Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Sounding like if a bunch of Tim Burton characters met at a psychedelic parade and decided to form an indie rock band, this album was an unexpected delight. I had never heard of these guys before, and the album title and cover really gave no good clues what to expect, but there was plenty here for me to enjoy, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to discover these guys. This combination of interesting layered musical textures and moments, danceability, and whimsy (Bring back whimsy! We could all use some these days) just does it for me. The orchestral swells, glittering guitars, and ghostly falsettos give a dream-like feeling of melancholy and innocence. The band reminded me a bit of Flaming Lips in their sound, and I do see that they are indeed directly connected to that band through shared history. Like them, this was weird and wonderful! 4.5
Moody. Weird. But still listenable. Not sure if it’s a must listen but you should listen to something like this at least once. Hudson Line really hit me as a great song.
Enjoyed this, didn’t feel like it was dragging on at all, in comparison to some of the others I’ve gotten recently
3.5 It grew on me Unique songs Dreamy quality
Reminds me a lot of the Spiritualized album from a few days ago. Love the singing saw.
Absolutely no expectations when I started listening and found I actually liked what I heard! This is worth a revisit at some point...
I never knew someone else was doing what the Flaming Lips were doing......or maybe the Lips were doing what Mercury Rev was doing. Chicken or egg? Either way I like it
un gros 3.5 fort. Je vais mettre 4. Un album bien fait, pas de compromis, avec beaucoup de moment interessants. J'y reviendrai et je vais me le procurer.
Poetic album. Top notch.
3.5
Kind of a flaming lips feel at times. Enjoyed most of this album
Surpisingly good, definitely my vibe. There are some great anthems on this thing. Nice and unique sound
Ethereal and dreamy. Really lovely moody album that I wish I would have discovered way earlier.
I have never heard of this band or this album. Pleasantly surprised, we’re on a nice lil streak of good music. It’s like sparklehorse but every once in a while they press the random noise button and the last thing you could ever guess starts playing. Danny Elfman esque but not as purposeful. I need help immediately ass bonus track. Definitely a if I listen to this 3 more times it’ll be a 5 but we’ll leave it at a 4.
Cool
Excellent dark, baroque-psychedelic, infused '90s pop music. Many parts here reminded me of the little Flaming Lips I've heard, and the sort of awkward vocals really fall into that indie-rock '90s style - they reminded me a lot of Built to Spill. The production is haunting. I love the slow looping and growth of the opener that feels like a larger-than-life flower blossoming on the dawn of a new year - especially when those horns come in. It also introduces the weird Theremin noise that is used very liberally on this album, though I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I'd say the best crop of songs are saved for last, starting from the great 'Goddess on a Hiway', maybe the most direct pop-rock song here, but it's also just a really good take on this sound. The following, 'The Funny Bird' has the most larger-than-life production on the whole thing; the sound here is monstrous - very strong post-rock vibe with this one especially when that unhinged guitar solo kicks in. The bass on this track is also killer. Very moody, dark but never really angsty or cheesy, which is why I think I enjoyed this as much as I did. I mean, it still sort of borders it at times, especially near the start of the record. But the dense, varied production paired with the honestly very solid instrumental interludes here (Pick Up if You're There was especially crushing with that violin) gave the whole thing a very authentic, gothic feel, one that I really enjoyed.
Pretty uplifting actually
Has a very The Flaming Lips vibe... I approve.
I mean, it sounds like the Soft Bulletin. I had never listened to this and was expecting something totally different. Enjoyed it.
I wish it was a bit more consistent, but the best moments are REALLY damn good. 3.5/5
Not too bad.
I didn't know much about Mercury Rev beyond the name and Goddess on a Hiway (I always thought they were British for starters), but I'm liking this a lot. Some really beautiful, whimsical and odd little tunes. A bit like Eels, with fewer rough edges. My interest waned at times, but never completely, or for too long. 3.5 / 4
This was really interesting and mostly pleasant (particularly the more whimsical, moody songs), but certain sounds were way too high-pitched in some places which took away from my enjoyment. If I could magically delete two of the worst tracks (The Happy End and Pick up if you're there), the album would be really great. I understand what they were going for in those two tracks but the results were just annoying in my opinion. 4 stars
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It had a consistent vibe, though it did get a bit lost around track 10. The vocals were a little grating at times, especially in the higher registers, but were again consistent. I agree that the album is a great example of a band ignoring commercial influences and just doing them.
Reminds me of my beloved Flaming Lips
Someone got a theremin for Christmas. 7/10
A really good album, I like Mercury Rev's music style. My favorite songs were Holes, Opus 40 and Goddess on a Hiway.
3.5 stars. Got "Do You Realize??" by Flaming Lips vibes. More rowdy take on Americana/pop. Standout is "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"
I have never heard of this band. It's fun going into an album having absolutely no idea what to expect or even what genre. I actually thought this album was really cool and would happily listen to it again. It wasn't quite a legendary 5, but it was a really solid album.
"Tonite It Shows" is a great song. The lead singer has a good voice for not being able to hold a lot of notes. Still nice to listen to. I'm not paying a ton of attention to the individual songs but this album has been really good. "Hudson Line" is really great. The vocals remind me a little of Vampire Weekend. "The Happy End" is a weird song, it made me a little uncomfortable. "Goddess on a Hiway" has really enjoyable vocals. I really like his voice and the singing style. "The Funny Bird" is not my favorite song, the vocal modifications are a little weird. "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" was a great ending. 8/10
quirky and unique, first track is a standout
I'd never even heard of this band but I quite like this album...lovely, romantic, melancholy. I haven't heard anything quite like it, although there are hints of Polyphonic Spree, who arrived a couple of years later.
This is an astonishing album. I didn't know it, except for Goddess on a Hiway which everyone knows. I'm giving it 4-stars but I suspect with a few listens it would be nudged up to a 5-star album. It is just so interesting and emotional.
An album of two halves for me. The first half really felt like nothing special to me - just some generic 90s soft-rock pop-ish music, but then The Happy End started, which totally threw me for a loop. It doesn't happen often, but there certainly is both a time and a place where this kind of off-beat, off-putting song is just the kind of jam one needs. Goddess on a Hiway is just genuinely a good song, I absolutely loved both the vocal arrangement and the instruments through and through, with the fade out to end... chef's kiss, one of my favorite new songs I've discovered since I started doing this challenge. And then the rest of the album through the end didn't provide much amazement anymore, but I still really liked what they were doing with the songs, lots of quirky elements to them, and the sudden uptick in loudness was also pretty refreshing! Very intrigued to hear more of what they have to offer.
Man these guys sound so much like The Flamings Lips and I mean that as a compliment. After doing a bit of research it looks like the frontman ended up joining the Flaming Lips after Mercury Rev which is interesting because he sounds just like the singer of The Flaming Lips but he was a guitarist haha. Holes is an amazing song and I've heard it in a bunch of places but I can't remember where. The whole album is solid though. It's weird but still accessible and it kinda of has this uplifting hopeful feeling to it which is something I've needed.
Super cool record! I was really surprised by this one. As a 2000s indie kid, this was definitely up my alley. I love all psych elements, and emo-ish vocals and lyrics. Cool instruments and weird effects. This was awesome, I was very surprised by this.
A strange mix of low quality 90s alternative rock and progressive. I love it. 4/5
great opening track, very decadent. flaming lips resemblance; made a lot more sense when i realized they shared a producer (and actually recorded this album in the same studio that flaming lips recorded soft bulletin in). hudson line is a stinker—comically jumbled mess. the mellow instrumental palate generally works, spellbindingly atmospheric. does occasionally lumber into a lull, devolving into passive "soundtrack rock" that is too easy to tune out of. could have done without the drowsy interludes. very much enjoyed the vibrantly dynamic final track.
