Morphine
albums
lead singer, invented; a baritone sax, more low instrumentation; and the drums of course. No electric guitars
here, folks. Most people would not give this band a chance, saying "oh they are different, but they are not
good" or "all their songs sound the same". To them I say this: Morphine are one of the greatest bands ever,
and all you have to do is listen. They have created a whole new sound, based on the swing of the 40's and 50's
combined with the best moody singer songwriters and crooners of the 20th century (Cohen, Waits, Cave, even
Presley) and actually DONE something with it, and write great songs with a jazzy feel yeah, but they still rock in
their own way. This music is still you know, verse chorus verse, all that stuff, it is only different in the fact that
there is no electric guitar (sax takes its place). The songs are way above average, but because they are so low
key, no one takes them seriously. I urge the serious music listener to check out at least their first four albums,
because they are all great.
Band Members - Mark Sandman - Bass; Vocals
Dana Colley - Saxophone
Bill Conway - Drums
Jerry Dupree - Drums (only on Good)
Best Album - Good
Biggest Influences - Jack Kerouac, Nick Cave, countless bebop and jazz bands
1992
Good - 9/8
Good is an album of moody, often depressing music. That said, this is easily one of the greatest rock
debut albums ever, and there is no way it will not stand the test of time. It helps that Mark Sandman has one
of the most original kind of vocal styles and lyrics, that are often sad but also, life affirming which is
something most bands lack. Take samples of "Test Tube Baby", my biggest fear is if I let you go, you'll come
and get me in my sleep", "treat me wrong honey i don't mind, you never liked me much anyways", and my
favorite, "in a world gone to hell where nobody is safe, do not go quietly unto your grave". This album is
incredibly consistent; perfect actually. The only place it slows down is "You Look Like Rain", but even that
one grows on ya. The sax lines are simply genius, and they add texture in melodic ways you have never
heard before in songs like "Claire", "Have a Lucky Day", "You Speak my Language", and "Test Tube
Baby/Shoot em Down". The sax and odd bass add a sullen mood to songs like "The Other Side", "Good",
"The Saddest Song" and one of the greatest instrumentals ever, "I Know you Part One". What a climax in
that song! Simply astonishing album, every song is a treasure (once you get use to it, trust me it grows on
you), and I am glad I found this record because I don't know how I would live without it. - Trevor e.y.
1.good- 4
2.the saddest song- 4
3.claire- 4
4.have a lucky day- 4
5.you speak my language- 4
6.you look like rain- 3
7.do not go quietly unto your grave- 4*
8.lisa- gf
9.the only one- 4
10.test tube baby/shoot 'm down- 4
11.the other side- 4
12.i know you part I- 4*
13.i know you part II- 4
1993
Cure for Pain - 8/8
An immediate thing strikes the listener by the second song on Cure for Pain, it is louder than the last
record! To most people louder is better, which is not necessarily true, but it is a neat direction to take the
Morphine sound. Songs like "Buena", "Sheila", and "A Head with Wings", rock like hell, and it is great. Other
times, "I'm Free Now", "Cure for Pain", and "Candy" are still very melodic and tricky with words, but more in
the vain of Good than this new rocking sound. But this album combines the two styles in a great and
accessible way, making it the album for neophytes to get first. Sometimes the songs try to hard to be soft
and different, resulting in "In Spite of Me" and "Let's Take a Trip Together", the only two mild trip ups, but
they are not even that bad, just kind of lose momentum for the album as a whole. They have their uses
though. Random highlights include the verses of "Mary Won't you call my Name", the sax solo in "a Head
with Wings", the hilarious story of "Thursday", and of course the intro to "Buena". My favorite Morphine song
is "Candy" by the way, it just nails the whole Morphine experience for me. Oh, i almost forgot to mention the
opener and closer, two short songs that add to the album in subtle ways. So, the first two Morphine albums,
both awesome and indispensable. Masterpieces of mood and originally, they will not age or be dated in any
way. They will forever hold up as example of what rock albums can be, like the band itself. They truly
transport you to a different world. - Trevor e.y.
1.dawna- gf
2.buena- 4
3.i’m free now- 4
4.all wrong- 4
5.candy- 4*
6.a head with wings- 4
7.in spite of me- 3
8.thursday- 4
9.cure for pain- 4
10.mary won’t you call my name- 4
11.let’s take a trip together- 3
12.sheila- 3
13.miles davis funeral- gf
1995
Yes - 7/8
To call a song a "traditional" song for that band is not a bad thing, especially for a band as good as
Morphine. Half the songs on Yes are traditional Morphine songs, but give me those great songs over most
any day! "Honey White", "I Had my Chance", "Super Sex", "Yes", "Scratch" and "All your Way" are these
songs. Great great greatness all the way. How the band changes it sound for this record is by actually
getting experimental, and i mean almost avant-garde for some of this. Not just more rocking like Cure for
Pain was, Yes is often weird for the sake of being weird towards the end. Most of it works, "Free Love" has
like quadruple overdubbed saxophones that sound like a trip to hell; "Radar" has parts where Sandman
stops the music to make some random points; and "Gone for Good" is an acoustic ballad form the none-
guitar band! Two songs kind of fall flat on their collective face: "The Jury" is horrid, Sandman rants some
things don't really make sense while the band plays a song very softly in the background and it is not
memorable at all; "Sharks" is the fastest song on here that sounds like traditional jazz, and the singer stops
the song like on "Radar" to say some stuff, but it does not work as well here. Some will say it is Morphine's
best record, which I don't agree with because it is a little inconsistent. At least they tried though, and yeah
that wouldn't matter if the music sucked, but I think after many listens, the album is still great and
recommended. - Trevor e.y.
