One of the icons of the post-punk years, Peter Murphy fronted the dark art house crew Bauhaus. His charismatic, devilish and dangerous personae, combined with his stunning voice and razor-sharp cheekbones, saw him become one of the pin-ups for what was to be mis-labelled Goth. Post Bauhaus, he released a series of acclaimed solo albums and fronted the band on their intermittent back from the dead reunions before the band collapsed in 2023. Bauhaus were never short of giving a nod to their mentors with several well executed covers that they made their own. The singer continues this tradition with 'Peter Live - Vol One - Covers', the first of two albums for his own new Silver Shade label, showcasing his own solo interpretations.
There is more to a cover version than copying it note for note, and the ever-astute vocalist gets to the heart of the art of darkness of these songs by unzipping them inside out whilst giving a nod to the music that made him what he is.
He stamps his own authority all over them, from a thrilling take on Iggy's 'Funtime' to a dramatic version of 'Hurt'. There is a terrifying, sparse dynamic take on Pere Ubu's iconic 'Final Solution' and a stomping and powerful nod to Howard Devoto's Magazine with a brilliant take on their 'The Light Pours Out Of Me'.
Theatrical embraces of Elvis's 'Love Me Tender' and Prince's 'Purple Rain' underline the eclectic spirit of Peter's musical journey and, of course, being one of the generation of the children of Ziggy, there is the Bowie moment on the stunning take on David's first hit, 'Space Oddity' that adds to the song's sense of unease and isolation. His version of Hurt features Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor on Piano.
English