Dreamy like feel, drums that just make you feel. Just beautifully put together like a warm blanket. Some of the non vocal songs are very experimental and don't add the most value towards the album. Also, WHAT IS THIS ENDING so very off putting and strange. Anyways, very very good parts and some that will make you wonder why, why, why.
Irgendwie cool. Muss ich mir auf jeden Fall nochmal anhören. Hatte das Gefühl, die Songs wurden gegen Ende immer besser. Zwischen drei und vier, aber ich runde Mal auf, weil es eine Band ist, von der ich noch nie was gehört habe und die ich sonst wohl nie entdeckt hätte.
It was very hard for me to decide if I just liked it or really liked it. It reminded me of a cross between the flaming lips and early Ween (vocally but not hi fi)
9/10
Great songs but the odd interludes drag it down a bit for me, but overall great.
Some songs sound like the flaming lips.
3.5/5
No conocía a la banda y me parecieron muy buenos. El disco tiene temazos oscuros pero que mantienen cierto mood de pasársela bien escuchándolos, en lugar de tirarse a la depresión. Muy buen disco, lo escucharé de nuevo.
Fun album to listen to. You can see where a lot of indie rock may have been inspired.
why does "Endlessly" have Silent Night in it.
I randombly discovered this album in my parents' CD collection and I really enjoyed it. It is very airy and poppy neo-psychedelia, with lots of infectious earworms. Recommended. Key tracks: Holes Endlessly Opus 40 Goddess on a Hiway
I really liked this album a lot. It started very strong but kind of went up and down after. They kind of hurt themselves with how many instrumentals there are, but you can tell that’s just what they wanted to do. Very flaming lips sound
Not to be confused with Deserted Songs
Mercury Rev came to me in the middle of the night or rather that twilight period between wake and sleep. Few years ago now but I was listening to Bob Harris late Saturday night program on Radio 2 and must have nodded off but was awoken softly by the enchanting sound of Snowflake in a Hot World from a later album than this. But that made an impression on me and led me to discover more of Mercury Rev. So I was familiar with this album and is a good representation of what Mercury Rev are about. I like their later albums more but this is a solid one full of delightful music. 4/5 26/12/24
definitely in the relisten pile. it doesn't obviously grab me from the start but i think that it's one of those albums that will grow on you. very spacey and cool
Unique and creative.
I listened to this a few time. There was a lot of comparisons to the Flaming Lips, which I have now learned is because of a few shared members. I spent some time listening to this album as well as Flaming Lips discography. I will say I am definitely a fan of the indie shoegaze style I would kind of broadly call it dream pop. Definitely psychedelic and spacey but this Deserter's Songs project is a bit more wirey and skiddish than the Flaming Lips. I think the result here is a project that tries to be unassuming and finds itself at some pretty cool places. My favorite tracks are Holes, Opus 40, and Goddess on a highway.
Drugged and dreamy. Flaming Lips' cousin delivers melancholy tunes.
J’ai été agréablement surpris de voir qu’il y avait une version instrumentale de l’album, compte tenu de la qualité vocale questionnable du chanteur. Ma critique portera donc sur cette version, car il me reste encore un peu d’amour-propre. Donc, c’est bon? Oui, même hyper-super bon. Il y a une grande diversité de style et de textures sonores qui donne une profondeur aux compositions, rendant l’écoute jamais ennuyante. Si le générateur avait spécifié cette version, j’aurais peut-être donné un cinq, mais compte tenant le chanteur, eeeuh 4 jsuis généreux
First thought, this sounds a bit like The Flaming Lips. After deciding on my rating, checking the global reviews, I wasn't the only one who thought that! I'd listen again, nice unintrusive music to have playing while at work.
High 4. Mercury Rev are class! Couple of filler tracks but the rest is good.
What a pleasant surprise. I made the mistake of reading about the artist and album before actually listening, which allowed my prejudices to kick in and tell me "you ain't gonna like this". They were wrong (for once), the first track was beautifully haunting, and the final track was uplifting and joyous. In between, there were undoubted low points but also many high points. It was difficult to pigeon-hole this music - I could hear many influences throughout such as pop, jazz, soul, rock, etc. I can't quite give it 5 stars, but it's an easy 4 stars.
Hell yeah someone other than Neutral Milk Hotel bringing out the musical saw Enjoyed this quite a bit. Very unfamiliar with Mercury Rev, but these Deserter Songs are a cool mix of shoegaze and symphonic pop. The sounds between the songs often veer into the dark and cinematic, which checks into the emotional circumstances leading up to the making of this album (ya I read the Wiki article) HL: "Holes", "I Collect Coins", "Opus 40", "Hudson Line", "Pick Up If You're There", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" December 3, 2024
I am struggling to rate this one. Overall, this is a really good album, but I'm just not into it. I am, however, into a lot of bands that were very clearly influenced by this one, so I feel like I need to give them some more credit.
I like this album, but always thought it was a bit older; it seems dated for 1998. But that's kind of fitting, since it also feels anachronistic, retrofuturistic, electromechanical. An album from an alternate timeline where rock bands have instruments like a saw. Aesthetically I think it fits in with the Elephant 6 bands, or with slower Smashing Pumpkins songs like 'Tonight, Tonight' and 'Thirty-Three'. It feels cold and distant; I think the album artwork fits it perfectly, if that makes sense. I got drunk and high and fell asleep while listening to it a second time, which I suppose is an endorsement, but not necessarily a full-throated one.
Like this!
Saw them recently - still a top band.
General impression: lush, wondrous and strange. Detailed review: What is this? I’ve heard the name Mercury Rev before but never had enough to get properly curious. Apparently they’re somewhat connected with The Flaming Lips, mainly through the producer Dave Fridmann. Anyway, they do sound like the Lips, but they strike me as softer, sadder and a little more grounded. I fell in love with the first song immediately, and each track after it seemed to create its own little sound-world, an ability I adore in good bands. I had to give this two listens, because I was very impressed on my first listen, but I’m wary about giving albums a 5 after only one cursory listen. After the second, my score has reduced a little, but I still remain very happy with the discovery of this album. It’s a lot more vibrant and creative than I expected, and I’ll definitely be returning to it. Deeper thoughts (context): Time to dive into some more Mercury Rev albums, and this also might kick off a Flaming Lips phase too. Score: 4.4 (4) Number of albums left to review: 965 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 20 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 16
Earlier this year, I happened upon a well-executed interview from 2002. Carson Daly was the interviewer and his subject was David Bowie... Here was part of their exchange: CD: I've seen you at the MTV Video Music Awards. I think like last year I remember sitting there when N’sync or Britney Spears was on and I remember just looking over at you and thinking what does David Bowie think of this right now? ...Crowd laughs... Bowie looks around and says- "well that would be too easy" or something and smiles... DB: Uh let me go another way with that one. I think you know a major band in this country for me anyway during the 80s were the Pixies. I thought they were absolutely necessary - a very very important band - Charles was, or Frank, whatever or however you want to refer to him, is a fantastic songwriter and they produced some really exciting music. Obviously Nirvana was terribly influenced - a number of other bands were influenced by them. But, they were never played on American radio, they never sold any albums, and they broke up. I'm seeing that beginning to happen again over here. You got bands like Grandaddy, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips – They (Flaming Lips) are getting some kind of exposure now right this second , but if they don't get played, they don't sell albums, then, if you're not careful they're going to go under. And more creative, really inventive artists are going to disappear after 2 or 3 years because nobody's out there supporting them. The radio isn't supporting like it should be, and there is crap on American radio - real crap. ...After seeing this interview, I listened to Grandaddy, and was pleasantly surprised. Happy to see Mercury Rev posted here. Bowie was really tuned in...all 3 of those bands are cut from the same cloth, and, as predicted, all but Flamin Lips kind of faded away.
