Cure for Pain, the Mark Sandman Story [about the band Morphine]

Cafe Society
1

I searched and found nothing about this,

its a pretty cool documentary about front man for Treat Her Right, and Morphine.

I enjoyed it a lot and learned a bunch as well.

2

I love Morphine and mourned the loss of Mark. But I hadn’t heard of this documentary or apparently, another band?

I will check this out ASAP, thank you very much for pointing it out.

3

I own this; it’s an excellent film. I was fortunate enough to see Morphine twice; the show I saw at the Huntridge Theater (Las Vegas, 18 July 1998) was one of the 5 best concerts I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen thousands of live shows).

If you like it, I can also highly recommend We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen. If you haven’t listened to their music, the film is a terrific introduction to the band. If you have listened to their music, the film is a terrific introduction to the band. :smiley:

4

I should have mentioned that the reason We Jam Econo comes to my mind when I watch Cure For Pain (and vice versa) is because there are so many parallels: both are incredible stories of phenomenally talented bands with stories that are unbelievably bittersweet, both bands had deliberate aesthetics that both forced and fed the creativity of the members, and both bands put out unique and influential music.

I hadn’t watched either movie in over two years and I’ve just spent the last 3 hours watching both of them and listening to their music; an incredible middle-of-the-night experience. Thanks for reminding me to soak this stuff in again and revel in it, Critical1.

5

Thanks for pointing me toward this. I saw them a half-dozen times live, and it was amazing how much sound they put out. They were the one band you could play for your hipster friends, your straight-laced girlfriend, and your aunt still listening to music from the '40s and '50s.

6

I had tickets to see them play with Soul Coughing when he died.

I am glad you guys liked this.

7

Saw it - wow; really, really wonderful. Thank you.

They did a great job of showing his life, what his family went through and his own search for artistic recognition even as he was getting past 40.

The discussion about his death was moving and haunting. I did not know that **Queens of the Stone Age **were the next band scheduled to play the next day, and that **Josh Homme **connected with the surviving members of Morphine. Saxophonist Dana Colley’s description of hearing QoTSA’s music as the release he needed that night was amazing.

But Josh Homme - jeez. He discusses how they played, because that is the best way to honor a fallen comrade. But he discussed how hard it was, to want to be there so much for someone he wanted to honor. I can only imagine what he is going through given what happened with his side band Eagles of Death Metal - he wasn’t there during the Paris massacre. Again, haunting from that perspective.

Thank you again. So many documentaries about wonderful artists that go under my radar.

ETA: Oh, one last thing: Could Mark Sandman look MORE like Jon Stewart? I kept shaking my head. Sandman looks like he would be Stewart’s older brother or something.

8

I hadn’t heard about this documentary. Morphine is one of my favorite bands and I’m glad I got to see them twice before the end. One of the most unique sounds I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

9

After seeing the moving I saw this link and clicked on it - a 27 minute live show, starting with Honey White and ending with You Look Like Rain and an encore of Thursday. Dana Colley plays a badass triangle - I didn’t know that could happen ;).

I see what you are saying Bo - seeing them play like this live would have blown my mind. They are so sinewy, efficient and badass. They make their two-string bass, Bari sax, and drums sound like the only instruments anyone should need or want.

I will say it again on this board: You Look Like Rain is pretty much the sexiest song ever - I could never pull off Marvin Gaye, but man, this song. I would be interested if any women Dopers know the song or could listen to it - it starts around 18:40 in on the link above. I wish I could write a song that is both respectful of a woman for who she is as well as languidly sexy like this. Morphine, and Sandman in particular, just was so damn cool in a way we mere mortals can only aspire to.