Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is the second solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan, released on January 18, 1994. The album builds upon the roots music foundation that Lanegan had established with his debut The Winding Sheet.
The recording was reportedly a frustrating affair for Lanegan; at one point the singer had to be physically prevented from throwing the master tapes into a river by producer Jack Endino. In his 2017 book I Am the Wolf: Lyrics and Writings, the singer recalls:
From the time I began writing the songs until the record was done, Screaming Trees also wrote and recorded an album and did much touring, so I was compelled to work on my own record in the off-time. A week here, a month there – and what I had originally intended to be a quick recording experience stretched out over four years. Many different musicians, engineers, producers, and studios were burned through, and my behavior became erratic, not easy to deal with as I continually rewrote, re-recorded, and mixed tunes according to an internal, chemically cracked sensibility that sometimes verged on paranoia.
Dan Peters of Mudhoney plays drums on Borracho and House A Home. House A Home was released as a single with an accompanying video. The River Rise was used in the 1996 grunge documentary Hype!, where it accompanied a montage filmed at the vigil following Kurt Cobain‘s death.
Tracklist:
- The River Rise
- Borracho
- House a Home
- Kingdoms of Rain
- Carnival
- Riding the Nightingale
- El Sol
- Dead on You
- Shooting Gallery
- Sunrise
- Pendulum
- Judas Touch
- Beggar’s Blues
Credits
Mark Lanegan: vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
Mike Johnson: bass, acoustic, electric and slide guitars, organ, piano, harmonica, backing vocals
Frank Cody: piano, organ
Ted Trewhella: piano
Justin Williams: organ
Kurt Fedora: bass
Phil Sparks: bowed and upright bass
Dave Kreuger: violin
Mike Stinette: saxophone
Tad Doyle, J Mascis, Dan Peters, Mark Pickerel: drums
Krisha Augerot, Sally Barry: backing vocals
Production
Produced by Mark Lanegan and Mike Johnson
Recorded by John Agnello, Terry Date, Ed Brooks and Jack Endino
Mixed by John Agnello
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
Mark Lanegan (November 25, 1964 February 22, 2022).
