| Peter Murphy — Lion (2014) |
Peter Murphy — Lion
Θ Hear the full album as the Bauhaus icon reflects on his career as a pin-up monster. Former Bauhaus singer has had an eclectic and productive solo career.
Birth name: Peter John Joseph Murphy
Born: July 11, 1957 in Northampton, England
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, melodica
Location: Northampton, England
Album release: June 2 (UK)/03 (US), 2014
Record Label: Loma Vista/Nettwerk
Duration: 56:15
Tracks:
01 Hang Up 5:45
02 I Am My Own Name 5:47
03 Low Tar Stars 4:13
04 I'm on Your Side 5:30
05 Compression 6:12
06 Holy Clown 4:14
07 The Rose 3:36
08 The Ghost of Shokan Lake 6:28
09 Eliza 3:23
10 Loctaine 6:25
11 Lion 4:42
℗ 2014 Peter Murphy Under Exclusive License To Nettwerk Productions
Credits:
Θ Eddie Banda Drums, Engineer, Keyboards, Mixing, Mixing Engineer, Programming
Θ Martin Destroyer Guitar
Θ Emilio Dizefalo Violin
Θ Martin Glover Composer
Θ Peter Murphy Composer, Lyricist, Vocals
Θ Michael Rendall Engineer, Keyboards, Mastering, Mixing Engineer, Programming
Θ Pavan Sharda Guitar
Θ Cihan Ünalan Artwork, Cover Photo
Θ Dave Waplington Layout Design
Θ Martin “Youth” Glover Producer
Background:
Θ The album is a product of sessions with Youth, with whom Murphy got together "just to see how it went." Murphy described the album as "a mixture of stuff, almost like operas for the dispossessed" and "romantic and very deep and emotional, quite symphonic in places." He also further stated:
Θ "It's a mixture of 'The White Album,' which goes into 'Helter Skelter,' and kind of 'I Am the Walrus' type of arrangement stuff. It's a lot — kind of like, 'Who is that person? How can he imagine he can do all that?' I just think I'm out of place, really. I'm like Bowie, Iggy, Frank Sinatra, Elvis all rolled into one, and it's kind of like, 'What planet did he come from?"
Θ The album was recorded in a rapid manner, with songs improvised. Murphy wondered if he would be able to replicate the performances while on tour:
Θ "The songs are all in a high register — so now I have to learn to sing that way. I keep asking, 'My God, how did I get that high? How do I get that high again, and how do I sustain it for an hour?'"
REVIEW
By Rob Sheffield
May 29, 2014 9:00 AM ET
Θ Peter Murphy has been a pin-up monster for the goth nation for almost 40 years now, ever since he croaked “the bats have left the bell tower” with Bauhaus, on their classic 1979 debut single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” Bauhaus were a band of pasty art students from Northampton, England, mixing up Bowie, punk, Catholic angst and horror flicks into creepshows like “Dark Entries” and “God in an Alcove.” Now goth elder Murphy is up to his old tricks on Lion, his tenth solo album.
Θ Although Bauhaus broke up in 1983, their spell lingers on, especially for people who never wear non-black. They reunited in the 2000s, playing a Coachella gig where Murphy made his grand entrance hanging upside down like a bat. As Murphy says, “It was a band that didn’t have a lot of musical knowledge, so we were learning on our feet. Kevin [Haskins] was a trained jazz drummer, but Danny [Ash] would play guitar parts that were unusual, almost atonal, making an orchestral sound out of very little.”
Θ Generations of fans discovered them in the opening scene of the 1982 David Bowie vampire movie The Hunger, where Murphy wails “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” as Bowie and Catherine Denueve prowl a New York goth club for fresh blood. “I think that helped the band a lot,” Murphy says. “But it seemed to cement a kind of culture that was not what we were all about. It became a bit of a ball and chain around our necks.”
Θ Ball and chain or not, he spent 2013 on the road with his “35 Years of Bauhaus” tour, doing the catalog without the rest of the band. “There is an audience out there who want to hear it,” he says. “But I think that’s exhausted now. For us all, really. I don’t think any of us truly want to play a whole set of that music again.”
