ELLIOTT MURPHY - STRINGS OF THE STORM released in 2004 as a double cd set and on triple vinyl !!

REVIEW - ELLIOTT MURPHY | STRINGS Of THE STORM

Masterpiece

On the debut record of Elliott Murphy, Aquashow from 1973, the American troubadour opens with the significant anthem ‘Last of the Rock Stars’, which is considered as many years later still and more than ever as a type of anthem to him. Hardly impeded recent developments and disappointing sale figures the singer-songwriter of short tales bring out almost annually an album. But after a flashing start in the early seventies with brilliant singer-songwriter albums as Lost Generation, Night Lights and Just a Story from America, the level of Elliott Murphy craps in the early eighties scrupulously in. A decade later the troubadour resident in Paris could hardly keep his head above water. In 1995, seemingly washed out, Murphy gained only success with the blade record Selling the Gold in cut-price selling barges of record shops, where he itself with its skeptical attitude towards modern technology alienated from everything and everyone.

My fortune are written in the rigid
My destiny in the six strings of a guitar
('The Last Star of the Night ')

Eventually the perseverance of Murphy rewards, but real artistic rotation comes just in the new millennium, where especially republications of older studio albums and sober live-albums confirm once again the qualities of the obstinate singer-songwriter. It is exactly on the second last studio album Soul Surfing and his most recent acquisition Strings of the Storm that Elliott Murphy, 54 years old, in a natural manner lets hear that he has started his second youth. In real he has now rightly come in a period in which he is less in a hurry. Murphy has hardly to lose something. Moreover at him the mildness are not converted automatically into thoroughness. Perhaps that only sometimes the bitterness and the cynicism shines through, like in ' The Last Star of the Night ' and Dylan-esque 'The Poet and the Priest '. In fact it is also a form of satire, such as we know that of Warren Zevon and Frank Zappa.

I've lived my life by life in degradation and shame
I might call myself a poet - But no one even knows my name.
(' The Poet and the Priest ')

On the semi-acoustic Strings of The Storm the helping hand comes of Olivier Durand, with which Murphy has composed no less than twenty-three songs on two full disks lets hear that he has outpaced his influence sources. Strings of The Storm is typically such a matured cd where followers of Bob Dylan, Neil Young (Murphy covers Youngs ' Bird ') and Bruce Springsteen only can dream of that their large idol comes once more in a last spasm with something similar Even if it is half as good as for example the unpretentious openings song 'Green River ' or the splendor ballads ' Temple Bar ' and 'Look Around You '. Elliott Murphy seems to toss of the honest shake folk-rock, where the rebellious punkfolk of the beginning years is replaced by modesty. And yes, frequently rock artists find their most recent work the bests. Now I have not yet spoken Elliott Murphy, but Strings of The Storm is without exaggerating the crown on its thirty year career. The sublime Strings of The Storm can be considered as his future Greatest hits record, but one without hits. And for he who not gets it yet: Strings of The Storm is a masterpiece. More strongly still: two masterpieces!

text: Maurice Dielemans (KINDAMUZIK) Modern Music Webmagazine

REVIEW - ELLIOTT MURPHY | STRINGS Of THE STORM

NRC Handelsblad, November 2003.
NRC is a so called quality Dutch newspaper.

Very Good

Singer/songwriter Elliott Murphy is already making record for 30 years. He worked together with all different big names from New York, Talking Heads, Velvet Underground, Bruce Springsteen and still his name is hardly known. But the American who nowdays lives in Paris writes beautifull songs that might as well could be from the hand of Bob Dylan. His new dubble-cd Strings of the Storm has timeless instrumentations and Murphy''s voice sounds in 2003 not so different as it sounded back in 1976. His style of singing does have the sarcasme of Dylan's but he can also draw out lyrical or he dictates with severity. Meanwhile he is surrounded by acoustic guitar play that jingle on like a steamtrain over the prairie. And Murphy tells and tells, about poets and priests and rambling souls stuck between expectation and reallity. This troubadour may sound traditional, but his approuch is fresh and his dedication is noble. This way Elliott Murphy can last for many more years.