I thought it had some really good songs - but I didn't find myself to be head over heels for them
Actually a nice album. Very complex. I liked all the string instruments
Really enjoyed the album. Such a distinct mix of songs. Opus 40 and Goddess on a Hiway were my favs
It's very hard not to hear the Flaming Lips while listening to this. They have a similar sound, but maybe a tiny bit less weird and a pinch more dreamy. I will listen to this again.
I went into this totally blind. I’ve never heard of them, don’t even know what genre they are. Having finished the album, I still can’t say what genre :) This is a very chill album and I ended up liking it. It’s quirky, and fun and calming. Favorite tracks- Goddess on a Hiway, The Funny Bird, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. 4
It was pretty soothing
I liked this one
Never heard of this band and was surprised at how much I liked this. Catchy tunes, good production, nice variety. Will listen to more by them.
Kinda Radio Head / Take Impala ish...but probably older than those. I liked it for a listen but maybe not more??
löcher HAHAHAHAH ich chegg de flaming lips verglich sehr fest aso er chan echt 0 singe und de komischi gsang findi recht geil?? hey finds iwie na cute? aber chegg wiso de luca s nöd gern het happy end isch fast scho obnoxious ohh goddess on a hiway erinneret mich ah irgendöppis, hans huere gern funny bird kinda arsch heja ich verstahn wiso mers nöd gern het...aber ich liebs iwie, er chan 0 singe und villes isch chli weird und verspielt aber han e gueti ziit gha
This one was a total surprise for me. I really enjoyed it.
Cool little album to start my morning. Cool vocal and instrumental bits as well. Pretty good if you ask me.
I don't know what to call this, except for special music. A lot of different things merging into something that I can listen to, and it's good.
Listen to the great Deserter’s Songs, then listen to its magnificent sister record The Soft Bulletin - proceed to just enjoy life.
Holes Tonite It Shows Opus 40 Goddess on a Hiway
Exciting. Love the classic Melodies in the background, and the noise
As soon as this started I thought "wow, this sounds like the Flaming Lips"; and sure enough, the two bands walked side-by-side to inspire each other. I'm not surprised, and I quite like it.
I’d say this has all the hallmarks of a cult work, in that the story is just as if not more interesting than the work itself. A band who after a flop, decided to say ‘Fuck it, let’s just record whatever uncommercial thing we want, the label be damned,’ and as such recorded their most acclaimed and as far as I can tell, best selling album. And I don’t not like it, I would just need a bit of extra time with it in order to say that I think the music is more interesting than the story
Madavi Shoegaze stuff. Very Flaming Lips.
As solid now as when it first came out.
So lush yet so down to earth, like a subtly magical forest.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would considering I’d never heard of the album or artist. The seamless combination of multiple different genres and styles makes this album feel unique and original. No bops, but the writing, lyrics, and production were all solid. Glad to have found it. 4/5
Cool album, I really really like the lyrics, enjoyable, vocals are nice. Calm and soothing tone of the album is really refreshing. Like a sunny rainy day. 8.0/10.
This was a pleasant surprise and exactly the sort of thing I joined this site for. I had never even heard of this band before. I enjoyed this a lot. The only thing that bugged me was the theremin (I think it's a theremin) being overused.
This is pretty good and definitely interesting, with a few well near-excellent moments ("Holes," "Opus 40," "Goddess on the Hiway," "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"), but it seems as if it (and they) might have been so much more. Did MR know who they were and what they were trying to accomplish? On the latter point, might it have been too much or too different? Hey editors: the comparisons to Neil Young and Pink Floyd are not exactly apt. There's too much filigree (especially with the theremin [or whatever] which only ever gets in the way by calling excessive attention to itself). It's overly dramatic if interesting and unlike other ambitious '90s artists this doesn't go on way too long. And at least it's not grunge or alt rock. One never fully took to them in real time back in the day, felt it never quite fully cohered or compelled, and that impression repeats a few decades out. Rounding up for effort, however.
listening to this is a very strange experience (in a good way)
Pretty nice album, melancholic vibes, quite beautiful melodies at times, the general atmosphere suits me very, very well. Vocalist has a unique voice, which compliments the music and puts the quality up a notch. I think something is missing, because this album gets boring after few songs, maybe even tiring, but it's pretty good in smaller samples.
Pretty good. Should listen again
Teddy Mercury.
I read a rave review of this album when it came out and bought it. The music is very good "baroque n' roll", featuring a hypnotic quality that is beautiful and mesmerizing without succumbing to schmaltz or melancholy. The singer has a bit of a weedy voice, but it works with the material as it portrays a certain vulnerability.
Enjoyed this way more than i thought I would. In fairness I didn't really know who Mecury Rev were, I thought they were something, but it seems they were something else. I did recognise the highway one though. Yeah nice mix of electric sounds and rock type tendancies.
I enjoyed this, but honestly thought most of these songs were by The Flaming Lips. It's very pleasant spacey music.
Listened to this last year for the first time, I couldn't shake The Flaming Lips vibes... then read that Mercury Rev frontman Jonathan Donahue used to be a guitarist in The Flaming Lips, so the connection made sense. It's a grower; think I like it a little more today than I did last year.
This album put me into the experience of a midwest teen laying out in a field somewhere on a lonely night, staring at the stars, and there's something beautiful about that. I couldn't help but compare this to (somewhat superior) Flaming Lips records I'm very fond of, but I think it has enough unique flavor to stand out from comparable records of the time. It has a very timeless sound for 1998, and for that, I'll be coming back for a deeper dive soon.
A curious, mood-lifting daydream of an album, one which I’m struggling to shake from my psyche.
Bloody awesome. They’ve played in tons of festivals Ive attended and never seen them. They remind me of the pixies on valium. What an album. Goddes on a hiway is a corker. Very dreamy and spacey in a good way
What's there to rate? If anything, this sounds like a musical written by a high school student who is not on the honor roll, using some simple open-source software, some duct tape, and maybe a well-trained hamster as a cheerleader. Best record of the year for 1998? Then again, not much good came out of 1998, if you ask me. Is the cause due to the limitations of what human beings can do with 7 chords? 2 stars, because I didn't hate it. So, I found the “edit” button option, and now I am pleased that I can change the ratings of this album which, probably 1 day after rating it, told me “oy, listen to me again” and again and again… and since I’ve started to really like the bastards… 3 1/2* which I will bump to 4*!
Surprisingly not awful
Surprisingly good. Will save this one
Weird almost atmospheric sound with a healthy mix of college band level saxophone and clarinet.
Man this album really runs the gamut in terms of sounds. There is so much going on it feels way over my head. Lots of emotion and several long music breaks but thats not necessarily bad. I particularly liked Endlessly.
Very nice album (4/5). Don't understand why it's classified as Rock? (not at all)
Listened to this while playing 7th Citadel. I actually enjoyed this more than I was expecting to! Some of the songs felt a little bloated, but overall, I liked it!
Actually pretty solid stoner album. Big fan
Pleasant little gem this album is
I liked this album way more than I expected, the opening song Holes is especially great
This doesn’t really sound like a late 90s rock album, and that’s what’s so fascinating about it. Both psychedelic and alternative.
Surprisingly pretty entertaining and cool. I liked it.
I’ve never heard this before but it fits the rainy day and my mood. I’m really enjoying this and I’m sorry I didn’t know about it back in 1998.
Trigger Happy TV! I can't listen to this without picturing Dom Jolly winding people up. It's also pretty good.