1.honey white- 4
2.scratch- 4
3.radar- 3
4.whisper- 4
5.yes- 4
6.all your way- 4
7.super sex- 4
8.i had my chance- 4
9.the jury- 1
10.sharks- 2
11.free love- 4
12.gone for good- 3
1997
Like Swimming - 8/8
This album gets a lot of slack, and I think that is because this is one of the first albums not to change; it
is just everything the band has done to this point and kind of re-does it. That does not mean it is weak
though, people often get it confused. I would not get this first or anything, but once you absorb any of the
first three records, I think a person would enjoy this just as well. No innovation, just great songs. No one can
tell me song like "I Know you Part 3", "French Fries with Pepper", "Empty Box" and "Hanging on a Curtain"
are not among the best songs Morphine has done. They are, and this album is pretty dang consistent;
"Potion" stars it off to a rocking beat, "Wishing Well" and "Like Swimming" are moody and drifty (though the
former is a better song I will admit), "Early to Bed" and "Swing it Low" show that the band has not completely
abandoned experimentation, and they are still good at it! "Murder for the Money" is the only song I'd call bad
on here, it just tries to hard to be useful and kind of fails, it has nothing to add to music. This is a great,
great album, and I would call it a masterpiece, why not? I enjoy everything but one song. Morphine is a band
that never got stale in their too short lifetime, despite what you might hear. The music on here is insightful,
funny, touching even! What more does someone want? Not every album is a milestone, some just contain
great songs. Worth owning for sure. - Trevor e.y.
1.lilah- gf
2.potion- 4
3.i know you part III- 4
4.early to bed- 4
5.wishing well- 3
6.like swimming- 4
7.murder for the money- 2
8.french fries with pepper- 4
9.empty box- 4
10.eleven o clock- 3
11.hanging on a curtain- 4
12.swing it low- 4
2000
The Night - 5/8
The best songs on Morphine's final album sound like the title. Dark, moody, atmospheric, Night
sounding songs work here. The ones that are rocking or experimental do not work at all, and sound
contrived. This might have something to do with Sandman's death in 1999; the front man actually died of a
heart attack on stage. A tragedy indeed. Whether this affected The Night or not is almost impossible to tell.
Did Sandman have the album finished before he died? Most say he did, and that this was his "final gift to the
world". Well, all I know is it sounds unfinished, and half of these songs are not up to Morphine standards,
which is odd, considering the first four albums are nothing but greatness. Take the second song "So Many
Ways", does this song have a melody? An idea at all? No, it just kind of rocks along with a moderate tempo.
The same can be said for "Rope on Fire", "Slow Numbers", and "Like a Mirror", which try to be either middle
eastern or add a woman's touch, and neither work. "The Way we Met" is a horrible song, and the worst song
Morphine have done on a record, it is like "Sharks" on Yes, but worse! Given these songs, the album would
come off as disappointing, but luckily there are some numbers to redeem it.
The opener "The Night" and "A Good Woman is Hard to Find" are good songs, but they pale in
comparison to the four great songs contained on here. "Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer" is a new Sandman story
that ranks up there with his best if you know what I mean; "Souvenir" is a song drenched in emotion and
gloom, but at the same time radiates with power when Sandman whispers 'souvenir of nothing'; "I'm Yours,
Your Mine" has one of the best bari sax openings of any song, and you just know it is going to be good from
the start. Last but is best, "Take Me with You when You Go" has a deeper meaning added now that
Sandman is dead; the song is one of the best closers to a career a band has done though, truly something
one needs to hear before they too, die. Well, this is a grim review! In all seriousness though, a songwriter
cannot totally die because his songs will always be with us. A band like Morphine cannot be forgotten
because the music is so good. So their reputation will increase as long as people like good music, which
means forever. The Night may be the bands weakest album, but hey, if you love the first four or just wanna
hear a couple of for sure great songs, it is still worth owning. - Trevor e.y.
1.the night- 3
2.so many ways- 2
3.souvenir- 4
4.top floor, bottom buzzer- 4
5.like a mirror- 2
6.a good woman is hard to find- 3
7.rope on fire- 2
8.i'm yours, your mine- 4
9.the way we met- 1
10.slow numbers- 2
11.take me with you- 4
1997
B sides and Otherwise - 4/8
It's a nice fact that Morphine used their good songs on their albums. B Sides and Otherwise comes off
as the 'left over songs', and good lord, that is what they sound like! Most of the songs are passable, but
some are downright awful, like "Down Love's Tributaries", "Mail" and "My Brain". Those songs show off the
worst of the band, and everything about them makes you glad they are not on the studio records. There is
exactly one great song here, "Pulled Over Car", is a classic Morphine rocker. The first three songs on here
are live versions of songs off of Good and Cure for Pain, but they are all three inferior to their studio
counterparts. This is an example of why most bands shouldn't bother releasing b-sides. If you can find
"Pulled Over Car" somewhere else, I'd recommend doing so, this b-sides should not be heard. - Trevor e.y.
1.have a lucky day- 3
2.all wrong- 3
3.i know you- 3
4.bo's veranda- 2
5.mile high- 2
6.shame- 2
7.down love's tributaries- 1
8.kerouac- 2
9.puller over car- 4
10.sundayafternoonweightlessness- 2
11.mail- 1
12.my brain- 1
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