THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 19, 1995 TAG: 9506170046
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
A NEW FACE, a new voice shows up on the country music scene just about every week.
Some hang in there; many fade from view.
The men are usually impressive physical specimens. David Lee Murphy, for instance - tall, dark and handsome with killer blue eyes. On top of that, he is a very nice guy.
But onstage Wednesday at the Planet Beach Club, Murphy was not particularly impressive. His voice is good, but his range is limited.
His show is not too exciting. Considering some of his competition, he is going to have a tough time staying afloat.
Murphy writes his own material, ranging from swingin' to mediocre. At times, one song seems to run into another. Most of his lyrics, though, are quite good.
``Why Can't People Just Get Along,'' a song inspired by Minnie Pearl, is wonderful philosophy as is ``Dust on the Bottle,'' (the video was just released) and ``Fish Ain't Bitin' '', which suggests we check ourselves.
Murphy's current hit, ``Party Crowd'' was a hit with the Planet crowd as was ``Just Once,'' the song he sang in the rodeo flick, ``8 Seconds.''
His band gets many minutes, occupying almost as much time during a performance as does their boss.
Good thing, too. They can jam with the best of them.
Murphy concentrates on up-tempo. He was 45 minutes into the set before he got into his first ballad, ``The Greatest Show on Earth,'' another of the MCA artist's look at relationships.
A look at his Wednesday place of employment is fascinating. The decor is very colorful at Planet Beach where the volume seems to be reaching for the planets.
As a result, understanding the lyrics can be a struggle.
No struggle figuring out the opening act.
Once again, ladies and gentlemen, The Mann Sisters. And, once again, the duo was exciting to listen to and fun to watch - two strong voices, two warm and wonderful personalities. by CNB