One of the pleasures of watching and writing about new
releases is being exposed to new things. New music in particular. While I
listen to almost everything, there are moments I have discovered new bands
while watching movies that I wasn’t aware of. Morphine can be included in that
list. Learning their story it saddened me to know that I came across them this
late.
The movie tells their story from start to finish. The leader
of the band was Mark Sandman, a guitarist/singer in several bands in the Boston
music scene of the late 80s/early 90s. As various bands were forming and
breaking up with him in it, he came across the sound he was looking for.
Playing a two string guitar with a slide and joining up with drummer Jerome Deupree
and saxophonist Dana Colley, Sandman created the band Morphine.
The sound of Morphine has been defined as a combination of
jazz and blues mixed with a bit of rock to form a singular sound all their own.
Described by the band as “low rock” it is amazing to listen to. The movie
provides plenty of opportunity to do that. A combination of performance footage
mixed with music videos gives us that. The narrative of their story is told in
their own words via interviews with all band members, including Billy Conway
who took over for Deupree when he became ill.
The movie also talks to numerous people who were involved in
the band behind the scenes as well. Their road tech, Sandman’s girlfriend
Sabine, their manager and various artists from Henry Rollins to Joe Strummer are
interviewed. All of it comes together to show the band in their early stages
through to their final performance.
For me what made the movie even better was that it wasn’t a
film about the overindulgences of a band. Most documentaries of bands tend to
focus on their usage of drugs, personal disputes within the band or fights
among the hangers on that erupt in problems for the band itself. In the case of
Morphine, with one small exception, there is none of that. It seems all was
swell and peaceful in the band at all times.
The movie talks about their success critically and of one
album that seemed to be ready to catapult them to mainstream success as well.
But for one reason or another it never happened. There were no major hit
singles that took them from college radio to mainstream airplay. And yet anyone
who saw them perform live loved them.
SPOILER ALERT!
Eventually we learn of what became of the band and that
leads the viewer new to their music down a sad path. At a concert in Italy all
was going well. The music festival was running on all gears, the band being
loved by the crowd when Sandman collapsed on stage. Rushed to the hospital he
died of a massive heart attack. To learn this just as you discover their music
is disturbing.
The one good thing to note is that the music lives on. The
recordings are still out there to be enjoyed. The other band members got
together for various tribute tours and concerts and still play music. And with
this movie more people will be exposed to that music as well. A better legacy
could not be expected. Find this movie and watch it. And when it’s over find
the music as well. I know that’s my plan.
Click here to order.
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