Holy Smoke (Peter Murphy album)

Last updated
Holy Smoke
Holy Smoke - Peter Murphy.jpg
Studio album by Peter Murphy
Released 14 April 1992
Recorded Maison Rouge Studios, London; The Stereo Society, New York
Genre Alternative rock, gothic rock, art rock
Length48:46
Label Beggars Banquet
Producer Mike Thorne, Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy chronology
Deep
(1989)		Holy Smoke
(1992)		 Cascade
(1995)
Singles from Peter Murphy
  1. "You're So Close"
    Released: 1992
  2. "The Sweetest Drop"
    Released: 1992
  3. "Hit Song"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]

Holy Smoke is the fourth solo studio album by English musician Peter Murphy. It was released on 14 April 1992 through Beggars Banquet Records. Produced by Mike Thorne, the album features contributions from Alison Limerick, Jonathan Carney, Audrey Riley and The Hundred Men, his backing band since 1988's Love Hysteria album. [3]

Peter Murphy (musician) English rock vocalist

Peter John Joseph Murphy is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the vocalist of the goth rock band Bauhaus and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Love Hysteria, Deep, and Holy Smoke. Thin with prominent cheekbones, a baritone voice, and a penchant for gloomy poetics, he is often called the "Godfather of Goth".

Beggars Banquet is a British independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels.

Mike Thorne is an English record producer, arranger, composer, engineer, and musician. He started playing the piano at the age of 10. After studying physics at Hertford College, Oxford, in the late 1960s he worked as a tape operator in London with Deep Purple and many others. Later he worked as a music journalist, A&R man and in the late 1970s he became a record producer.

Contents

Although the album didn't meet with the commercial success of its predecessor, Deep (1990), [4] it peaked at number 108 on Billboard 200 chart. [5] The lead single off the album, "The Sweetest Drop", peaked at number 2 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. [6]

<i>Deep</i> (Peter Murphy album) 1989 studio album by Peter Murphy

Deep is the third solo studio album by English musician Peter Murphy. Produced by Simon Rogers, the album was released on 19 December 1989 through RCA and Beggars Banquet Records and features contributions from Murphy's backing band, The Hundred Men.

The Billboard 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Often, a recording act will be remembered by its "number ones", those of their albums that outperformed all others during at least one week. The chart grew from a weekly top 10 list in 1956 to become a top 200 in May 1967, and acquired its present title in March 1992. Its previous names include the Billboard Top LPs (1961–72), Billboard Top LPs & Tape (1972–84), Billboard Top 200 Albums (1984–85) and Billboard Top Pop Albums.

The Sweetest Drop 1992 song performed by Peter Murphy

"The Sweetest Drop" is a song by English musician Peter Murphy, from his fourth solo studio album, Holy Smoke (1992). Written by Murphy and Paul Statham, the song was released as the lead single off the album in 1992, through Beggards Banquet and RCA Records. Although the album only reached number 108 on Billboard 200 chart, the single became a modern rock hit, peaking at number 2 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett of Allmusic was mixed in his assessment of the album. He stated: "Released in the initial craze of the grunge/alternative mega-crossover, Smoke's elegant ballads and angular, arty rockers simply didn't fit in." Nevertheless, he also described the album as "quite a strong release, due to "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." He also praised Mike Thorne's production work, commenting that it gives the album "a crisp, solid punch throughout, even during its quieter moments." [1] Bill Wyman of Entertainment Weekly also praised the albums "sophisticated" production, calling it as "lush and very adult." He also wrote: "When the music and lyrics come together, it's almost touching, as on the sardonically named "Hit Song", which sounds to me like a vampire pleading for his mortality back." [2]

Grunge is a rock music genre and subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. The early grunge movement revolved around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop and the region's underground music scene. By the early 1990s its popularity had spread, with grunge bands appearing in California, then emerging in other parts of the United States and in Australia, building strong followings and signing major record deals.

Alternative rock is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word "alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream rock music. The term's original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their collective debt to either the musical style or simply the independent, DIY ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for alternative music. At times, "alternative" has been used as a catch-all description for music from underground rock artists that receives mainstream recognition, or for any music, whether rock or not, that is seen to be descended from punk rock.

Cuts You Up song by Peter Murphy

"Cuts You Up" is a song by English musician Peter Murphy, from his third solo studio album, Deep (1989). It was released as a single in 1990 through Beggars Banquet Records. The song became Murphy's most successful release, topping at Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, as well as charting on Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.

Track listing

All tracks written by Peter Murphy and Paul Statham except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Keep Me From Harm" 4:26
2."Kill the Hate"Murphy4:48
3."You're So Close" 5:30
4."The Sweetest Drop" 6:55
5."Low Room"Murphy, Eddie Branch, Peter Bonas, Terl Bryant 4:23
6."Let Me Love You"Murphy3:33
7."Our Secret Garden"Murphy5:46
8."Dream Gone By" 6:05
9."Hit Song"Murphy, The Hundred Men5:32
10.Untitled (hidden track) 0:48
Total length:48:46

Personnel

The Hundred Men

Terl Bryant is a drummer and percussionist, originally from Northamptonshire, England. In his early career, he toured and recorded with US artist Steve Taylor and Peter Murphy, and went on to join the influential Celtic folk-themed progressive band Iona and later Eden's Bridge.

Additional musicians
Other personnel

Chart positions

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"You're So Close" is a song by English musician Peter Murphy, from his fourth solo studio album Holy Smoke (1992). Written by Murphy and Paul Statham, the song was released in 1992 as the second single from the album, through Beggars Banquet and RCA Records. Despite not matching with the success of the lead single off the album, "The Sweetest Drop", the song charted on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, peaking at number 18.

References

  1. 1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Peter Murphy - Holy Smoke". Allmusic . Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 Wyman, Bill (29 May 1992). "Holy Smoke (1992) - Peter Murphy". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Peter Murphy - Love Hysteria". Allmusic . Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Peter Murphy". Allmusic . Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Peter Murphy- Billboard 200 chart". Billboard . Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Peter Murphy- Alternative songs chart". Billboard . Retrieved 11 April 2014.


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