Listened Before? N Despite them being an American band, I have never heard of them at all. This album is a vibe. I like it. It's mellow enough to just be background music, but also weird enough to get high and trip out to. Holes is awesome, and Goddess on a Hiway gets kinda groovy too. I assumed this album would just resonate as weird with me but by the time I reached the end, I found myself really wanting to keep listening to it. Well done. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Holes
I prefer their first two albums but this is great on it’s own. Many catchy melodies and head-bumping grooves. Also extra points for using the singing saw!
Nice
Another example of "don't judge an album by the first track". This album is full of variety in how they approach song writing and arrangements. Love the crazy bowed saw sound. The lyrics are colorful, trippy, overly rhymed at times, and other times just sort of dumb, but so what, they are wonderfully rich sonic adventures here. A favorite track for sure was The Funny Bird. Great line in Goddess On A Highway, "and I know it aint gonna last". This one took a few spins to really appreciate it. I love the combination of acoustic piano, saxophones, synths, and witty lyrics. Enjoy!
Interesting- a little creepy but I did enjoy
1998, Chamber pop, Americana Fourth studio album for Mercury Rev (USA) Standouts: Holes, Goddess on a Hiway, Tonite it Shows, Endlessly, Opus 40, 4.25 Others: Hudson Line, The Happy End,
Seemingly incongruously with the positive reviews I read, the opening track "Holes" left me believing this would either be a one star album, or more likely, one I did not finish. I'm glad I gave it a chance as it grew on me and, in my opinion, mostly improved from the first track. The vocals were the weakest part to me (which is my primary complaint throughout this experiment), but much more palatable than many of the artists on this list thus far.
This was a very interesting album. I really loved the orchestral touches as I love chamber pop in general. There was an air of experimentality to some of the arrangement which was refreshing to see in a genre where simply adding strings is usually sufficient to make a rock/pop artist seem high minded. These arrangements are thoughtful and stand on their own as opposed to being mere backing. The album lulled a bit in the middle, but was overall a great listen. I will have to visit this album again.
A pretty lovely sounding record - highly eclectic and definitely a grower - gets more interesting with every listen and while there are no standout individual tracks - it sounds great as a whole. To be explored further
Really like their sound. 4/5
Mooi album, beetje vreemd, net niet geweldig
A weird and out there record, pretty much what I was expecting. This was fun and bubblegummy and weird and dissonant at the same time. Great record.
I can see how this influenced The Flaming Lips when they were making The Soft Bulletin. Simply beautiful production. The last track being a jam certainly helps this album out, also.
It’s a 3.5 that I think I’m going to begrudgingly round up, if only because I recognize that its biggest weakness for me is not going to be as big of a factor for some other people. I will say, first of all, that because of the renaissance of the late 90s aesthetic and style going on right now, something about this album does feel a bit like 2024 instead of 1998. That’s not to say it’s a timeless sound, but it’s certainly a sound that feels like it’s in vogue again, and that helped a lot with this album. My biggest thing with this album is the vocals, and I know that shouldn’t be a dig in light of really strong top to bottom production (except for The Happy End), but it really did just drag me out of a few of the songs. There are points when the vocals click really well, but when the lyrics are great and the vocal passion isn’t quite there to match it, something just doesn’t work well for me. However, that’s me – this album is certainly deserving of a 4, and I’m sure it would get there on a subsequent listen when something just clicks better for me, and I’ll round it up now to be fair.
Dark beatles
I wasn't a fan of every single track but - overall - I really liked this one. It's got a real recognizable 90s vibe that I dig, but there was also some Neil Young, Bob Dylan, REM stuff going on in there too. The instrumentation was cool as well - a little weird but just enough to make it interesting.
I loved this album. There's so much going on here, yet it all ties together so well. It's ethereal, melancholic, dreamy, psychedelic, emotional, and atmospheric.
Another album that at the time I found boring but now appreciate.
This came as a surprise. I didn't know the band. None of the songs sounded familiar to me. Anyhow, I liked the album. The band creates an almost cinematic atmosphere and uses some sounds/instruments in an unobtrusive way that are usually not used in rock music. Well, I did not like all songs—"The Happy End (The Drunk Room)" is not my cup of tea.
Holes is good. Endlessly reminded me of Silent Night, “sleep in heavenly peace”. Are they using a theremin? Cool There seems to be film score sounding interludes scattered throughout for some reason which I don’t believe contributes to the album but rather prevents it from flowing. And then before I knew it I had listened to the album three times and thought it was perfect. Not to sound cute but what a precious album. Beautiful.
- this is such a winter album i love it - the happy end did NOT make me happy
Was pleasantly surprised by this album. Some of the songs were a little out there and a little long, but over all i loved it, especially the first half of the album. Will definitely be listening to this again. My favourite song was Holes
3.6/5 Best Track: Holes
Reminds me of Tripping Daisy.
Incredibly creative music. Feels like a happy place between Frank Zappa, Flaming Lips, and a movie you will never be arthouse enough to see.
Lots of different things going on here, which was interesting, even though it didn’t always work for me. Best tracks: - The Funny Bird - Holes - Goddess on a Hiway 3.5 rounded up.
10
Hørte ikke veldig nøye etter men synes det var greit!
Somhow really like it
Lourd
Beautiful sibling band of the Flaming Lips that I hadn't heard about until now. Both bands seem to have a similar trajectory: psychedelic and goofy experimental rock beginnings, then maturing into bittersweet existential indie rock. This album is from their mature stage. 3.5 stars rounded up.
This is one of those albums that I would have never gotten around to listening to if not for this challenge. The very large overlap with the Flaming Lips, both in terms of style and their careers, was a pleasant surprise. The album itself took a few listens to really sink in but it's really gorgeous and ahead of its time. It sounds really free and honest, particularly as the band held no hopes for commercial success and just wanted to make something they could enjoy.
4- Stars (10/15)
I love Mercury Rev. They've always been a band I forget about and then hear a song and dive back in deep. Smile emoji.
There's two bona fide beautiful songs on this, a few interesting ones, and a couple of head-scratchers. But mostly ethereal and melodic enough to warrant a few dedicated listens. I could do Holes and Opus 40 over and over though.
Upea ja jotenkin ihanan lempeä indieklassikko. The Flaming Lips selvästi läheinen. Soft Bulletin taisi tulla vasta seuraavana vuonna, mikä nostaa tämän arvostusta.
I have always meant to check out Mercury Rev. They were known for making strange noises, but I was surprised how melodic they actually were. Very cheerful psychedelic. Maybe somewhere on the spectrum of the Flaming Lips and the Polyphonic Spree. Very interesting, and not what I expected
The beautiful whimsy and monotone flat vocals both remind me of Kermit the Frog. The most enjoyable tracks are the ones where they added a little range.
Sognante, strano, progressivo
"Goddess on a Hiway" is still a fantastic song after 25 years. "Holes" and "Tonite It Shows" are excellent as well. Don't much care for some of the other tracks, making it hard to listen to the album as a whole.
J’ai plus apprécié cet album ci. Calme mais avec un style différent. De bonnes musiques de fond , pour travailler ou même pour une série.
When this album first got revealed to me I was pretty annoyed that this is now the fourth record in a row in which I've had never heard of the artist. However I'm pleasantly surprised! Loved the orchestral elements running throughout this album, interesting production choices, wild sound effects, intriguing story telling, and all from 98'! What's not to love? Absolutely plan to revisit this album again and probably sooner rather than later.
don't remember this too well but it's shoegaze so probably good
Super dreamy with a kind of sufjan stevens feel to it.
