Album: Deserter's Songs
Artist: Mercury Rev
Artist: Mercury Rev
Born: Buffalo, New York
Released: September 1998
Genre: Dream Pop
The opening of Deserter's Songs sounds almost identical to the cosmic intro to Wish You Were Here, and I don't think that's a mere coincidence. Mercury Rev were clearly looking at ways of updating classic rock, and bringing in Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band for the recording sessions shows an intent to recapture the musical spirit of late 60s upstate New York. Mercury Rev started out in the early 90s but their noisy, imaginative brand of psychedelia never really caught on, and the move to a more orchestrated, baroque sound coincided with the departure of vocalist, Dave Baker. Their third album, 1995's See You On The Other Side, was the first major step in this direction, with its lush arrangements of French horns and Würlitzer piano. Commercial success still eluded them though (until that point, Jonathan Donahue's songwriting credit on Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers was the closest he'd come to fame), so fourth album Deserter's Songs was a last throw of the dice. Donahue had played on two of the early Flaming Lips records, but left the band to focus his creative energies on Mercury Rev, and was the principle songwriter on this album. The results were better than anyone could have hoped for. I got to see Deserter's Songs performed in all its glory live at Green Man 2014, and Donahue's entrance through the purple smoke and the band's note perfect performance was completely unforgettable.
Holes starts with a lush symphonic sound and Donahue's high-pitched, vulnerable voice, while the wistful lyrics ("Dreams, that big blue open sea / that can't be crossed, that can't be climbed / just born") seem to voice a coming to terms with the realities of life. Tonite It Shows and Endlessly are two orchestral ballads that reveal a heavy Disney influence, featuring the whine of a bow saw, flugelhorns and lush textures, and the effect is quite soporific. Opus 40 is one of the album's real highlights, featuring the unmistakable groove of Levon Helm on drums, his part kicking in as Donahue sings of the "Catskill mansions", placing the song firmly in Big Pink country. Opus 40 is actually a reference to a series of scupltures started in the 1930s by Harvey Fite in a 6-acre quarry in Saugerties, New York. Sadly though, Opus 40 was never completed, as Fite died in an accident in 1976. This theme of unfulfilled dreams ties in with the lyrics of Holes, and adds to the melancholy that underpins the album. Hudson Line features Garth Hudson on alto sax, and its lyrics that talk of leaving town on a one-way ticket are clearly indebted to Springsteen. Goddess On A Hiway is my favourite track on the record, and one of the best songs of the 90s, and when Donahue sings that passionate chorus his voice has all the emotion of Neil Young at his best. Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp makes for a rousing finale, and was a chance for The Chemical Brothers to repay their debt to Dinahue by providing a remix. Deserter's Songs influence can be felt strongly in various great albums that followed, from the Flaming Lips to the Delgados and Grandaddy, all of which used the same template of orchestral pop and deeply personal lyrics.
The opening of Deserter's Songs sounds almost identical to the cosmic intro to Wish You Were Here, and I don't think that's a mere coincidence. Mercury Rev were clearly looking at ways of updating classic rock, and bringing in Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band for the recording sessions shows an intent to recapture the musical spirit of late 60s upstate New York. Mercury Rev started out in the early 90s but their noisy, imaginative brand of psychedelia never really caught on, and the move to a more orchestrated, baroque sound coincided with the departure of vocalist, Dave Baker. Their third album, 1995's See You On The Other Side, was the first major step in this direction, with its lush arrangements of French horns and Würlitzer piano. Commercial success still eluded them though (until that point, Jonathan Donahue's songwriting credit on Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers was the closest he'd come to fame), so fourth album Deserter's Songs was a last throw of the dice. Donahue had played on two of the early Flaming Lips records, but left the band to focus his creative energies on Mercury Rev, and was the principle songwriter on this album. The results were better than anyone could have hoped for. I got to see Deserter's Songs performed in all its glory live at Green Man 2014, and Donahue's entrance through the purple smoke and the band's note perfect performance was completely unforgettable.
Holes starts with a lush symphonic sound and Donahue's high-pitched, vulnerable voice, while the wistful lyrics ("Dreams, that big blue open sea / that can't be crossed, that can't be climbed / just born") seem to voice a coming to terms with the realities of life. Tonite It Shows and Endlessly are two orchestral ballads that reveal a heavy Disney influence, featuring the whine of a bow saw, flugelhorns and lush textures, and the effect is quite soporific. Opus 40 is one of the album's real highlights, featuring the unmistakable groove of Levon Helm on drums, his part kicking in as Donahue sings of the "Catskill mansions", placing the song firmly in Big Pink country. Opus 40 is actually a reference to a series of scupltures started in the 1930s by Harvey Fite in a 6-acre quarry in Saugerties, New York. Sadly though, Opus 40 was never completed, as Fite died in an accident in 1976. This theme of unfulfilled dreams ties in with the lyrics of Holes, and adds to the melancholy that underpins the album. Hudson Line features Garth Hudson on alto sax, and its lyrics that talk of leaving town on a one-way ticket are clearly indebted to Springsteen. Goddess On A Hiway is my favourite track on the record, and one of the best songs of the 90s, and when Donahue sings that passionate chorus his voice has all the emotion of Neil Young at his best. Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp makes for a rousing finale, and was a chance for The Chemical Brothers to repay their debt to Dinahue by providing a remix. Deserter's Songs influence can be felt strongly in various great albums that followed, from the Flaming Lips to the Delgados and Grandaddy, all of which used the same template of orchestral pop and deeply personal lyrics.
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