Search - Peter Murphy :: Alive Just for Love

A quiet storm....

Jeff Hiser | Madison, Wisconsin United States | 08/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a rule, I find live albums to be overly indulgent product... usually of questionable sound quality and rarely offering any insight or improvement on the studio versions of the music. There are exceptions of course (see Nirvana's "Unplugged in New York"), and thankfully this outstanding effort by Mister Murphy is just such a rarity. Containing the entire set as it was played at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles in november, aLive Justforlove is a beautifully realized revisiting of some of the finest moments from what is truly an amazing body of work. From the entrancing "All Night Long" to the achingly beautiful "Indigo Eyes" and "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" and on through the more full productions of "I'll Fall With Your Knife" and "Gliding Like A Whale" the musicians create a loving framework in which the full depth and stark beauty of these songs is wonderously apparent. Accompanied only by Peter DiStefano on guitar and Hugh Marsh on electric violin, Mister Murphy strips down these lush and poetic songs.... in many cases totally reinventing them, showcasing not only his gift for evocative and gorgeous lyricism but also his rich, expressive voice. In many cases live albums may serve as a sort of greatest hits compilation for an artist, in the case of aLive Justforlove the songs are presented in such strikingly original compositions that it stands alone as an album unto itself. For the uninitiated, Mister Murphy is one of the most intelligent and compelling songwriters and vocalists making music today, and this album offers intriguing possibilities as to the direction of his future work. With an stellar second disc featuring an encore performed with Bauhaus cohort David J, aLive Justforlove is required listening for even a passive fan, and for those unlucky enough to have not yet been exposed to this work it offers a hypnotic overview of Peter Murphy's career that will leave them scrambling to find the rest of his discography. Impressive, fragile, lush and lovely."

The obligatory double-live album

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

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, this isn't a typical live album. To promote his best-of album, Murphy assembled an all-star band of sorts featuring members of Bauhaus, Porno for Pyros and Jane's Addiction. For this tour, he took a drastically different course employing only 2 other musicians, a violinist and a synth-guitarist, to back him up. The result was a very stripped down, honest sound. This album has my favorite versions of Subway (although the Dust version is a close second) and Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem. For the second disk Peter is joined by ex Bauhaus bandmate David J for memorable versions of some Bauhaus songs. Another great album by one of the best vocalists ever."

A great performance for the aging PM fans

Christian Buckley | Washington State, United States | 08/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I am one of the biggest Peter Murphy fans ...I thoroughly enjoyed this album .... I have to say that I wish he would spice things up again and move away from the adult contemporary path down which he seems to be treading. Granted, the songs are becoming more personal and more of a religious experience for Peter, but I miss the fire of earlier works. However, this album showcases a smoldering side of Peter's work, accented by talented artists DeStefano and Marsh, and once again atests to the man's talent to capture the mood. Anything that includes this man's voice is going to resonate, and I highly recommend the album. Standouts for me include 'Subway', the great guitar work on 'Gliding Like a Whale', and the perfect and pure rendition of 'Indigo Eyes'. Now go buy it."