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Cure For Pain

Morphine are another of the many bands and artists I first heard on the radio - in their case my initial exposure would have been the tracks 'Super Sex' and 'Honey White', ca.  '95 or so, promoting their third album Yes. Did I buy any Morphine albums on cassette? Probably: but not, I think, Cure For Pain, which I believe I've only ever owned on CD. My copy is no longer in its original Rykodisc green-tinted jewel-box, which must have suffered a fatal mishap at some point.

Released in the apparent trough between the crests of the Grunge and Britpop waves, Cure For Pain sounds like it was drawn from some other ocean altogether. That might be partially attributable to singer & bassist Mark Sandman being half a generation older than most of his musical contemporaries. The blend of baritone sax & bass was never going to be to everyone's taste, but I'm among those who like how they kept it all down low.

For all their unique atmosphere, and the excellent songs on them, I tended to feel the band's albums left a little something to be desired & were less than fully satisfying. After Cure For Pain was suggested by the Discogs 'random item' button, I listened to it anew for the first time in at least five years. I loved it, and had to wonder why my prior estimation of the record had been so equivocal. From the menace of 'Buena', via the self-lacerating 'I'm Free Now' through to the cautionary tale that is 'Thursday' and the spaced-out 'Let's Take A Trip Together', it's all good & I won't be waiting so long to play it again.


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