Morphine - Cure for Pain (Vinyl)

Morphine's 1992 debut, GOOD, was a pleasant break from the rock music norm, but the band improved dramatically on their original blueprint with their next release a year later, CURE FOR PAIN. For starters, there was a line-up change--original drummer Jerome Dupree was replaced by Billy Conway (a former bandmate of Morphine leader Mark Sandman's in the blues outfit Treat Her Right).

But the real story here is the abundance of top-notch compositions and perfectly restrained performances, adding up to arguably Morphine's finest and most consistent release. Included are such lounge-rock classics as the laid-back "Buena," the seductive "Candy," and the gleefully cacophonic "Thursday." With the underground buzz reaching a feverish pitch shortly after the release of CURE FOR PAIN, Morphine would be signed to a major-label deal just after one more exceptional release.