was like a little brother Layne like a twin He also relates that the minimal lyrics to Hospital Roll Call came from an unpleasant eight day stay at a decrepit infirmary hallway in Montreal Sixteen wasn t the room number just what was written in black marker on the wall above my gurney In a 2012 interview Lanegan expressed mixed feelings about the album If I heard it today I d totally cringe though there are a couple of songs on there one of which I still play acoustically Because of This that I think are really good 4 Reception EditStephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic writes Although it s similar to its predecessor Scraps at Midnight is arguably his most accomplished it might just miss matching the excellence of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost but with songs as uniformly strong and performances as passionate as these it comes damn close Track listing EditAll tracks are written by Mark Lanegan and Mike Johnson except where noted No TitleLength1 Hospital Roll Call Lanegan 2 582 Hotel Lanegan 3 103 Stay 3 294 Bell Black Ocean Lanegan Johnson Keni Richards 2 435 Last One in the World 4 246 Wheels Lanegan 4 357 Waiting on a Train 4 328 Day and Night Lanegan 3 169 Praying Ground 3 0710 Because of This Lanegan Johnson Richards Paul Solger Dana 8 19Personnel 5 EditMark Lanegan vocals guitar producer Mike Johnson guitar producer Dave Catching Fred Drake Keni Richards Paul Solger DanaAdditional personnel Edit Liz Burns voice on 7 Tad Doyle drums on 6 J Mascis piano on 6 Phil Sparks upright bass on 6 8 Mike Stinette saxophone on 6 Terry Yohn harmonica on 8 Technical personnel Edit John Agnello mixing engineer on 8 9 John Burton engineer on 9 Greg Calbi mastering Terry Date engineer on 6 8 Jack Endino engineer on 6 Charles Peterson photography Judith Schaechter artwork Kenneth Sherwood designReferences Edit Scraps at Midnight Mark Lanegan Allmusic Rolling Stone https web archive org web 20071002004123 http www rollingstone com artists marklanegan albums album 105657 review 5944252 scraps at midnight Archived from the original on October 2 2007 Retrieved September 4 2007 a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a Missing or empty title help https web archive org web 20070702175118 http www pitchforkmedia com article record review 19287 scraps at midnight Archived from the original on July 2 2007 Retrieved September 11 2007 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help The Quietus Features A Quietus Interview Pulling Son House from a Burning Building Mark Lanegan Interviewed Mark Lanegan Scraps At Midnight Discogs Retrieved 2018 07 21 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scraps at Midnight amp oldid 1092397029, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
