SING BACKWARDS AND WEEP by Mark Lanegan (White Rabbit, 2020)
‘Men Should Weep’ was the title of a 1947 play by Ena Lamont Stewart I saw performed in London in 1982 by Glasgow’s 7:84 theatre company (named from the statistical information that 7% of the people own 84% of the wealth).
I liked the title of this play because it conjured up the image of men weeping en masse . I imagined this as a universal shedding of tears for the patriarchal pain men have inflicted on humankind. Some hope!
Sadly, the macho stereotype is still alive, kicking and oppressing as Mark Lanegan’s relentlessly bleak memoir confirms. Despite the title (a line from his song ‘Fix’ from the solo album ‘Field Songs’) , Lanegan is not much given to weeping or displaying his feelings. It’s therefore a surreal moment when he relates how one huge tear formed after hearing of the death of his friend and mentor Jeffrey Lee Pierce of Gun Club. He writes about this with amazement as if it’s going to be submerged in a pool of tears like Alice In Wonderland.
As a gift to a friend of mine who is retiring soon, a group of friends and colleagues have been asked to write articles about a poem or song.
These texts will be connected by the themes of one, or more, of the four elements – fire, earth, water and air.
I have chosen to write a piece on Leonard Cohen’s Who By Fire which, as you may know or recall, goes like this:
And who by fire, who by water,
who in the sunshine, who in the night time,
who by high ordeal, who by common trial,
who in your merry merry month of may,
who by very slow decay,
and who shall I say is calling? Continue reading →
MERCURY REV live at The Bronson Club, Ravenna, Italy 14th November 2015
When the music’s over, life loses meaning.
In the immediate aftermath of the bloodshed in Paris, it was a relief that Mercury Rev decided to go ahead with this show in Ravenna, their only date in Italy.
“The music doesn’t stop. Maybe it’s the only thing we have now” says Jonathan Donahue at the beginning of a luminous concert which briefly makes the horrific events at Le Batacian seem like a fleeting nightmare.
It is a timely reminder that music has the power to excite, inspire and unite. When the news is dominated by death it gives us strength and hope. Continue reading →
The 7″ single Carnival/Canter on the DIY imprint ITLAN based in Edinburgh, Scotland marks the welcome, and long overdue, return of Tissø Lake, the recording project of Ian Humberstone.
Now he’s back and the good news is that the single will be closely followed (on April 14th) by a re-release of ‘The Hollow Wood And Wondrous Cold’ which was recorded in 2005. Unless you live in America and snapped up a copy of this on the now defunct Banazan Records label, the ten tracks on this mini album will also be new to you.
Both records are highly recommended for lovers of quiet, introspective folk music. I love ghostly yet intimate quality of his songs which, to borrow a line from the song I Am A Lake, leaves you with the feeling of being “breathless and alive”.
Ian very kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his song writing and the background to these releases:
How come The Hollow Wood And Wondrous Cold was only released in the U.S and why has it taken 8 years to reach Europe?
Ian Humberstone
The Hollow Wood and Wondrous Cold was recorded when I was still in my teens, making music with whichever instruments fell to my hands, borrowed microphones and a reel-to-reel recorder salvaged from a local sixth-form college (it was headed for the skip, though with some care it’s served me well since). There were few people interested in releasing the album at the time and the best offer came from a U.S. label who wanted exclusive rights to the album. Those rights only recently expired, freeing up the record for re-release.
The two songs on the new single have celebratory titles and the instrumental, Canter, has a joyful, baroque feel. Carnival, however seems more melancholy and reflective. How would you compare the single’s mood to that of The Hollow Wood And Wondrous Cold?
One of Ian’s inspirations!
I wouldn’t say there’s a huge shift between the records, as there are upbeat and more reflective tracks on each. I think the real difference comes from the way the records were recorded, as the single was tracked live as a duo, in-between bottles of Jarl in Edinburgh, while The Hollow Wood was recorded alone over a longer period of time. Perhaps that’s rubbed off on the tracks, as there’s maybe more of a carousing feel to the single while the album is more delicate and focused?
Your songs don’t just seem to be about nature but completely immersed in it. There’s wind, mist, rivers, lakes and woods but the landscape you evoke is largely devoid of people. How do the songs come into being and do you have a misanthropic streak?
