Peter Murphy Holy Smoke CD

Limerick (vocals); Peter Bonas (acoustic & electric guitars); Paul Statham (acoustic guitar, keyboards); Rick Shaffer (guitar); Audrey Riley, John Carney, Chris Pitsillides, Gini Ball (strings); John Vartan (ney, tambura, zurna); Mike Thorne (Synclavier); Eddie Branch (bass); Teryl Bryant (drums, percussion); Zoe Caryl (background vocals).

Hopes for another surprise American success from Peter Murphy with Deep's follow-up went unfulfilled, as success proved not to be the case; released in the initial craze of the grunge/alternative mega-crossover, Smoke's elegant ballads and angular, arty rockers simply didn't fit in. Taken on its own merits, though, Smoke is quite a strong release, avoiding any cloning of Deep or "Cuts You Up" in favor of a different approach meant to bring out the band's live power more directly. Producer Mike Thorne gets some great performances out of them and Murphy both, giving the album a crisp, solid punch throughout, even during its quieter moments. The album is like Deep in one important respect -- variety, which is showcased successfully throughout. "Low Room" was an especially powerful blast, the band firing out a choppy, strong rhythm as Murphy almost barks his lyrics; similar, if not as totally successful, energy appeared with "Kill the Hate" and "Dream Gone By." On the quieter tip, "Let Me Love You," the understated drive of "Our Secret Garden," and the lovely opener "Keep Me From Harm" are all fine showcases for Murphy at his most love-drunk. "The Sweetest Drop" was the lead single, but better choices would have been "You're So Close," with an anthemic, stunning chorus and a flat-out brilliant vocal, and the cleverly titled "Hit Song." Murphy's dramatic singing, concluding in a duet with guest singer Alison Limerick's lovely falsetto, makes it all the more enjoyable. ~ Ned Raggett

Contains an untitled hidden track following "Hit Song".

Prev.Bbb 92589

Recorded at Maison Rouge, London, England; The Stereo Society, New York, New York.

Personnel includes: Peter Murphy (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Alison

Personnel: Peter Murphy (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Alison Limerick (vocals, background vocals); Peter Bonas (guitar, acoustic guitar); Rick Shaffer (guitar); Paul Statham (acoustic guitar, keyboards); John Vartan (tamboura, ney, zurna); Chris Pitsillides, Jonathan Carney, Audrey Riley, Gini Ball (strings); Mike Thorne (Synclavier); Eddie Branch (bass guitar); Terl Bryant (drums, percussion); Zoe Caryl (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Fernando Kral.

Recording information: Maison Rouge Studios, London, England; Stereo Society, NY.

Photographer: Anton Corbijn.Rolling Stone (6/25/92, p.42) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...An intriguing blend of biting guitar rock and tuneful minimalist pop...HOLY SMOKE is strangely affecting progressive rock that works on the soul as well as the cerebellum..."
Entertainment Weekly (5/29/92, p.64) - "...When the music and lyrics come together--as they often do--it's almost touching..." - Rating: B