Had never heard of this. I like it. Funny bird. Worth more listens. Kinda like car seat headrest
4.5ish I think the instrumentals are so experimental and unique and I think this album is a lot of fun. But I found the vocals to be kind of weak/mundane and when they weren’t I found them whiny and straining, but not enough to hate the album, just enough that it’s not gonna be my favorite album.
Moody and cool. Like flaming lips on downers
This album is such an underdog. It’s like a long lost cinematic masterpiece. So many of the songs evoke this majestic vibe. Holes, Opus 40, Hudson Line, are all indie gems. The Funny Bird and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp are both jams. Why don’t people talk more about this album? I’m at a 4.5 here.
So far, this is probably the first album by a band I had never listened to that I would listen to again. Really enjoyed the sound.
Excellent
I liked it. From the first track. Its cinematic and quirky, only a few tracks detracted (was it theramin they ruined it with? or a saw? c'mon.) but anyway.... gentle and flowing to the point of almost boring, perfect for odd cinema and TV or a scenic road trip through alps or majestic valley in a desert, or tripping (the psychadelic connection isn't hard to make) I do think you could go for a walk in a forest to this and not realise the music is playing - its so breezy and atmospheric. (it would just blend with the situation, and make sense, carrying you along. SO YES, seeing I liked, it, I wondered and thought why not? ... so, yes - I dared, I LISTENED TO THE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF THIS OBSCURE LITTLE ALBUM. Yes, there’s more! Its even better and cleaner. This is going to appeal to listeners of classical and soundtrack, and gentle ambient music, and it is evocative - hence , yes, I liked that even more. warm slow pulsing builds BUT NOW WITH MORE HORN! and some harp...Not kidding. . Yes, psychaledic rock, I like. Best tracks, Opus 40, Godess on a Hiway, Holes. Does it belong here?. Probably because its obscure and they hung around., and maybe there isnt much recent Psyrock around? Do I like it? yes, I do like Psychadelic rock. its a great soundtracky journey. and somehow it dint annoy me. 4.5
I have Q magazine to thank for my introduction to Mercury Rev, specifically the Essential Chill Out cd which came with one of their issues in 2000. Sixteen tracks that started with Novio by Moby, was almost exclusively British in content, but concluded with Holes, the opening track on Deserter’s Songs. It was the track on that cd that I was really taken with. I then read an article about the band that compared their sound to Neil Young (presumably Jonathon Donahue’s vocals more than anything else), so I was intrigued enough to eventually track down the disc. It’s an eerie album. I don’t know what they use to get that theremin sound (listen to Endlessly) but it’s so effective. I love Opus 40 - it seems to reference Bowie (All The Young Dudes), The Beatles(Golden Slumbers) & did Springsteen come up with the phrase “suicide machine”(Born To Run)? Whatever, it got me in & the bonus was having Levon Helm from The Band on drums. It’s followed by The Hudson Line, which features Garth Hudson from The Band on saxes. Really enjoyed discovering this album when I did.
Can't believe this was from 1998, only really noticed some of these tracks much later, but makes sense. I really enjoyed this slice of Americana. "Goddess" gets overplayed a lot, so it was nice to hear the light and shade in the rest of this, without going completely Arcade Fire.
ok
Definitely some strong Flaming Lips vibes with this. Will listen again
Un 4 por Goddess on a Hiway. Igual un 5 al single, pero al disco entero no.
Never heard the full album, nice, easy listening
A really decent album. Lots of similarities to the Flaming Lips; the reason is explained in the wiki.
That was cool and interesting. The amateurish vocals put me off and it dragged in the middle, but otherwise great.
Genres: Indie rock, chamber pop, neo-psychedelia, avant-pop, psychedelic pop Formed: Buffalo, New York in 1989 Run time: 11 songs, 44 min, 40 sec Deserter's Songs is their fourth studio album. Prior to this album the band was on the skids with members leaving, debt and self-doubt. A collaboration between Donahue and The Chemical Brothers reinvigorated him. Track 8, “Goddess On A Hiway” is the most popular song on the album with over 16M plays on Spotify. Track 1, “Holes” has over 11.5M. All other tracks (bar one) have less than 1M plays. "Goddess on a Hiway" was released as a single in 1998. Three more tracks were released the following year and "Goddess on a Hiway" was reissued. The album is very melodic, the music is almost ethereal and the singing is very calm and gentle. It makes for very easy listening. Apart from the bloody weird (a “mellotron”?) instrument that is like a cat being tortured. Listen Again?: Probably My Rating: ****
A fantastic album; psychedelic, dreamy, alt rock. Did Matt Coin produce this because it has the Flaming Lips sound all over it. Really enjoyed this.
When listened to in the proper mood, a melancholic and charming record.
Un disco que me gustó mucho, aunque al final se pincha. Es una onda rara, como un Portishead menos fisura y una instrumentación tremenda.
I love that this album is connected to The Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin. This is pretty great stuff. I will listen again.
I've listened to this before, years ago, but kind of forgot about it. I still hear Holes or Godess on a Hiway on the radio every now and then though. I think I consigned them to the same bin I put The Flaming Lips into at some point. Listening to it through again though, I'm pleasantly surprised! It's a very relaxing blend of genres with clever use of a few classic melodies here and there. Some of the deep cuts are great too, like Hudson Line. Still probably not something I'd listen to very often, but I was glad to spend a bit of time with it today.
When you’re coming down, in the middle of the night, when all is quiet and the candles have burned low, turn this record on, step out on your balcony, smoke a cigarette, look at the stars, and know that life is beautiful and everything will be all right. Glowing, magical anchor’s away!
Drömskt och flummigt, tyckte om det.
Made me feel like I was at an Alive in Wonderland Tea Party. Fun listen and even more fun if you were on acid.
This was really solid. Good music. Had never heard of them before this.
Yeah this is great stuff. Cinematic. Wonderful arrangements, songwriting, and production. Takes me back. This came out the same time as The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips (and I learned today they were recorded in the same studio at the same time by the same producer!), but I always reached for this one more. I think it hangs together quite well even after all these years. My daughter dug it, too, so it's got the youth vote.
I’d never heard of this, but I really liked it!
Inte alls vad jag förväntade mig. Bara hört gruppnamnet förut men det här var en positiv överraskning.
Well she tossed all night like a raging sea Woke up and climbed from the suicide machine With her Spanish candles and her Persian poems Stuck on the rocks inside opus 40 stoned And scratching her wrists in the pouring rain She collapses down upon the ocean floor again Tears in waves minds on fire Nights alone by your side Catskill mansions buried screams I'm alive She cried but I don't know what it means Somewhere out there across the moonlit sands There's a line drawn like the lines on her own hand And slamming her eyes locking the door She collapses down upon the ocean floor again This is a great album, especially if you like Flaming Lips. Its not perfect, but its great. 4/5
Most music comes at you, something about this album invites and draws you in. A sort of bric-a-brac of various musical styles and inspirations the becomes it's own thing - rather intriguing. Finally, very much constructed as and Album, with a flow and seeming narrative from beginning to end. I enjoyed it very much.