Θ The past couple of years have been eventful for Murphy. In March 2013 he was arrested in Los Angeles after an alleged DUI hit-and-run; he pleaded guilty to methamphetamine possession and was sentenced to three years’ probation. Lion, produced by Killing Joke bassist Martin “Youth” Glover, came together under rushed circumstances. “It was a very fast process,” Murphy admits. “It’s mostly due to the producer. I had nothing on the table except a sketch or two. So the producer, to coin a phrase, pushed me off the edge of the hill and I had to fly.”
Θ Having put the album together so quickly, now the challenge for Murphy is learning to perform the songs live. “It was all improvised on the spot and I’m still learning what I did,” Murphy says. “I’m practicing my head off at the moment. The songs are all in a high register — so now I have to learn to sing that way. I keep asking, ‘My God, how did I get that high? How do I get that high again, and how do I sustain it for an hour?’”
Fortaken: http://www.rollingstone.com/
Website: http://www.petermurphy.info/
MySpace: https://myspace.com/officialpetermurphyspace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/petermurphyinfo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petermurphyinfo
_______________________________________________________________
INTERVIEW
Q&A
The Goth Father: Peter Murphy Talks About Working To Forget The Past
May 28, 2014 | By MICHAEL HAMAD, , CTNOW
Θ For a few synth-heavy seconds into "Hang Up," the first track on Peter Murphy's new album, "Lion," it's unclear what kind of creepy, haunted house you're walking into. But when the chorus rolls around — with Murphy yelling "Hagia Sophia," which means something like "Holy Wisdom" — you're communing with the Godfather of Goth, on his terms. The rest of the ex-Bauhaus singer's tenth solo album, which was produced under feverish working conditions by Youth (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney), is similarly exhilarating: industrial squeals compete for space with acoustic pianos and dance-hall drums, while Murphy exorcises demons on "I Am My Own Name" (he channels David Bowie when he growls, "No thin pixie / white and drawn") or the and the slow-drip "Loctaine."
Θ Murphy plays the Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden on June 11, with Ringo Deathstarr opening. CTNow asked him about the recording of "Lion," and a few other topics.
CTNow: "Hang Up," the first single from your upcoming album "Lion," came out in April, and it's pretty damn great. The music, lyrics and production are so powerful. What can you tell us about writing that song and how it took shape in the studio?
Peter Murphy: As for most or all of the songs on "Lion," the process was intuitive and fast and driven musically by Youth, my producer, with him driving me to create on the spot.
CTNow: The video is similarly incredible. I never knew kids washing their faces and brushing their teeth could be so spooky. Did you have a lot of input as it was being put together? Where does the footage come from?
PM: This is a record company commissioned piece that I was happy to allow Justin Coloma (the director) to improvise to create nonspecific imagery preferring to let the song speak for itself as much as possible.
CTNow: In May 2013, you told Billboard that you initially approached producer Martin Glover (aka Youth), an old friend of yours, just to see what would happen, and you ended up recording the bulk of "Lion" in under a week. Did you return to the studio after that? How close is the finished product to what you did together during that first week of recording?
PM: Yes, the first week sessions were as prolific as to have given us some nine or so songs. Since I was on tour, I returned to Youth's Spanish studio to complete another five. Youth is responsible for completing the work in my absence.
CTNow: This will be your 10th solo album. During the process, did that milestone mean anything to you? Did it up the stakes, in a way?
PM: Any new album is a blank page that needs a fresh reinvention, and if you let it, this can get in the way and cause blocks. I work on forgetting what has gone so as not to let this happen.
CTNow: On tour, what do you like to do when you arrive in a new town, assuming there's time to do anything?
PM: On such hard schedules as I have been taking on there is as you say little free time from arrival to sound check and the preparation for the show and show itself. If I can, I will take a walk and take in the local scenery and find good local restaurants with a band mate.
Θ PETER MURPHY performs on Wednesday, June 11, at the Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden, with Ringo Deathstarr opening. Showtime is 9 p.m. Tickets are $20-$100. Information: http://www.theouterspace.net/
Fortaken: http://articles.courant.com/
_______________________________________________________________
| Peter Murphy — Lion (2014) |
Θ Hear the full album as the Bauhaus icon reflects on his career as a pin-up monster. Former Bauhaus singer has had an eclectic and productive solo career.
