Peter Murphy - Dust (9 tracks) +Album Reviews

The Peak of Murphy's Evolution

richardc766 | NYC | 11/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Peter Murphy's album "Dust" is what I consider to be the peak of his progressive evolution. We have all heard elements of this "sound" in his earlier albums, but with DUST, he goes all out, and does an absolutely phenomenal job with it. Songs such as "No Home Without its Sire," "Just for Love," "Jungle Haze" with the brilliant bongo set towards the close. And of course, the beautifully rendered version of two old songs, "My Last Two Weeks" and "Subway" which has a little extra (Epilogue) not included in the original; you simply can't go wrong with this meditative, Middle Eastern sound supporting the elegant and strong voice of Peter Murphy - you simply cannot go wrong! It is no doubt my favorite Murphy album. His lyrics are deep, overlaying a subtle Middle Eastern flare that converges with one another in a way I could've never expected when I bought the album. Innovative, creative, musically enhanced and collaborated with Murphy's metaphoric and consistently poetic, thought-provoking lyrics, along with his voice, which may I add has developed over the years into a weapon in itself; just listen to the opening lyric-only song "Cool Cool Breeze" on "Just for Love Live" and you will understand the heightened status of this man's voice, from Bauhaus in 79 to Dust in 2002. What more can I say: absolutely brilliant, better than any other!Richard C Williams
Yes, I invite feedback from other Murphy fans or those who disagree with my opinion; always up for a debate."

Different, but, hey, it's good!

David J. Shepherd | Orem, UT United States | 04/26/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a far cry from Murphy's earlier works, and the first time I listened I thought I'd made a poor purchase. Now, a few listens later, I can see it for what it is: a truly unique and well-crafted album. The songs are indeed a bit long, as has been mentioned in the other reviews. There is no resemblance to a pop or rock album in any way. The songs are, in essence, slow and meditative. Lyrically, they are deep and poetically pristine. This is not a radio friendly album, but it is an entirely spiritual, atmospheric set of pieces that is worthy of being there next to Peter's more commercial work. THINGS TO REMEMBER and JUNGLE HAZE are excellent gems, and FAKE SPARKLE OR GOLD DUST? isn't far behind. The re-makes of MY LAST TWO WEEKS and SUBWAY are well-done; sweetly nostalgic and experimentative at the same time. If you are expecting something along the lines of CASCADE or LOVE HYSTERIA (like I was) you'll be shocked (like I was!) Give it a chance, though. Lay down, turn the lights out, and let the music fill the dark. Contemplate the lyrics. You'll hear what I finally heard. I gave this album four out of five stars because one or two of the tracks kind of don't work as well as they could, but on the whole this is great stuff!"

Overlooked, Underrated

David Cundiff | New Albany, Indiana United States | 01/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's such a rarity when an artist actually gets better over a period of time. Such an example is Peter's latest album 'Dust'. Legend has it that it was actually Mercan Dede who called Peter to suggest working on his next album and who suggested rerecording 'Subway' and 'My Last Two Weeks'. Both of those songs have never sounded better in my opinion. The beauty of 'Dust' is that it so perfectly blends the influences of both Turkish and Western music culture. The songs, which were written inside of a week, are very emotional and personal. 'Girlchild Aglow' was written about Murphy's relationship with his daughter and how it has changed with time. Although Murphy's vocals are the focal point, the music doesn't take a back seat, blending electronic sounds with some incredible-sounding real percussion, not to mention input from some great musicians such as violinist Hugh Marsh who we all remember from 'Alive...Just For Love'. I really can't say enough about how much I love this album. It should have recieved awards. It should have sold in the millions. Do yourself a favor and purchase one of the best albums of all time by one of the best vocalists of all time."

Golden Dust

Rhett Redelings | Kentfield, CA United States | 03/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Peter Murphy fan on and off since the Bauhaus days. One of my favorite albums of all time was Love Hysteria. In fact, to date, it's still a perfect, smart-pop album, even if it sounds just a little dated nearly 20 years later.