Some of these reviews are cracking me up, “sounds like the Flaming Lips”. Well, you don’t say! Jonathon Donahue was in the Flaming Lips for In A Priest Driven Ambulance and Hit to Death in the Future Head - there’s a pretty substantial argument to be made that The Flaming Lips wouldn’t be the band they are without Donahue. In addition to helping the band hone their noisy, experimental sound into a more concise, experimental pop sound, he also introduced them to their long time producer, Dave Fridmann, who produced this album and nearly all of the other Mercury Rev records. So yeah, it sounds like the Flaming Lips. The influence Jonathon Donahue and David Fridmann had on the Flaming Lips can’t be understated. In fact, you could probably get some traction by starting a conspiracy theory positing that Jonathon Donahue was still a secret member of the Flaming Lips, at least through the Soft Bulletin. I think the truth is that the Flaming Lips had been chasing what Mercury Rev was doing since Donahue left the band after Hit to Death in the Future Head. It’s just that the Lips managed to make a hit out of it before Donahue did. I say this as a long time Flaming Lips fan, but it’s pretty clear listening to the output of the two bands through the 90’s. Now, all of that said, I enjoy The Soft Bulletin more of the two, but Deserter’s Songs is a damn fine record and was 1000% an influence on The Soft Bulletin. It’s undeniable. So that leaves me in a conundrum; Does Deserter’s Songs get a higher ranking than The Soft Bulletin, because it’s influence is so shockingly clear and undeniable? Does The Soft Bulletin get overrated because people just don’t know about Mercury Rev in the same way they know the Flaming Lips? Probably. No, strike that…it absolutely does. The divide falls somewhere along these lines: Deserter’s Songs is a record that is immaculately played, with very concise production and was clearly labored over. Not that The Soft Bulletin isn’t any of those things, but there’s a haphazard beauty to it that Deserter’s Songs (mostly) lacks. Both are great records, but for me, The Soft Bulletin just barely squeaks out a victory. To use a sports analogy that will surely alienate anyone under the age of 40 or anyone from Mercury Rev’s home town of Buffalo, NY: It’s like Super Bowl XXV, where a Buffalo field goal would’ve won the game for Buffalo over the Giants in the final seconds. The kick went wide-right and the Giants won the game 20-19. Buffalo was probably the better team that year and should’ve won that game, but it came down to one moment of chance and they were on the wrong side of it. …and that, class, is why the The Flaming Lips are the 1991 NY Giants of rock music and Mercury Rev are The Buffalo Bills. Next week we’ll discuss why Robert Pollard is the Michael Jordan of indie rock. See you then.
- Holes is a great opener! Love it and would listen to it again. - Tonite It Shows was nice and can totally see as a song that would grow on me on repeat listens - Goddess On A Hiway is fantastic super catchy what a great chorus - Solo in the middle of Funny Bird is amazing 4/5 good album will listen again
I had no idea there was a "twin" album to The Soft Bulletin. While there are a lot of similarities in the sonic textures, Mercury Rev create something original and interesting throughout the album. Really engaging material, definitely will re-listen
This was an interesting one. I've never heard of this group or record before but it was pretty good. I think it's aged well and many artists are making music with these sounds and ideas today. May be ahead of its time and that's impressive. I found the music itself to be pretty good too but nothing totally mind blowing other than the experimentation which was great. Personal Enjoyment - 7.5 Songwriting - 8.5 Lyrics - 7.5 Originality - 9 Production Value - 10 Artwork - 10 Overall - 8.3
Weird, but I liked it.
Sounded like Flaming Lips. Pretty good and I'd probably listen to it again. 3.5/5
Not totally my thing- apparently this album has ties to Flaming Lips and their Soft Bulletin, who I’m also hot and cold on- but some of it is pretty good, with a strong electric sound and solid rhythm section. It’s decent indie rock that doesn’t overstay its welcome, which is a blessing for this period especially. B
brabinho
Is that a saw... oh, I see. Listening to this was like being forced into one of those Christmas stores that are open year round. It sounds like the soundtrack to a fake animated German Disney movie that was translated back into English. I imagine they play Deserter's Songs at those Christmas stores right before the animatronic Mrs. Clause and elves attack you and smother you with fake cotton snow in some far corner of the store. Opus 40, tho.... That sounded really familiar and listened to it a few different times swearing that Flaming Lips or someone must've covered it somewhere. Maybe I'm hallucinating, maybe I've been spending too much time in those Christmas stores. Maybe I've developed Stockholm syndrome 'cause I kinda liked it.
I use the word interesting far too often in my reviews. As I was typing it out again about this album, I searched for similar feeling. Synonyms to describe this album that don’t quite describe my feelings: absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, riveting, gripping, compulsive, spellbinding, captivating, enthralling, entrancing, beguiling, appealing, attractive, amusing, diverting, exciting, and action-packed. Synonyms that describe how I feel about this album fairly well: compelling, intriguing, entertaining, stimulating, thought-provoking, compelling, and engaging. While it does not describe my feelings, my favorite interesting synonym is unputdownable. What a mouthful! This album is the stuff of Mercury Rev’s unencumbered dreams. And it would be a great sound track for some deep REM sleep dreamscape. I had never heard of this album until today. Another fine discovery.
Like The Zombies, another great album written by a band on their uppers. Excellent, timeless, genre-defying stuff.
Another artist I’d never heard of. I love that there are albums like this in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Dir. even if it turns out to actually be a really big artist, which may well be the case, I like listening to things that I’ve never come across before. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Holes, Goddess On A Hiway This was a perfect Sunday afternoon album. Admittedly, I’m writing this a day late, but the last day of the weekend can feel a bit naff, and super chill music can always make it a bit better. This might be another album for me to bear in mind when I’m studying. I can see it being a relaxing album and helping with assignment related stress!
4.5
De très jolies mélodies. La voix est un peu compliquée. Le début de l'album enchaine les très bons titres avant que la fin ne se perde un peu dans des interludes inutiles (coucou alt-j). Une belle découverte.
I enjoyed this album, it's not really like anything I've heard before. It blends shoegaze and pop and the singer sounds like a Midwest emo singer. The first song was great, the orchestration was very good especially the string instruments that are prominently good throughout the album. I still felt that a lot of the album lacked what the first song and a few others had in emotions and just felt kind of bland. Overall I give this album a 7.5/10 and this is one of the few artists I have found from this list that I actually like.
I thought this album was very cute!
I had to listen to this one several times before I was ready to rate it. I very much like it, although my initial thought was "this is kind of a rip-off of Flaming Lips." Little did I know that this is a side project by one of the Flaming Lips' members. Anyways, I think the three songs at the beginning of the album are perfect. There are some other good ones, but the first three are fantastic. Somber and psychedelic, this album brings a spacier sound to the neo-psychedelia of the time. Additionally, "Goddess on a Hiway" has some clever lyrics that I think is a pretty interesting way to make a song (two verses that are homonyms of each other making them seem like choruses). Anyways, if you like psychedelia or the Flaming Lips, you should give this one a try as well. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9.
This was pretty good. The songs were somewhat varied and there was not a song I disliked. Both of the singers' voices were a tad bit grating, but I got used to it after a while. It kind of fits the tone of the album. My favourite song was Endlessly.
The music of a quirky circus (a Quirkus-TM). Organs, strings, woodwinds, horns, musical saw. I'm not in love with it but if someone I lived with had it in their regular rotation, I wouldn't be mad.
If I hadn’t known what I was listening to I might have thought this was the Flaming Lips at times. Since I love the Flaming Lips, this was great! In particular loved the opening and closing tracks, but lots of other great stuff along the way.
I just went on a whole ramble about how much I didn’t like this album, then I gave it another listen. I changed my mind. I wasn’t in the mood for shoegaze I guess. I actually really like this now that I have it another chance. Beautiful melodies and I’m digging the sax solos. Makes me feel like I just took a massive bong rip and sunk six feet into my mattress. Definitely a vibe. 8.5/10
I was reminded of the flaming lips and that hour of bewilderbeast album listening to this even tho there isn’t much concrete reasoning behind it, just vibes. This is still good 90s music but wasn’t as good as those two things I just mentioned. opus 40 is a banger though
I really enjoyed this. A few memories unlocked. Goddess on a Hiway in particular.
I actually really liked this - some songs were very Flaming Lips-esque. But some more experimental ones bring it down to a four.