Birth name: Peter John Joseph Murphy
Born: July 11, 1957 in Northampton, England
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, melodica
Location: Northampton, England
Album release: June 2 (UK)/03 (US), 2014
Record Label: Loma Vista/Nettwerk
Duration: 56:15
Tracks:
01 Hang Up 5:45
02 I Am My Own Name 5:47
03 Low Tar Stars 4:13
04 I'm on Your Side 5:30
05 Compression 6:12
06 Holy Clown 4:14
07 The Rose 3:36
08 The Ghost of Shokan Lake 6:28
09 Eliza 3:23
10 Loctaine 6:25
11 Lion 4:42
℗ 2014 Peter Murphy Under Exclusive License To Nettwerk Productions
Credits:
Θ Eddie Banda Drums, Engineer, Keyboards, Mixing, Mixing Engineer, Programming
Θ Martin Destroyer Guitar
Θ Emilio Dizefalo Violin
Θ Martin Glover Composer
Θ Peter Murphy Composer, Lyricist, Vocals
Θ Michael Rendall Engineer, Keyboards, Mastering, Mixing Engineer, Programming
Θ Pavan Sharda Guitar
Θ Cihan Ünalan Artwork, Cover Photo
Θ Dave Waplington Layout Design
Θ Martin “Youth” Glover Producer
Background:
Θ The album is a product of sessions with Youth, with whom Murphy got together "just to see how it went." Murphy described the album as "a mixture of stuff, almost like operas for the dispossessed" and "romantic and very deep and emotional, quite symphonic in places." He also further stated:
Θ "It's a mixture of 'The White Album,' which goes into 'Helter Skelter,' and kind of 'I Am the Walrus' type of arrangement stuff. It's a lot — kind of like, 'Who is that person? How can he imagine he can do all that?' I just think I'm out of place, really. I'm like Bowie, Iggy, Frank Sinatra, Elvis all rolled into one, and it's kind of like, 'What planet did he come from?"
Θ The album was recorded in a rapid manner, with songs improvised. Murphy wondered if he would be able to replicate the performances while on tour:
Θ "The songs are all in a high register — so now I have to learn to sing that way. I keep asking, 'My God, how did I get that high? How do I get that high again, and how do I sustain it for an hour?'"
REVIEW
By Rob Sheffield
May 29, 2014 9:00 AM ET
Θ Peter Murphy has been a pin-up monster for the goth nation for almost 40 years now, ever since he croaked “the bats have left the bell tower” with Bauhaus, on their classic 1979 debut single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” Bauhaus were a band of pasty art students from Northampton, England, mixing up Bowie, punk, Catholic angst and horror flicks into creepshows like “Dark Entries” and “God in an Alcove.” Now goth elder Murphy is up to his old tricks on Lion, his tenth solo album.
Θ Although Bauhaus broke up in 1983, their spell lingers on, especially for people who never wear non-black. They reunited in the 2000s, playing a Coachella gig where Murphy made his grand entrance hanging upside down like a bat. As Murphy says, “It was a band that didn’t have a lot of musical knowledge, so we were learning on our feet. Kevin [Haskins] was a trained jazz drummer, but Danny [Ash] would play guitar parts that were unusual, almost atonal, making an orchestral sound out of very little.”
Θ Generations of fans discovered them in the opening scene of the 1982 David Bowie vampire movie The Hunger, where Murphy wails “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” as Bowie and Catherine Denueve prowl a New York goth club for fresh blood. “I think that helped the band a lot,” Murphy says. “But it seemed to cement a kind of culture that was not what we were all about. It became a bit of a ball and chain around our necks.”
Θ Ball and chain or not, he spent 2013 on the road with his “35 Years of Bauhaus” tour, doing the catalog without the rest of the band. “There is an audience out there who want to hear it,” he says. “But I think that’s exhausted now. For us all, really. I don’t think any of us truly want to play a whole set of that music again.”
