Morphine (2) – The Night

How has MOV not pressed the Morphone catalog on vinyl yet? This album in particular would sell like hotcakes.

This is the first Morphine album as a quartet instead of a trio, with the sessions for this outing having been laid down just prior to the untimely death of Mark Sandman.

While I’ve been picking and choosing the songs that ride best in my back pocket since day one, it was no surprise to me that there was again, simply only one of those hushed romantic film-nori tracks, “Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer.” There are those who are going to try and tell you (perhaps instruct you) that Morphine was on the cusp of a supreme change when Mark Sandman died, though I’d suggest that’s wishful thinking, as this album is not that much different than the previous. Consider this, at the time of its release, The Night stood at the crossroad for alternative and indie rock music, bands such as the Eels, Soul Coughing and even Beck were making inroads, meaning Morphine was not that unusual in the broader scope of things, yet within their small circle, they were sort of a one off, which means a band in their shoes needed to develop a consistent theme or recognizable musical style that would be instantly understood. Sadly for me, the band chose their more jazz induced meanderings, making them anti-rock bohemians, perhaps even iconoclasts, to the point where listeners were not treated to anything they could hang their hat on, anything they could remember … though yes, the music snobs had certainly found something they could embrace, and they did so with a vengeance.

In so doing, The Night did not allow Morphine to become a household name, anymore than Nick Cave is, though he too has a devoted following for whom he can do no wrong, though even here, for those who’ve followed every jazz induced step, The Night was of low impact and entirely muted. Again, those die-hard fans will certainly insist that the album is laced with depth and character, that the record is nothing short of transformative, though I found it to be an awakening of emotion spurred on by sonically muted tonalities that nearly insisted on lulling me into a narcotic haze of confusion. I resist going back to numbers such as “You Look Like Rain,” “Have A Lucky Day,” or the amazingly haunting and delicious “Pull Over The Car,” songs that were at the heart of whom Morphine was, songs that gave Morphine that special character, songs that made listeners sit back with a sly smile of intuitive understanding … songs that became increasingly rare with each passing album, so rare that by now, Morphine had almost nothing to offer that other jazz/indie rock bands couldn’t do better, and that indeed made me sad.

I always hoped for more of that ambiance music Morphine embodied, those witty ironic and satisfyingly entertaining songs, where that two string bass stood stark against a brick wall in the moonlight, where that baritone saxophone could actually cause rain, where the drumming held in check those melodic stories delivered so deeply and matter of factly, in a voice that exists only in the sparse banter of black & white Hollywood Sam Spade movies from a bygone age … but that will never be, leaving me more than happy with the sixteen songs I’ve collected from their catalog that reside as overheard conversations, songs that will keep me smiling for the rest of my life.

Review by Jenell Kesler

A well mastered black vinyl edition of "The Night" and "Like Swimming" ASAP.

"The Night" and "Like Swimming" are my two favorite Morphine albums and neither of them are on Vinyl, it's a shame...

Yep, I’ll sign the petition. Someone put this on vinyl, please!

If you're reading this and somehow have the ability to put the comments here in front of the right people, please get this pressed. I can't think of a more vinyl-worthy album.

Make it on vinyl already! This is a masterpiece. If there is a petition needed lets make one

Amazing album, my favourite Morphine - I have rarely managed to listen to "Slow Numbers" less than 3 times in a row! Vinyl pleeeeeease!!

Such a marvelous record, full of rich compositions from Mark Sandman and embellished perfectly by the band.

This REALLY needs a well-mastered LP release.

Someone needs to press this please just take my money