7.4/10 would listen again: prolly heard before: no enjoyed most of the songs ans couldn't fault any in particular. Have to be in a certain mood to listen again however but it was alright.
For some reason I thought this was a britpop record but it's absolutely not, much more of a Flaming Lips and Sparklehorse kind of thing that I enjoyed the heck out of
I have never heard of Mercury Rev before. This is a treat. I love how comforting the arrangements are. Opus 40 stands out to me with it's warm glow. Some experiments are taken on tracks like The Happy End, which kind of take me out of the groove that Mercury Rev had built up to that point, but for pacing purposes it helps break up the monotony. Overall, Deserter's Songs is a tender, thoughtful album. I enjoyed it all, including it's weirdness.
There are some really nice tunes on here
Surprisingly solid album that is great for chilling out.
Un 4 por Goddess on a Hiway. Igual un 5 al single, pero al disco entero no.
Speciaal album met veel kleine gekheidjes. Het is er aan te horen dat ze dit echt voor zichzelf maakten, en dat maakt het zo goed.
Enjoyed this chamber pop album a lot, it was very ethereal.
These songs are really good and really artistic, its slightly above average but i feel like it could've done more
dásemd
I liked it. The weird voice was entertaining, would listen again.
Very interesting sounding album
A slow burner of an album, deserves repeated listening to realise how well crafted this collection of songs are. A mixture of influences, slightly psychedlic pop at times, but also traces of everything from Prefab Sprout to Black Keys.
Nice variety in music, very whimsical at parts. A ton of different moods and sounds and instruments.
4/5 best - tonite it shows worst - the happy end (the drunk room) the funny bird is by far the best instrumentally but by far the worst vocally.
A bit similar to The Flaming Lips, which should make sense since some people on here would do some work for that group. Most of the songs here are very solid and worth checking out. Favorites: "Holes", "Endlessly", "Goddess on a Hiway"
highlights: sounds goofy sometimes -tonite it snows -i collect coins -endlessly -goddess on a highway least fav: what was than end -delta sun bottleneck stomp -pick up if you're there (goofy ahh violin) liked: i guess? there's something off with instrumentals, some great bangers but overall kinda indifferent
Was I a mercury rev fan in the 90’s? Maybe one of my siblings or friends? Why’s does this sound so good and so relatable? Why does this sound like a memory long lost?
An absolutely gorgeous album, perfectly paced, beautifully produced / orchestrated and songs that are so full of beautiful melodies that stay with you. I was introduced to Mercury Rev through All is Dream and I still think it is the stronger album overall but the higher high points belong to Desserters Songs. 4.5 🌟
First Time Listen and I am quietly impressed, Some lovely tunes in an understated way here. Good use of the Theremin throughout. Can see links to Wayne Coyne and Flaming Lips here, really lovely album. I particularly liked "Holes" "Endlessly" "Hudson Line" and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.
An absolutely gorgeous album, perfectly paced, beautifully produced / orchestrated and songs that are so full of beautiful melodies that stay with you. I was introduced to Mercury Rev through All is Dream and I still think it is the stronger album overall but the higher high points belong to Desserters Songs. 4.5 🌟
How is the album almost 25 years old? Gosh. I knew the singles from back in the day, but never really explored the album. My loss. Holes and Goddess remain outstanding. Such quality, crafted songs. The understated vocals draw you in. Quality listening.
I really like Mercury Rev. If anything more than Flaming Lips who they share much of their DNA with....and production duties. This album is their poppiest and the songs never outstay their welcome and are enjoyably melodious.
4.3 - What an exciting discovery! I never knew "The Soft Bulletin" has a sister album. The parallels between the two records is undeniable. I heard it from the beginning not knowing much about "Deserter's Songs." David Fridmann's discography is vast and impressive. The flow of this album is amazing, from gently orchestrated pop songs to instrumentals featuring theramin. It's dense with atmosphere and explores a vast emotional landscape.
I've heard a couple of tracks at the time on the radio and liked them but never listened to the whole album until now but it's quirky and upbeat. I can understand the singers voice might grate for some but I think it works in the context of the band. Wildly differing tracks and sounds (eg: listen right to the end of Delta Sub) but I kinda think it hangs together ok. Favourite tracks Holes (love the theramin), Goddess and Funny Bird.
Enjoyed this one. Bit hit and miss but the hit was pretty cool.
Another great Sunday drive album. Very comfortable listen, and will hit my playlist again
Please come back, we like you
Singende Säge und Weihnachts-Kiffness. Teils mit den Flaming Lips zu verwechseln, aber dafür dann doch noch mehr Kautz statt Hubba Bubba mit Hang zur tiefgründigen und doch nicht völlig überfrachteten Soundschichtung. Live an einem Primavera Sonntag haben sie alle müden Feierzombies in eine warme und liebevolle Umarmung geschmiegt 3.5
Great album. Really like the arrangements and instrumentation used on the songs
I really enjoyed this & will be spending more time with it! There is some very beautiful music in here- especially liked Tonite it Shows, the poetry that is the lyrics of Opus 40 & highlight for me is Endlessly. So melodic, it's the sound birds make when twirling around Cinderella or Snow White's beautiful kind head. And I've spent so many hours playing the eerie melody that is Silent Night just so lovely.
I liked this, pretty good 90s rock with some good songs.
I can't really detach this from the halcyon days of XFM etc. Still a good 'un.
12/13/2021 Today's Album: "Deserter's Songs" by Mercury Rev - This album is incredibly interesting. It sort of reads like if the Moody Blues did a psychedelic rock album along the lines of the Flaming Lips or Ween. It's very colorful and full of life and rich instrumentation at some moments, and in others it can get simply haunting or scary. The ambient track "I Collect Coins" almost like Everywhere at the End of Time, with crackly ballroom music with creepy chord progressions. I was road tripping when it came on and it literally made the world feel fake for a second. This album is definitely very backloaded, with a lot of the best songs being on the second half. The album really kicks off with Opus 40, with a really fun psyche pop song with some fun vocals and soloing. Hudson Line is a very similar mood, almost feeling like a rock version of a Paul Simon type song. Goddess on a Hiway is a nice swinging rock track with lots of ringing bells and a really solid chorus. The Funny Bird is a killer song just strictly talking about the performances and solos, but I'm not crazy about the vocals (which are fortunately in about only a quarter of the track). Pick Up If You're There is another ambient this track, but this one has these really cool synth lines and piano chords. It almost feels like if treefingers by Radiohead was good. Finally, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp is a great finisher to this album. Although, I could see how the ending could be annoying to some. To me, it was probably extremely weird and innovative at the time, but now it just sounds like random bits of penis music. Its actually hilarious. This album overall has some really good tracks, but a lot of it seemed like it was trying too hard to be experimental and it didn't really pan out. The first few songs also drag on a bit long and are a lil too samey. Score: 7/10 Weak start but solid finish. Overal decent. Highlights: Opus 40, Goddess on a Hiway, Pick Up If You're There, Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp.
