Deep Arizona

Deep

Peter Murphy

Beggars Banquet / RCA Records, 1990

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/31/1998

Before I got into college radio, I had no idea who Peter Murphywas, nor did I care. Even after a year in college radio, I didn'tcare who he was - he just seemed too weird for my stillnarrow-minded tastes.

Then, I happened to sit down and listen to the copy of Deep, Murphy's second solo album, that had been given to meby the station's music director. And I wondered... just what had Ibeen smoking to have ignored this guy? Even today, almost ten yearsafter this album came out, Deep contains some great music that doesn't always reflectthe past of Murphy's old band, Bauhaus.

There's no denying that the overall sound on this tape is thatof British alternative pop, but it carves out its own niche in thatit's not as dark as the goth rock I had expected, and it leaves youfeeling good. Murphy's use of the twelve-string guitar on variousparts of the album also helps to create a musical texture all itsown - and one that still sends chills down my spine to thisday.

Opening up with "Deep Ocean Vast Sea," one almost feels thatMurphy is riding the crests of his own song, and is just allowinghis vocals to be shaped by the melodies. This is a new approach tomy ears - and it works incredibly well. Throughout the whole firsthalf of Deep, Murphy allows himself to be overtaken by the song.From "Sky" to "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem," Murphy setshimself apart from the then-blossoming alternative scene as someonespecial.