NO CURE FOR PAIN
Vapors of Morphine keep classic album alive
Morphine's 1993 “Cure for Pain” album begins like a noirish fever dream. Out of a black-andwhite fog comes Dana Colley's spooky saxophone melody, a short, drawnout string of notes over a faint keyboard shimmer. Then the sax fades, and the hypnotic groove of a drum kit and two-string slide bass guitar kicks in with immense swagger.
Who starts a rock album like this, like a seance inviting the ghosts of John Coltrane, Jack Kerouac and Nico to a party? The answer of course: the late Mark Sandman, Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree.
Since Sandman's passing in 1999, saxophonist Colley and drummer Deupree have kept the strange, cool sonic legacy of “Cure for Pain” alive. On Thursday, their band, Vapors of Morphine, celebrate the album's 25th anniversary with two shows at the Lizard Lounge.
Between 1992 and 2000, Morphine released five LPs, but fans tend to concentrate their love on “Cure for Pain.”
Colley gets it.
“We had developed a sound by this point, but we were still developing as a band, developing as players; Paul (Kolderie) was developing as a producer, and it all came together on `Cure for Pain,' ” he said. “We had arrived at our fighting weight with this one.”
No record he's done, with Morphine or with other groups, has the presence and power of “Cure for Pain.” Colley didn't come to this realization over years. He knew it from the first listen.
“As we were finishing the record, I was working a painting job in Brookline, and I had a cassette of what we had that I would listen to as I painted,” he said. “Usually when I do this I cringe at something that isn't right, something that needs to be fixed. I didn't do that this time.
“It was like the music was no longer a part of me,” he added. “It was already out in the world.”
For the anniversary shows, Vapors will play the LP front to back. They will also host a few special guests, including mandolinist Jimmy Ryan and percussionist Ken Winokur, who both played on the record.
“I'm glad both of those guys could do it,” Colley said. “Part of what I love about living here is we can reach out and know that these people are still here. They are friends, all these people that we have worked with for years.”
Colley feels honoring the anniversary is important, but will continue to move forward. Vapors are currently recording their next album and making plans to return to Europe and South America for live dates.
“Last year, we played Russia for the first time,” he said. “It's great to still be going to new places as we get older. But it also feels like we just made `Cure for Pain,' like it just happened.” Vapors of Morphine, at the Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Thursday. Tickets: $10-$12; lizardloungeclub.com.