I think a lot of the songs are borne of solitude, as inspiration and clarity usually come while out alone in some forgotten corner of the world. If you watch the mist hang over a meadow or stumble upon an abandoned house while walking with a friend, you share the moment and it’s wonderful, but go alone and a creative thread starts to unwind which might find its way to a song. So I wouldn’t say I’m misanthropic, but I certainly value solitude as a creative, productive state. That said, many of the songs are filled with references to people, though these are maybe too oblique to be picked up on by an outside observer.
Three Songs was released under your own name. Is there any particular reason why you still prefer to use the Tissø Lake alias?
Tissø Lake began as a solo project but quickly picked up a lengthy cast of contributors, who would sift in and out of the line-up depending on availability. Robin Spottiswoode was most present of these and we played a few tours together as a twosome. With that in mind, Tissø Lake seemed the right name to release the new 7-inch under as the record recreates the sound of those live sets and Robin’s arrangements are so prominent. I also like the idea of Tissø Lake being left open for the future as a collaborative project, although I think most new releases will be under my own name.
Robin Spottiswoode’s inspired violin playing brings a special dimension to the sound – are they any plans to make a full length album with him?
I’d really like to, he’s a great player and arranger, as well as a good friend. Unfortunately, we’re living at opposite ends of the country just now, so not any time soon, but hopefully, one day.
The single is the first release on the ITLAN label and, like all your work, is on limited edition vinyl. I’m assuming therefore that you are no great fan on MP3s or CDs. I was wondering if you have you any thoughts on Neil Young’s Pono digital audio player?
The Pono player is interesting and I think more competition for iTunes and Spotify can only be a good thing for artists and consumers, and the sound quality argument is also a valid one. I’ve nothing against MP3s or CDs, but I’m interested in the physicality of music on vinyl; there’s the texture and size of the artwork as well as a ritual element to flipping the sides. Music is more of an event on vinyl and I like to interact with objects in the real world as much as I can. Who really wants to look back on a life’s work through a laptop screen?
Is there anything else listeners should know about these releases?
Well, I’m quite proud of the artwork on these. The sleeves were designed using hand-coloured picture postcards found in a secondhand shop, and the labels were created by hand using Letraset transfer lettering. They’re nice looking things.
Neil Young says he’s not an audiophile but his Pono music device is surely destined to get most of the early adoration from discerning hi-fi enthusiasts.
Young’s pledge is that with he is saving a dying art form but lossy music and streaming sites are what most consumers have grown up with and persuading the masses that they need another format and dedicated player is a hard sell.
On top of that, the failure of the Super Audio CD (SACD) does suggest that there is at best only a relatively small market straining at the leash for high-resolution digital audio. Having said that, the huge success of the Kickstarter campaign means that Shakey’s brainchild should not be dismissed out of hand.
If all you want to listen to are ‘classic’ albums by established artists then Pono might be more appealing. But even though I love stuff like Highway 61 Revisited or Dark Side Of The Moon, these are not records I go back to that often. I’d much rather hear something new than go on some nostalgia trip. It remains to be seen how much of Pono’s music store will cater for marginal tastes.
Nevertheless, the video promo for the device does make me curious to hear what all the fuss is about. A series of star names are full of superlatives after having taken a ride in one of Young’s vintage automobiles which is presumably fitted with a state of the art sound system. Though you ought to take what Mumford & Sons say with a pinch of salt, you begin to think there may be something in the Pono to when the likes of Beck, Rick Rubin and Gillian Welch sing its praises.
I don’t for a minute doubt Neil Young’s sincerity but my gut failing tells me that it is a product that has arrived too late in the day. I regard myself as more than a casual listener but even so my musical addiction is already well catered for by web services such as Spotify, Bandcamp or Soundcloud. When on the move I’m happy with my iPod or smart phone and am prepared to accept a poorer sound for the convenience.
The proof of the Pono pudding will be in the hearing but I seriously doubt it will the game changer some are claiming.
As a gift to a friend of mine who is retiring soon, a group of friends and colleagues have been asked to write articles about a poem or song.
When the music’s over, life loses meaning.
