The Best of Morphine 1992-1995
(Rykodisc)
Release Date: 02/18/2003 12:00
Playing what leader Mark Sandman dubbed low rock, Morphine got a lot of sound out of its minimal setup. The guitarless Boston trio left space between its bluesy notes, with Dana Colleys chugging saxes, Billy Conways crisp drums and Sandmansrubbery two-string slide bass making an elegant rumble. Hazy and anxious at the same time, Morphine would have been high-concept mood music except for Sandmans wry hipster crooning, full of sleazy charisma. Candy is a touching portrait of a self-destructive lover, while the itchy Thursday turns adultery into a hilarious comedy of errors. A few rarities, including the hypnotic Pretty Face, compensate for this 16-track sets omission of Morphines two stellar major-label albums. Its a fitting ode to Sandman, who died of a heart attack onstage in 1999 and deserves to be remembered.