Mark Lanegan – ‘Bubblegum XX’ – Out Now
MARK LANEGAN
BUBBLEGUM XX
20th ANNIVERSARY SET RELEASED TODAY – FEATURING 12 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS INCLUDING NEWLY RECORDED DUET VOCAL WITH BECK
Listen to “Union Tombstone” featuring Beck
‘Reissue of the Month’ – 8/10 – UNCUT
4/5 – MOJO
5/5 – Record Collector
9/10 – Classic Rock
Today, 23 August, sees the release of Bubblegum XX, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Mark Lanegan’s classic 2004 album Bubblegum. The Bubblegum XXset is a deep dive into one of Mark Lanegan’s most iconic works, offering an expanded and immersive experience of his masterpiece Bubblegum. This collection goes beyond the album’s initial dark and chaotic energy, unearthing rare and unreleased tracks, alternative takes that showcase Lanegan at his most compelling. This box set is not just a reissue; it’s an exploration of the depths of Lanegan’s artistry, offering fans both old and new a chance to immerse themselves in the haunting world he created.
“Union Tombstone” is a full-band outtake, and Beck’s vocals were added this year. Mark was a fan of Beck’s albums One Foot in The Grave, Sea Change, and Mutations. The track was written and recorded with him in mind for a vocal duet. Their schedules didn’t align at the time, but when plans were being made for Bubblegum XX, Executive producer Brian Klein, who was Mark’s manager during the recording of Bubblegum, was able to locate the session files and approached Beck to see if they could finally make it happen. The final result is exactly how Mark intended it to be and was mixed by longtime Lanegan collaborator Soulsavers.
Mark Lanegan was one of the rawest voices we ever had, a true master of crafting songs that cut deep. His work was brutally honest, soaked in shadow, and laced with a kind of fierce beauty. “Bubblegum” stands as a chaotic, dark masterpiece, a testament to the depths he could reach. As Josh Homme notes, “Mark’s early solo works are undeniably powerful. They’re sombre, fragile, breath-taking, beautiful and they’re more real than everyone else’s.”
Two releases are available today. A remastered double LP edition of the original album and a 4XLP/3XCD/Digital release containing 40 remastered tracks, 12 of which are previously unreleased.
The demos and unreleased tracks include seven outtakes from the Bubblegum sessions, and six tracks recorded, produced and mixed by Troy Van Leeuwen in various hotel rooms with Mark singing and Troy playing all the instruments. The additional content provides a glimpse into the creative process behind the album. From early demos to rare B-sides, this set captures the full scope of Lanegan’s vision during this pivotal period.
The limited-edition Bubblegum XX 4XLP box also contains a 64-page hardcover book with essays by Troy Van Leeuwen, Josh Homme, Chris Goss, Alain Johannes, David Catching, Greg Dulli, Duff McKagan, and Brett Netson along with studio notes and previously unseen photographs by Steve Gullick. Also available on CD + digitally, it includes Bubblegum XX, which has been cut as a double LP and remastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, a remastered edition of Here Comes That Weird Chill (Methamphetamine Blues, Extras & Oddities) to which three bonus tracks have been added, and a 4th LP containing demos and unreleased tracks. Together, these works solidified Lanegan’s reputation as a singular force in music—a songwriter unafraid to delve into the shadows, capturing the pain, chaos, and beauty of life with a voice that was as powerful as it was haunting. These releases capture Mark at a creative peak, producing some of the most intense and haunting music of his career. During this period, he fully embraced his role as a solo artist, stepping out from his work with Screaming Trees and various collaborations to craft deeply personal, often unsettling music. Bubblegum XX is a fitting tribute to an album that has left a lasting mark on alternative rock.
Bubblegum is an album that plunges deep into the shadows, capturing the essence of a man who lived on the edge. Released in 2004, it’s a gritty, visceral work that fuses rock, blues, and punk with a haunting intensity. The album is a chaotic blend of raw emotion and dark narratives, with Lanegan’s gravelly voice delivering lyrics that feel like confessions torn from the soul. From the brooding “When Your Number Isn’t Up” to the searing “Methamphetamine Blues,” Bubblegum is both a descent into darkness and a testament to Lanegan’s uncompromising artistry. It’s a record that doesn’t just play – it haunts, leaving an indelible mark long after the last note fades.
https://marklanegan.ffm.to/bubblegumxx
“It was a profound time in Mark’s life. The upward pull of energy that seemed to surround the Bubblegum sessions, shone a light around us who bore witness.”
-DUFF MCKAGAN
“This is one of the greats from one of the greatest.”
– GREG DULLI
“Mark is one of the greatest singers of all time and I’m so very fortunate to have been included on Bubblegum alongside him and his family of supremely gifted musicians.”
-DAVID CATCHING
“the most wicked, haunting and deeply festering recordings that burn in some kind of sub-level trauma. Beautiful and violent. Profound sorrow and joyfully icefucking-cold.”
-BRETT NETSON
“A mix of first-person narrative, potent metaphor and flash-card imagery, against a backdrop of haunted blues, charged alt.rock, country and grunge, flecked with psychedelia.”
UNCUT, REISSUE OF THE MONTH 8/10
Bubblegum XX track listings
BUBBLEGUM XX – 2XLP
A1. When Your Number Isn’t Up
A2. Hit The City (w/PJ Harvey)
A3. Wedding Dress
A4. Methamphetamine Blues
B1. One Hundred Days
B2. Bombed
B3. Strange Religion
B4. Sideways In Reverse
C1. Come to Me (w/PJ Harvey)
C2. Like Little Willie John
C3. Can’t Come Down
D1. Morning Glory Wine
D2. Head
D3. Driving Death Valley Blues
D4. Out of Nowhere
HERE COMES THAT WEIRD CHILL (METHAMPHETAMINE BLUES, EXTRAS & ODDITIES) – 1XLP
A1. Methamphetamine Blues
A2. On The steps of the Cathedral
A3. Clear Spot
A4. Message to Mine
A5. Lexington Slow Down
A6. Skeletal History
B1. Wish You Well
B2. Sleep With Me
B3. Sleep With Me – Version…
Bonus Tracks
B4. Sympathy (previously only available on the Has God Seen My Shadow Anthology)
B5. Mirrored (B-side from Hit The City Single)
B6. Mud Pink Skag (B-side from Hit The City Single)
DEMOS & UNRELEASED SONGS – 1XLP
A1. Heard a Train %
A2. Union Tombstone feat. Beck %
A3. Josephine %
A4. Kingdom %
A5. Soldier %
A6. Little Willie John % (Alternate version of Like Little Willie John)
A7. Blood (Crackers & Honey) %
B1. You Wild Colorado # (Johnny Cash cover)
B2. Revolver # ( original demo, of song eventually used on Mark + Isobel Campbell’s Ballad Of The Broken Seas – the only track he wrote for that album))
B3. Leaving New River Blues # (previously only available on the Has God Seen My Shadow Anthology as Heaven Is Dry)
B4. St. James Infirmary # (cover)
B5. Willie John # (Alternate version of Like Little Willie John)
B6. Pure Religion # (Alternate version of Strange Religion)
% outtake
# Troy Van Leeuwen Hotel session