Mercury Rev
The Great Loo Roll Crisis of 2020 cont.
More vinyl distraction, while you’re waiting…
Mercury Rev, ‘Deserter's Songs’, 1998. The Rev were on the verge of splitting up before recording this album. They retreated to The Catskills Mountains, to get it together in the country, man. They decided to do whatever they wanted, expecting nothing. The album became a big indie hit in the UK and Europe. Who knew? Certainly not the band. In some ways, not least the vocals, it sounds like the Flaming Lips, though not as demented and certainly not as deranged as earlier Rev albums.
‘Holes’ kicks it off, with big drums, strings, horn, melancholy tune. ‘Tonite It Shows’ is gentle pluck and Mellotron and castanets and prettiness. ‘Endlessly’, voices and high pitch saw(?), acoustic guitar, clarinet and just lovely. ’I Collect Coins’ slow, piano, echo, ghosts. ‘Opus 40’ almost like a raggedy ‘Our House’ with Levon ‘The Band’ Helm on drums. Gorgeous. ‘Hudson Line’ brushed drums and saxophone from Garth ‘The Band’ Hudson. ‘The Happy End (The Drunk Room)’ Kurt Weill feel and spacey eeriness. ‘Goddess On A Highway’, the single, with singalong melody and big guitar bursts. Nice. ‘The Funny Bird’ big and bold, with effected vocals and shades of Neil Young. ‘Pick Up If You’re There’ sounds like something off Side 2 of Bowie’s ‘Low’. ‘Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp’ sees us off into the sunset with a happy stomping drum and melody.
Accessible but still wildly off kilter. Great live band too.
Mercury Rev
The Great Loo Roll Crisis of 2020 cont.
More vinyl distraction, while you’re waiting…
Mercury Rev, ‘Deserter's Songs’, 1998. The Rev were on the verge of splitting up before recording this album. They retreated to The Catskills Mountains, to get it together in the country, man. They decided to do whatever they wanted, expecting nothing. The album became a big indie hit in the UK and Europe. Who knew? Certainly not the band. In some ways, not least the vocals, it sounds like the Flaming Lips, though not as demented and certainly not as deranged as earlier Rev albums.
‘Holes’ kicks it off, with big drums, strings, horn, melancholy tune. ‘Tonite It Shows’ is gentle pluck and Mellotron and castanets and prettiness. ‘Endlessly’, voices and high pitch saw(?), acoustic guitar, clarinet and just lovely. ’I Collect Coins’ slow, piano, echo, ghosts. ‘Opus 40’ almost like a raggedy ‘Our House’ with Levon ‘The Band’ Helm on drums. Gorgeous. ‘Hudson Line’ brushed drums and saxophone from Garth ‘The Band’ Hudson. ‘The Happy End (The Drunk Room)’ Kurt Weill feel and spacey eeriness. ‘Goddess On A Highway’, the single, with singalong melody and big guitar bursts. Nice. ‘The Funny Bird’ big and bold, with effected vocals and shades of Neil Young. ‘Pick Up If You’re There’ sounds like something off Side 2 of Bowie’s ‘Low’. ‘Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp’ sees us off into the sunset with a happy stomping drum and melody.
Accessible but still wildly off kilter. Great live band too.