rubber soul

MORPHINE- CURE FOR PAIN


Believe it or not, I first heard this band in a car commercial and I believe the song was Buena. So, yeah, I had some familiarity with the band. I always liked Buena so I was looking forward to hearing this album.

And, yeah, basically it follows the same jazz rock style as Buena. Most of the songs don't seem to have quite the same energy as the hit track but they don't quite fall into the morose either. It's a very unique sound that I don't think I've really heard from another artist.

Mark Sandman wrote all the songs on this album and I wonder if he writes about his personal experiences on here. I'm especially curious about Candy. Is this a song about a girlfriend's suicide? When she wants him to go to Candyland with her, does she want him to commit suicide too? In Spite of Me is another track I find a bit depressing.

I think Buena and Candy are probably the standout tracks on this album. I also like the clever ending with Miles Davis' Funeral. Overall, I'd say this is a decent album and I may listen to it again when I get in one of my nineties moods (This was during the period I was listening to WHFS though they never played Morphine for some reason). Anyway, solid album. Shame Sandman would die so young a few years later.


Rating 8/10 (The Word has spoken )

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music_collector

10-4
It looks like I have some catching up to do. Once I put the kids to bed, I'll get the headphones on.

SGR, that was a witty review of my pick. I agree with your take on the Hole cover. It was a bad cover choice. On his first album, he had the decency to cover New Order instead.

Carpe Mortem

DAWNA
This isn't a song, it's just a nice intro. I'll therefore judge it accordingly....
8/10

BUENA
I am a sucker for whatever you'd call this. Tex-Mex inspired? Southern, but not country? I'm not musically educated enough to know the word but I think of Arizona mountains and dry tired winds. Wasn't super into the vocals, would have loved something gravelly here. Nice track though.
7/10

I'M FREE NOW
I liked the bullfrogging. It all certainly called to mind the whole 'morphine' aspect, made me think of those dizzy scenes in Trainspotting.
6/10

ALL WRONG
This one got pretty sexy. Again, I don't know the words for these things!.... but I liked the bubbly wah wah wahhhs.
7/10

CANDY
Found this one really boring.
2/10

A HEAD WITH WINGS
Also boring.
2/10

IN SPITE OF ME
OH, WHISPERING!.... is OK.
5/10

THURSDAY
Ah yes, Buena part two, most excellent.
7.5/10

CURE FOR PAIN
Ok easy listening basically
5/10

MARY WON'T YOU CALL MY NAME?
Super boring
2/10

LET'S TAKE A TRIP TOGETHER
This was really neat, sort of Puscifer-esque. Brought the drugs to the lounge.
6.5/10

SHEILA
This was borderline energetic! More bullfrogging, even some insisting.
6.5/10

MILES DAVIS' FUNERAL
Didn't notice when it started or ended.
2/10

...I'll roll that average up to a 6 because Buena and it's brethren are all really cool songs.

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music_collector

Neverending White Lights - Act II - The Blood and the Life Eternal
Released October 2007.

This album has a little bit of everything.

Great voices? The voices fit the songs perfectly. I love Mat Joly from Mobile. The singers are often allowed to show off their range.

I love the buildup in the songs. The instrumental kicks things off perfectly. Hawksley Workman's performance on the last track leaves me wanting to hear more.

There is a lot of emotion behind the songs. Dove Coloured Sky, The Living, Nothing I Can Save, Bleeds To An End and Black is the Colour of my True Loves Heart are dramatic, emotional songs.

Always has a driving guitar that makes it really catchy.

There is only one track I skip - Miss World. I don't hate Hole. I just think a better cover could have been picked. There is a Hole connection baked into the album, as Melissa Auf De Maur played bass in the band.

I love hearing piano in rock. It's used a lot throughout.

Thanks for listening!

music_collector

By the way, I've never heard this Morphine album. I'm already digging the saxomophone.

music_collector

I'm looking at a couple of albums for my next submission. At this point, it's a coin flip between two discs.

Marie Monday

Trolls it would be nice to have a list of previously discussed albums in the first post, especially for people trying to catch up like me. Is that ok? If so I can add it for you

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Marie Monday

about Maria McKee:
Is this the eighties? Sure sounds like it. So far it's charming but predictable. I like the little organ in the background. She does some kind of yodel at the end, nice. The same charming/predictable verdict applies to the second song, but there is a chord change (in the second half of the verses) which I appreciate. I don't have much to say about the next two songs. Especially the second one is just a bit too dramatic, without other charms for me to distract from that. There is a bit in the chorus of Panic Beach which reminds me of Janis Joplin's Cry Baby so that's nice. I really like the little instrumental bit halfway through (followed by just vocals). All in all my favourite so far. I feel the same about the next song as most of the others: there is some charm to it, but it lacks surprise or a sense of direction for me which makes it hard to keep my attention focused. The bluesy This Property Is Condemned is more engaging thanks to the mean little guitar, which in combination with the restraint of the other instruments invokes tension. I like Breathe too. Not the singing though, but the guitar, and again its juxtaposition with a restrained background. No comment on the next song, but the last one is fun. I love the surprising bit of music around 2:25.
All in all 7/10

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Lisnaholic

Yep, I also felt the club could do with a record of what's been done - that's why I put up a summary a few weeks ago, which I'm now updating here:-


Perhaps some or all of this info could be squeezed into the OP in a spoiler? I'd be happy to keep any stats updated, but of course only TH or Marie could enter the OP to put the stuff there.

And on the topic of keeping things up to date, haven't we missed Marie's nomination (post #389) of Field Music Tones of Town ? It's not in the "Upcoming " list, but then you used the word "may" in your post, Marie, so maybe Trolls doesn't consider that to be a legally-binding nomination. Perhaps you could ask your own lawyers to formally clarify your intention in the matter.

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"Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

Marie Monday

thanks for the list! My nomination still stands, but I've been absent from this thread for so long that it's no wonder if it got snowed under, no worries

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