Peter Murphy – Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (Expanded Edition) (1985/2011) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Following the collapse of Dali’s Car, Murphy embarked on a solo career in earnest, fortuitously hooking up with Howard Hughes, who had been working with fellow cult artists the Associates. With 4AD label head Ivo Watts-Russell drafted in to produce and guest musicians popping in as desired, Murphy and Hughes created a slightly fragmentary but still intriguing record. Caught between his recent past (the use of fretless bass on “Canvas Beauty” was a dead giveaway that he missed working with Mick Karn) and his eventual solo successes, Murphy concentrates here mostly on breaking free of the goth stereotype in which he had found himself trapped. His vocal passion isn’t diminished in the slightest, but this time the music over which he sings is generally lighter and freer in tone; he himself handles drum programming, core guitar parts, and keyboard lines while Hughes takes care of the rest. The quietly anthemic title track and “God Sends” stand out as thorough successes on these lines. Two covers also crop up, both worthy of note: A solid run-through of Magazine’s “The Light Pours Out of Me” with that band’s guitarist John McGeoch; more noteworthy is a fierce rip on Pere Ubu’s “Final Solution.” The ghosts of Bauhaus do crop up at points, most notably “Never Man,” with haunting backing vocals and a generally creepy feeling. Meanwhile, “The Answer Is Clear” has a more direct connection, with none other than Bauhaus guitarist Daniel Ash contributing some fine feedback squalls. Ironically enough, the song itself is a pointed response to Ash’s own recent Tones on Tail song “The Movement of Fear,” which Murphy took as an attack on himself!

Tracklist:
1. Peter Murphy – Canvas Beauty (Romance Version) (04:44)
2. Peter Murphy – The Light Pours Out of Me (03:15)
3. Peter Murphy – Confessions (05:37)
4. Peter Murphy – Should The World Fail to Fall Apart (04:47)
5. Peter Murphy – Never Man (06:12)
6. Peter Murphy – God Sends (05:47)
7. Peter Murphy – Blue Heart (04:24)
8. Peter Murphy – The Answer Is Clear (06:26)
9. Peter Murphy – Final Solution (03:54)
10. Peter Murphy – Jemal (Version 2) (05:31)
11. Peter Murphy – Canvas Beauty (Fast Version) (05:51)
12. Peter Murphy – The Light Pours Out of Me (Original Version) (03:15)
13. Peter Murphy – Confessions (Remix) (05:12)
14. Peter Murphy – Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (Version 3) (05:03)
15. Peter Murphy – Stay (04:50)
16. Peter Murphy – Tale of the Tongue (12″ Version) (06:26)
17. Peter Murphy – Blue Heart (12″ Version) (05:47)
18. Peter Murphy – The Answer Is Clear (Version) (03:11)
19. Peter Murphy – Final Solution (Club Mix) (05:12)
20. Peter Murphy – Jemal (Version 2) (05:26)
21. Peter Murphy – Should the World Fail to Fall Apart (Unreleased Version) (06:44)
22. Peter Murphy – Final Solution (Full Version) (04:45)
23. Peter Murphy – Final Solution (Third and Final Mix) (05:48)
24. Peter Murphy – Tale of the Tongue (7″ Version) (04:17)