Θ The past couple of years have been eventful for Murphy. In March 2013 he was arrested in Los Angeles after an alleged DUI hit-and-run; he pleaded guilty to methamphetamine possession and was sentenced to three years’ probation. Lion, produced by Killing Joke bassist Martin “Youth” Glover, came together under rushed circumstances. “It was a very fast process,” Murphy admits. “It’s mostly due to the producer. I had nothing on the table except a sketch or two. So the producer, to coin a phrase, pushed me off the edge of the hill and I had to fly.”
Θ Having put the album together so quickly, now the challenge for Murphy is learning to perform the songs live. “It was all improvised on the spot and I’m still learning what I did,” Murphy says. “I’m practicing my head off at the moment. The songs are all in a high register — so now I have to learn to sing that way. I keep asking, ‘My God, how did I get that high? How do I get that high again, and how do I sustain it for an hour?’”
Fortaken: http://www.rollingstone.com/
Website: http://www.petermurphy.info/
MySpace: https://myspace.com/officialpetermurphyspace
Twitter: https://twitter.com/petermurphyinfo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petermurphyinfo
_______________________________________________________________
INTERVIEW
Q&A
The Goth Father: Peter Murphy Talks About Working To Forget The Past
May 28, 2014 | By MICHAEL HAMAD, , CTNOW
Θ For a few synth-heavy seconds into "Hang Up," the first track on Peter Murphy's new album, "Lion," it's unclear what kind of creepy, haunted house you're walking into. But when the chorus rolls around — with Murphy yelling "Hagia Sophia," which means something like "Holy Wisdom" — you're communing with the Godfather of Goth, on his terms. The rest of the ex-Bauhaus singer's tenth solo album, which was produced under feverish working conditions by Youth (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney), is similarly exhilarating: industrial squeals compete for space with acoustic pianos and dance-hall drums, while Murphy exorcises demons on "I Am My Own Name" (he channels David Bowie when he growls, "No thin pixie / white and drawn") or the and the slow-drip "Loctaine."
Θ Murphy plays the Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden on June 11, with Ringo Deathstarr opening. CTNow asked him about the recording of "Lion," and a few other topics.
CTNow: "Hang Up," the first single from your upcoming album "Lion," came out in April, and it's pretty damn great. The music, lyrics and production are so powerful. What can you tell us about writing that song and how it took shape in the studio?
Peter Murphy: As for most or all of the songs on "Lion," the process was intuitive and fast and driven musically by Youth, my producer, with him driving me to create on the spot.
CTNow: The video is similarly incredible. I never knew kids washing their faces and brushing their teeth could be so spooky. Did you have a lot of input as it was being put together? Where does the footage come from?
PM: This is a record company commissioned piece that I was happy to allow Justin Coloma (the director) to improvise to create nonspecific imagery preferring to let the song speak for itself as much as possible.
CTNow: In May 2013, you told Billboard that you initially approached producer Martin Glover (aka Youth), an old friend of yours, just to see what would happen, and you ended up recording the bulk of "Lion" in under a week. Did you return to the studio after that? How close is the finished product to what you did together during that first week of recording?
PM: Yes, the first week sessions were as prolific as to have given us some nine or so songs. Since I was on tour, I returned to Youth's Spanish studio to complete another five. Youth is responsible for completing the work in my absence.
CTNow: This will be your 10th solo album. During the process, did that milestone mean anything to you? Did it up the stakes, in a way?
PM: Any new album is a blank page that needs a fresh reinvention, and if you let it, this can get in the way and cause blocks. I work on forgetting what has gone so as not to let this happen.
CTNow: On tour, what do you like to do when you arrive in a new town, assuming there's time to do anything?
PM: On such hard schedules as I have been taking on there is as you say little free time from arrival to sound check and the preparation for the show and show itself. If I can, I will take a walk and take in the local scenery and find good local restaurants with a band mate.
Θ PETER MURPHY performs on Wednesday, June 11, at the Ballroom at the Outer Space in Hamden, with Ringo Deathstarr opening. Showtime is 9 p.m. Tickets are $20-$100. Information: http://www.theouterspace.net/
Fortaken: http://articles.courant.com/
_______________________________________________________________