The Night (album)
The Night | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 1, 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1998–1999 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Label | DreamWorks | |||
Producer | ||||
Morphine chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | ![]() |
Des Moines Register | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Orlando Sentinel | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork Media | 5.7/10[7] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 8/10[9] |
The Night is the fifth and final studio album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in 2000 via DreamWorks.[4][10] 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.[11]
The album peaked at No. 137 on the Billboard 200.[12]
Production
[edit]Jerome Deupree, the band's original drummer, who had previously quit due to health problems, rejoined as a guest playing alongside Billy Conway, according to credits listed in the CD booklet,[13] thus making The Night Morphine's first album recorded as a quartet rather than a trio.[14][15] Recording sessions for the album were completed shortly before the sudden July 1999 death of bass player and lead singer Mark Sandman; Conway and saxophonist Dana Colley oversaw the final mixing process.[16] The band spent two years working on the album[15] in Sandman's Cambridge home studio.[11][17]
Critical reception
[edit]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."[18] 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."[16] Exclaim! called the album "a slow, grinding burlesque that hovers tentatively between testifying to above and wallowing down below."[19]
Track listing
[edit]All songs written by Mark Sandman.
- "The Night" – 4:50
- "So Many Ways" – 4:01
- "Souvenir" – 4:40
- "Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer" – 5:44
- "Like a Mirror" – 5:26
- "A Good Woman Is Hard to Find" – 4:14
- "Rope on Fire" – 5:36
- "I'm Yours, You're Mine" – 3:46
- "The Way We Met" – 2:59
- "Slow Numbers" – 3:58
- "Take Me with You" – 4:54
Personnel
[edit]Adapted from the album liner notes.[13]
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
[edit]Chart (2000) | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200 | 137 |
References
[edit]- ^ Prato, Greg. The Night at AllMusic. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000-03-28). "Consumer Guide". Village Voice.
- ^ Munson, Kyle (10 Feb 2000). "Morphine's Sandman brings listeners a dream". Des Moines Register: D11.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 903.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (6 Feb 2000). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times: 1.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (11 Feb 2000). "A NICE SEND-OFF FOR MORPHINE'S SANDMAN". Orlando Sentinel: 9.
- ^ Sage Rockermann, Kristin. "Morphine: The Night: Pitchfork review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 23, 2001. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Reviews". Spin. 16 (3): 147–148. Mar 2000.
- ^ "Morphine | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Morphine Widen Sound On Final Album With Guitar, Organ, Strings". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Morphine". Billboard.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Morphine - My part of the puzzle". jeromedeupree.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Morphine on Twitter". Twitter. August 30, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ a b "Morphine". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Sharps & Flats". Salon. February 3, 2000.
- ^ "MORPHINE". February 24, 2000.
- ^ "Morphine The Night". exclaim.ca.