Posthumous releases typically are patched-together works and are
usually compiled under the best intentions. Yes, people are going
to make more money off the artist, but generally, the people who do
the compiling have a genuine respect for the musician. Still, my
general consensus is that for about 90 percent of the time, an
artist leaves these tracks off of albums for a reason.
In the case of
Sandbox: The Music of Mark Sandman, the compilation
represents Mark Sandman’s work with his bandmates from Morphine and
Treat Her Right. In addition,
Sandbox represents Sandman’s work with various artists he
bumped in to when he was mulling about the Boston scene, ducking
into bars and absorbing the sounds of the city.
Two distinct bands and some other musicians… already
Sandbox sounds like it could be a mess. However, with one
listen you could easily mistake it for an ambitious double-album
recorded by Mark Sandman as a solo project. In addition to some
superior recording quality, the general themes of solitude,
dangerous women and the love of the written word permeate virtually
all of the 30-plus songs on
Sandbox.
In
Sandbox, the listener gets to hear virtually all of
Sandman’s guises: the daydreamer (“I Can Do That”), the quirky
humorist (“Riley the Dog”) and the romantic (“Get Along”). “Hotel
Room,””Bathtub” and “Justine” have the smokey, late-night grooves
that many Morphine fans have been accustomed to.
No doubt hardcore Morphine/Treat Her Right/Mark Sandman fans
will want to scoop up
Sandbox. However, even casual fans will want to check out
this double-album. It goes far more than being a nostalgic piece to
Sandman’s legacy. As a whole, the album is one of the few
double-length CDs that justifies the length.
Unfortunately,
Sandbox is a bit hard to find at the moment. As of February
27, Hi-N-Dry.com’s Web site stated that
Sandbox will be unavailable until a final agreement is
reached between Ryko and Hi-N-Dry. The record label said there will
be a resolution soon. Still, if you can find a local record store
that currently stocks
Sandbox, by all means, pick it up. It’s an album worthy of a
scavenger hunt.
