The Night (Morphine album)

The Night
Studio album by
Morphine
ReleasedFebruary 1, 2000
Recorded1998–1999
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length50:09
LabelDreamWorks
Producer
Morphine chronology
Like Swimming
(1997) 		The Night
(2000)

The Night is the fifth and final studio album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in 2000 via DreamWorks.[1][2] The album expands the band's sound beyond their usual arrangements of previous albums (bass, saxophone and drums), introducing acoustic guitars, organs, strings and female backing vocals.[3]

The album peaked at No. 137 on the Billboard 200.[4]

Production

Jerome Deupree, the band's original drummer, who had previously quit due to health problems, rejoined and played alongside Billy Conway, according to credits listed in the CD booklet.[5] The Night was thus Morphine's first album recorded as a quartet rather than a trio.[6][7]

The band recorded the album over two years[7] in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, home studio of singer-bassist Mark Sandman.[3][8] Several guest musicians appeared, most of whom were associated with the improvising ensemble Club d'Elf with whom Sandman collaborated occasionally in the late 1990s.[9]

Recording sessions for the album were completed shortly before Sandman's sudden July 1999 death. Sandman and saxophonist Dana Colley oversaw the final mixing process.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Robert Christgau[12]
Des Moines Register[13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
Los Angeles Times[14]
Orlando Sentinel[15]
Pitchfork Media5.7/10[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Spin8/10[18]

The Pitch wrote that "it’s not a romantic exaggeration to say that this album is the trio’s most sensuous, satisfying recording, finally delivering on the diverting-but-two-dimensional original notion of what Sandman termed 'low rock' ... The Night is the first time in ages a posthumous release has made noise from beyond the grave that doesn’t sound like a cash register."[19] Trouser Press wrote that "the tone may be dour due to the singer’s sudden death, but the music is the most fully realized and finely textured Morphine ever mustered."[10] Exclaim! called the album "a slow, grinding burlesque that hovers tentatively between testifying to above and wallowing down below."[20]

Track listing

All songs written by Mark Sandman.

  1. "The Night" – 4:50
  2. "So Many Ways" – 4:01
  3. "Souvenir" – 4:40
  4. "Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer" – 5:44
  5. "Like a Mirror" – 5:26
  6. "A Good Woman Is Hard to Find" – 4:14
  7. "Rope on Fire" – 5:36
  8. "I'm Yours, You're Mine" – 3:46
  9. "The Way We Met" – 2:59
  10. "Slow Numbers" – 3:58
  11. "Take Me with You" – 4:54

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[5]

Morphine

  • Mark Sandman – vocals, 2-string slide bass, acoustic guitar, piano, organ, trombone, tritar
  • Dana Colley – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, piano, backing vocals,
  • Billy Conway – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional musicians

  • Jerome Deupree – drums (1–8, 10, 11)
  • Jane Scarpantoni – cello (1, 7, 11)
  • Mike Rivard – double bass (7, 11)
  • John Medeski – organ (4, 8)
  • Billy Beard – hand drum (7)
  • Brahim Fribgane – oud, frame drum (7)
  • Joseph Kessler – viola (7, 11)
  • Carolyn Kaylor – backing vocals (2, 4)
  • Linda Viens – backing vocals (2, 4)
  • Ramona Clifton – backing vocals (4)
  • Margaret Garrett – backing vocals (5)
  • Tara McManus – backing vocals (5)

Technical

  • Mark Sandman – producer, engineer (Hi-N-Dry)
  • Morphine – producer, art direction
  • Brian Dunton – engineer (Hi-N-Dry)
  • Matthew Ellard – engineer (Hi-N-Dry)
  • Juan Garcia – engineer (Magic Shop)
  • Reto Peter – engineer (Magic Shop)
  • Dave Kay – engineer (Super Sonic)
  • Toby Mountain – mastering
  • Robert Fisher – design

Charts

Chart (2000) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 137

References

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 903.
  2. ^ "Morphine | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. ^ a b "Morphine Widen Sound On Final Album With Guitar, Organ, Strings". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Morphine". Billboard.
  5. ^ a b The Night (CD liner notes). Morphine. DreamWorks. 2000. 0044-50056-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ "Morphine - My part of the puzzle". jeromedeupree.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Morphine on Twitter". Twitter. August 30, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "Sharps & Flats". Salon. February 3, 2000.
  9. ^ https://x.com/clubdelf/status/1176613559448604673
  10. ^ a b "Morphine". Trouser Press. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Prato, Greg. The Night at AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  12. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 28, 2000). "Consumer Guide". Village Voice.
  13. ^ Munson, Kyle (February 10, 2000). "Morphine's Sandman brings listeners a dream". Des Moines Register: D11.
  14. ^ Hochman, Steve (February 6, 2000). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times: 1.
  15. ^ Gettelman, Parry (February 11, 2000). "A NICE SEND-OFF FOR MORPHINE'S SANDMAN". Orlando Sentinel: 9.
  16. ^ Sage Rockermann, Kristin. "Morphine: The Night: Pitchfork review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 23, 2001. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  17. ^ Kot, Greg (March 2, 2000). "Morphine: The Night: Music review". Rolling Stone. No. RS 835. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  18. ^ "Reviews". Spin. Vol. 16, no. 3. March 2000. pp. 147–148.
  19. ^ "MORPHINE". February 24, 2000.
  20. ^ "Morphine The Night". exclaim.ca.
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