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As Peter Murphy reaches ever deeper into eastern music
and philosophy, Dust furthers his explorations by employing
traditional Turkish musicians. That is not to say that the
music is authentically indigenous of his current homeland.
Longtime cohort Michael Brook and recent associates
Hugh Marsh and Mercan Dede bring modernization
to the Sufist instrumentation. Murphy’s emphasis on this pool
of talent is such that he is credited at the bottom of the
roster as "backing vocals." The lyrics stray
from his past sublime riddles in favor of awkward phrases
and non-sequiturs. He seems to stumble on them, and realizing
the oddness, repeats the offending particle. Each pass becomes
increasingly more difficult and obvious.
Perhaps the narrative in "Things To Remember" is
supposed to be our guide, The power of poetry comes from
the ability to defy logic/Defy logic often/When you do that
we won’t believe you/…But we’ll see a meaning. Interesting
idea, but the other school of thought is to go on to something
decipherable. This lesson is interspersed with a belly dance
heavy with Dede’s electronic beats. Murphy stretches his voice
even more than usual to quivering highs and rubber-faced lows.
Those unaccustomed to this note bending may wonder what exactly
he’s driving at. The very rewarding "Fake Sparkle"
is chock full of nimble strings, picked and stroked. Murphy
himself uses his voice like a trilling violin, playing against
Marsh. A soothing deep moan underlies almost undetectable.
Dede’s chains rattle pre-industrial machinery as percussion.
Since three persons, including Murphy, are credited for bass
on "No Home Without Its Sire" it’s hard know who
to blame for the jazzy 70’s slap-and-tickle. The most likely
suspect is the guy who’s allowed that sort of thing since
Should The World Fail To Fall Apart. The lyrics hint
at Stevie Wonder before touching mystery. No yesterdreams/no
faded flick/no body’s sap and tire. These are the patented
discordant doubled vocals that influenced Alice In Chains
and countless unknowing others.
Call it coincidence or oversight, but it’s strange that "Just
For Love" was absent from the concert album of the same
name. (Alive
Just For Love Review) The percussive piece becomes tribal,
with Dede’s hand drums and great qawwali vocalizations.
Matthew Burton adds didgeridoo, as Marsh goes to
town on fiddle. Hell, he was headed down to Georgia looking
for souls to steal. The only distraction is Murphy repeatedly
over-stressing the word Luminescent. With its nostalgic
plodding rhythm, Jamaladeen Tacuma’s sly blues bass
and slapped snare, "Girlchild Aglow" comes in like
Bone Machine era Tom Waits. The underwater musicbox
is a real departure for Murphy. But unfortunately, so is the
prog-rock guitar (violin?) wanking that follows. The layers
build on that missed step and make a huge mess. And this just
when Murphy was trying the new trick of singing in octaves
with himself. A huge throbbing heartbeat pervades "Your
Face" as Marsh’s violin mourns woefully. On track with
the words now, Murphy even triples the vocals, singing I
trace your feet/like transparent thrones/I dream of you clinging/I
am not alone. The tempo is just right for sleeping and
darn little else.
Marsh weaves between the guitars on "Jungle Haze"
pulling the cloth tight. Tacuma gets a nice juicy bass run
in when they let him. The free orchestration joins and disperses
instruments in a pleasing way. Murphy sounds nearly wounded
as the words ache out of him. Marsh sympathizes with sobbing
strings. The interaction of sounds in this arrangement and
the re-flavored "My Last Two Weeks" are akin to
the area Van Morrison explored in his mystic work.
The low end booming and spanning the measure while several
light noodling parts work in succession up top. "My Last
Two Weeks" slow 6/8 waltz and delicately plucked harp
create magic with the simple progression. This is the sort
of overwhelming beauty that should be experienced on rare
occasions so as not to ruin it. Dede puts cool record static
on top, then goes back farther stealing drums from an orchestra
music box. "Subway" must be Murphy’s favorite song
because the Cascade song appeared on the concert album
as well. There must be a message he’s trying to get out with
it. Maybe he’s waiting downtown every night for Petula
Clark.
On a scale of artists bringing in indigenous musics to their
work: one being David Byrne & Fela, and
ten being Peter Gabriel & Youssou N'Dour;
Dust rates a seven – The KLF & Tammy
Wynette.
— Ewan Wadharmi
Track Listing:
- Things To Remember
- Fake Sparkle Or Golden Dust
- No Home Without Sire
- Just For Love
- Girlchild Aglow
- Your Face
- Jungle Haze
- My Last Two Weeks
- Subway (Epilogue)
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