81. Morphine - Cure for Pain (1993)
Genre: Alternative
Dawna
Buena
I'm Free Now
All Wrong
Candy
A Head With Wings
In Spite of Me
Thursday
Cure For Pain
Mary Won't You Call My Name
Let's Take a Trip Together
Shelia
Mile Davis' Funeral
The '90's will best be remembered for grunge, Rodney King, the dot com boom, and Napster. Sadly, Morphine will live on in the memories of the fans, finding new fans every year, but never receiving the praise and attention the band truly deserved. Overshadowed by mainstream releases like
Siamese Dreams and
In Utero, the album failed to garnish the same sales as the more popular releases in '93, yet it did capture a small, but loyal fanbase.
One of the best things about Morphine is just how unique they are. They get lumped in with all the other alternative rock bands of the '90's, yet their music was largely bass and horn driven. Not exactly the type of music you would expect to hear from an alternative rock band. Even then their music is incredibly varied, some songs have more of a jazz influence and others have a real driven feeling behind it, with the horns taking place of where the guitar should be, thus giving it that "rock" sound.
I've found the best way to listen to the album is at night, with dimmed lights, and with nothing else distracting you from the music. It really is one of the albums that is relaxing, yet still captivating enough to demand your full attention. Whether it's Mark Sandman (RIP) loose bass playing and melancholic vocals, Dana Colley's ripping horn parts, or Jerome Deupree's reliable drumming, the album has something for anyone interested in unique music.