By Hester Carvalho

REVIEW - ELLIOTT MURPHY | STRINGS Of THE STORM

Review in ALOHA (December 2003), Dutch Rockmagazine

Masterpiece

Because it's a double album, the record company brings to memory
Dylan's "Blonde on blonde". This may be a little overenthousiastic,
but "Strings of the Storm" will certainly not be considered to be a
contractfiller by a has-been. Because, holy-almighty, what a bunch of great songs! As a consequence of the bible-references and short stories like "The poet and the priest", a comparison can easily be drawn between Murphy and mister Zimmerman, but then again, he's used to it. Olivier Durand's (slide)guitarplaying, the harmonies of Cindy (Grease) Bullens and the atmosphere-raising accordion of Kenny Margolis bring an added value in particular to the wisely sung folk- and country-rooted ballads, while in the texts the ghost of 9-11-01 can be recognised. But at the same time Murphy seems to understand there's no need to worry any longer: "Most of the things I worry about, they don't happen to me" he sings in "Temple bar". And just imagine he made a double album with not a single weak song. A one-off.

By Chris van Oostrom

REVIEW - ELLIOTT MURPHY | STRINGS Of THE STORM

Review in OOR (nr. 21 - october 20th 2003), Dutch Rockmagazine

Very Good

 

After a live registration, the studio albums "Rainy Seasons" and "Soul Surfing" and a duo record with Iain Matthews, Elliott Murphy comes again with a new cd. And what’s more a double-CD, named after a poem of the French surrealistic writer André Breton. Prestigious all, certainly. But we do not let forget that Murphy belongs to that type of artists that seldom disappoints. And he doesn’t also now.

The last years the singer-songwriter opted for a more intimate, acoustic setting, but here we even hear complex arrangements and even some stormy rockers, where generally retrospective texts are still the necessary substance for self reflections. On the traditional folksong "The Banks From Ohio" and Neil Young’s "Bird" Elliott Murphy wrote a couple of songs with the guitar-player and his right-hand Olivier Durand. His tasteful solos play a prominent role, as well as the tasteful accordion game of Kenny Margolis, who provides from time to time a melancholic Tex-Mex tint to the songs. And we also must not forget the beautiful second voice of guest singer Cindy Bullens. Strings Of The storm is no traditional masterpiece, as the enclosed bio shouts, but nevertheless at least a monumental peace of craftsmanship.

Marcel Haerkens.

Hard to believe that thirty years have gone by since the release of his first album Aquashow in 1973 ("I've been together three times as long as the Beatles…") but since that time ELLIOTT MURPHY, singer-songwriter, rock troubadour, indefatigable road warrior and sometimes author has proven his dedication to his art and his commitment to his growing legion of fans over and over again. Where others might be slowing down after such a arduous journey Elliott is kicking up the pace and raising the stakes and his new double CD Strings Of The Storm is getting praised worldwide. Twenty-Two songs (plus a bonus track - "Ground Zero" - and one more on the triple vinyl - a rendition of Mick Jagger's "Evening Gown") and enough words to fill a short novel. He's got 24 albums and thousands of concerts all over the world behind him and he won't say his secret ("Really it's my fans - they show me the light and give me the strength to come out and fight another day…").

Strings Of The Storm features the well know Murphy players: bassist Ernie Brooks, keyboard/accordionist Kenny Margolis, and drummer Danny Montgomery. Thrown into the mix was Blue Rose artist Cindy Bullens ("I found pools of humanity in her voice…"). The recording went down in Le Havre at the studio of Florent Barbier who engineered and mixed as well as playing percussion and occasional drums ("This past year I saw more of him then my own family…") and, of course, Strings Of The Storm features guitarist extraordinaire Olivier Durand who has become such an important element of the Elliott Murphy formula of success since they first began playing together six years ago and on Strings Of The Storm Olivier adds a new special musical color with Baritone guitar to give the album a unique texture.

Is it rock or folk or alternative? ("Who knows? But most of these songs were written on the road, backstage and in hotel rooms. Whatever it is its truly authentic hand-made music - that's guaranteed!") Elliott Murphy like most songwriters hates to talk about his songs ("Not true! Listen, "Green River" was the last song I wrote for the album. I needed a rocker and I found it in Spain and "The Poet And The Priest" was started while I was sitting in a church during a funeral and I took out a pen and an envelope. I ran out of paper and started writing on the Bible in front of me. "The Banks Of The Ohio" is a traditional American folk song with roots of tragedy and "Big Sky" is the most spiritual song on the CD although "The Red Lights" is my own favorite and I wrote it on the island of Majorca where it never rains except when I'm there."). Why a double album? ("I always loved Dylan's Blonde on Blonde, The Stones' Exile on Main Street and The Beatles' White Album. I had the songs, the band, the energy and the time and I didn't let the moment pass. There were times during the not-so-lengthy recording process that I lost my confidence… things were moving so fast and I almost lost control… The songs started swimming away from me. But I never gave up hope and finally the storm cleared and I was holding the strings…").

Blue Rose Records