However, over the years, I found Peter Murphy's work to be interesting, but kind of uneven. I felt frustrated that he kept using the same sounds on each album that he'd used before and, eventually, I wandered away in search of new smart-pop.

I found Dust when it came out a few years ago at my local record shop and bought it out of a tentative blend of curiosity and nostalgia. At first, Dust seemed to be Peter Murphy's version of the world music-meets-pop phase that Peter Gabriel, Sting and Paul Simon went through before him. "Maybe," I thought, "it's a musical mid-life crisis." Anyway, Dust washed over me, well, like dust. It was pretty, but I found Peter Murphy's voice incompatible with the music. I'd never heard Subway before, so this "cover" of it was fresh and, to my ears, was the best song on the disc, with his "cover" of My Last Two Weeks being my least favorite (don't mess with perfection, you know?). Also puzzling was the odd blend of traditional eastern sounds and structures with 1980's sounding synths. My first impression was that this album, while very ambitious, was just very pretentious. I walked away from Peter Murphy, again.

Sometime after that, I read a bit about him. Now one shouldn't need to care about the artist to care about the art, but after reading that he's a Muslim, living in Turkey with his wife, the direction Dust took seemed less pretentious and more organic. I gave it another try, this time listening for what the artist had to say, not comparing this work to his previous works.

I came away with the impression I have still, which is that this album is a brilliant, labor of love. It's almost devotional music and the uncomfortable marriage of Murphy's voice with the beautiful eastern-inspired soundscapes actually reveals a vulnerability and an honesty that's hard to really open one's self up to. It's almost too good.

What Peter Murphy is saying on this album is, as usual, oblique, but important. As always, he's talking about the human condition through his own philosophical lens. I won't spoil it, but it's deep stuff about values, love, hate, the importance we place on people and things and so forth.

But don't get me wrong, there IS an element of pretentiousness that remains. This IS Peter Murphy, after all! Dust isn't a perfect album and not every song really works. His choice to cover his own songs is an odd one. It's almost as it if to say "This is the new Peter Murphy; the old one is gone." except if that's the intent, it works in reverse. As a fan of his previous works, these covers almost insisted on experiencing this work through my own biased filter of comparison. I didn't need or want another version of My Last Two Weeks and, in a sense, I resented his efforts on Dust as a result of my affection for what had come before. But once I got past that, I was able to hear that work for the powerful, devotional and thoughtful statement that it is.

If you are new to Peter Murphy, Dust is an excellent place to start. If you're a fan who's wondering if Peter Murphy "still has it", I'll tell you right now, he has something else. This album is as different from Love Hysteria and Deep as those albums were from Bauhaus' The Sky's Gone Out. It's a risk, growing as an artist. In this case, it's a risk that pays off tenfold for the listener willing to open themselves up and surrender to it. It's not exactly easy listening, but it's worth it."

Amazing

Judith Camacho | Illinois | 05/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is honest and very real. I feel that in past Peter Murphy albums there have been some slight undertones of insecurity and dishonesty which is natural when a musician is growing, but this album rings true to me. I have heard people say that this album is cliche and world beat-ish, but anyone who sees this as simply another world beat album isn't listening and is perhaps afraid to let the music take them somewhere unknown. This isn't an album for just anyone, however. You must be ready to let yourself go and allow the rythm and his voice to take you on a journey through your soul. I would strongly recommend this album to anyone who is willing to be rocked in a major way. pick it up. You'll be happy you did. Peter always delivers."

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	Peter Murphy Dust Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (9) - Disc #1 Things To Remember Fake Sparkle Or Golden Dust? No Home Without Its Sire. Just For Love. Girlchild Aglow Your Face Jungle Haze My Last Two Weeks Subway (Epilogue) 2002 release from ex-bauhaus member/vocalist.
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