Delicate without being wishy washy. Weird without being too 'experimental'
Kolejny ciekawy albumik na liscie, tym razem cos bardziej rokowego, ale dosyc eksperymentalnego, wiec idealnie wpisuje sie w alternatywe lat 90, jak czwarty album w dyskografii bandy Mercury Rev, pochodzacej ze stanu nowy york, plyta wydana w 98, to skad pochodzi banda ma znaczenie, bo w liryce przemyconych jest sporo nawiazan do danych miejsc, wiec tutaj jakies skalki sie pojawiaja, tam linie pociagowe, no i najwazniejsze, nie jest to kolejny brytyjski album zalany synthami, ktore ustepuja na tym materiale miejsca bardziej symfonicznym brzmieniom, wiec pojawiaja sie zarowno smyczki, flety i przedziwne instrumenty ktorych nazwy widze pierwszy raz w zyciu, a buduja one klimat niesamowitej dziwnosci, ktory wydaje sie byc motywem przewodnim nagrania, dla ktorego inspiracja mialy byc tale spinners for children, wiec opowiadania bajeczek z orkiestra robiaca do nich muzyke, dodatkowo album powstawal po komercyjnym fiasku poprzednich plyt, wiec rownie dobrze moglo to byc ostatnie bandy, wiec z takiej depresji Jonathan Donahue, ktory jest autorem prawie wszystkich tekstow i glownym wokalem, postawil na proste brzmienie, ktore bedzie mialo w sobie cos filmowego, bo momentami, zwlaszcza tymi calkowicie instrumentalnymi slucha sie tego jak jakiegos tajemnicznego soundtracka, moze to przez niecodziene wykorzystanie tasmy filmowej jako nosnika nagraniowego, bo jest cos unikalnego w dzwieku tego nagrania, co najlepiej slychac na dobrej jakosci flaku prosto z soulseeka, 3 kawalki na plycie to instrumentale, wiec jesli wczoraj byl albumik, ktory skupia sie wokol liryki, tak dzisiaj strona instrumentalna zdaje sie byc ta wazniejsza, ku mojej niespodziance album ukazal sie rowniez w wersji instrumentalnej, wiec widze, ze moje odczucia nie byly osamotnione, bo same instrumentale moga robic za dzielo same w sobie w tym wypadku, po guglowaniu dziwnych gatunkow wyszlo, ze deserterowe songi mozna takze przepchnac jako chamber pop, wiec muzyka popularna, ale bogata o przemyslne kompozycje oparte o wieloinstrumentalne brzmienia rodem z wystepow orkiestrowych, co dosc dobrze oddaje kompozycje tego krazka, ciezko sie doszukac jaki byl sklad bandy podczas nagran, ale wydaje mi sie, zespol posiada czterech glownych czlonkow, wspomnianego Donahue, Grasshoppera i Chandlera i Dave Fridmanna, ten ostatni razem z Donahue wyprodukowal albumik, a jest to ta sama osoba ktora czuwala nad sukcesem MGMT oraz ich oracular spectacular, wiec wiadomo skad takie ciekawe podejscie do dzwieku, z plejkowych pickow dodam 3 najbardziej popowe songi, ktore wedlug spotifaja sa takze jednymi z najlepiej odtwarzanych piosenek zespolu, a bedzie to otwierajacy kawalek holes, opus 40 i goddess on hiway, czuje jakby ostatnio za duzo dobrej muzyki losowalo, ale to przeciez lista topowych albumikow, wiec slabych zawodnikow nie ma zbyt wielu, chyba ze synthy wyspiarskie
Scrapes a 4, mainly for nostalgia
Very Tim Burton-esque soundscapes. Their formula wears a little thin in the middle, but the album is better than I remember it.
Melodic, and somewhat eccentric musically as well as lyrically sort of imposing a feel that it is a time for stories. While it certainly is not Pink Floyd, one cannot at the least make a weak comparison before dismissing the idea altogether as rubbish, and then have an existential crisis of why this happened at all. Given how a flute is featured pretty heavily, one almost feels a bit offended when they resort to whistling on "Opus 40" but whatever. The flute is actually quite nice, contributing heavily, if not entirely, to the melodic tendencies of the band. "The Happy End" did end up including a saxophone but in the minimum effective dose, which this listener is grateful for. There are moments of obvious repetitiveness, speaking to the rise of experimental rock that one might have encountered within the independent rock scene in the late 90s, "The Happy End" being an example of that in its final minute(s). Overall, the album is pretty good. Music is a prime example of where its beauty is certainly in the ear of its listener. Mercury Rev's "Deserter's Songs" is a beautiful album but if it were to be accused of being bored, one could understand why someone else may feel that way and not hold it against them.
yeah mostly enjoyed this. Goddess on a highway is one of my all time tunes, rest is a 2/3 out of 5 so 3.5
Very good early indie rock. Not perfect, but a fun ride.
I did not expect that... good album.
A great surprise
We had not heard of this band. Some really neat moments, very Beatles inspired, but some parts were a bit uninspired - they could have added more variation and countermelodies instead of more theremin.
Great vocals. Smooth vocals and harmony. Chamber pop indeed. Loved the use of strings.
Some really great moments on the album that overshadow some of the lesser “trippy” elements
Spotify has sent me "Holes" a few times in the last year & I had Goddess on the Highway on high rotation back in the day. The rest I hadn't heard. I'm impressed with the arrangements/orchestration and background vocalists. I like the blend of electronic and traditional instrumentation - and it seems like the members of The Band influenced the sound - although I'm sure mostly in my mind, since they only played on two tracks. The song-writing is great, The Funny Bird is epic, and I may have given a higher score with a stronger lead vocals.
Nice little gem here from Mercury Rev. They're often compared to a mellower Flaming Lips which is understandable. Some great post rock, psychadelic song-writing and melodies here and Holes, Goddess on a hiway and Opus 40 are highlights.
I dig how cinematic a lot of these arrangements are. I totally hear the similarities to The Soft Bulletin, it’s like they’re two sides to the same coin. Very cool.
Le générateur est en réelle perte de vitesse en ce moment, Nikos parlerait même de "bad buzz" pour l'outil de Robert. A suivre.
needs a second listen
beautiful - psychedelic and fun. love the trumpets, so pretty. feels like a mix of shoegaze and American folk music. good to work to!
Beautiful, lush orchestral indie with a good variety of songs and sounds.
Loved it.
I love being surprised. This is very good.
Very nice, fantastic background music to listen to while working. I'll save and re-listen to the album for that purpose. Still 4 and not 5 stars, because after one listen I find it hard to recall much of the music apart from that it was enjoyable.
Beautiful album. Sounds as fresh as it did back in 1998.
Yeah ok
love this - still have cd in the car
8/10. Really chill, and pleasant to listen to. Had some fairly interesting instrumental sections. Lyrics were present when they needed to be, and were well written when they were present.
A lot of it sounded cool and sad but I lost interest in most of the sound just over halfway through. 7
Wasn’t expecting much, and didn’t get much from the early album. But the second half really turned it up! Loved the way it moved between genres. Excited to play this again
took me back. not sure that I'd ever actually listened to the whole thing
I didn't appreciate this album at the time because I was 🤘 VERY METAL 🤘 but these days it really hits the spot. You could definitely make some Flaming Lips comparisons. Fave track - while "Goddess On A Hiway" and "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" are contenders, I have to go with "Holes"..... so b e a u t i f u l . . .
Not really my thing but it was good.
Nice rock with character
Like the flaming lips made sgt peppers. Very full sound with interesting choice of instruments
Didn’t have time to get all the way through but it was intriguingly weird. 3.75
So cool!
floaty, ethereal. there were saws and possibly theramins at parts. really interesting album and I enjoyed it a lot.
Another cool post-punk pre-alternative album. I thought this one was interesting. There are times when it sounds like Bruce Springsteen, albeit with much different subject matter. It's easy to see the seeds of a lot of the music I grew up with in the 90s in this album. It goes by really fast, but every song is solid 4/5
Surprisingly good, got lots of Pink Floyd vibes from the instrumental parts
Ret spændende album. Nærmest som et film musik album til en Tim Burton film. Lugter lidt af Queen og har mange gode numre på. Kunne sagtens tåle et genlyt
I had to double-take that this wasn't a Flaming Lips album. Recording history makes sense. Holes, Opus 40, and Goddess are particular highlights. Great album overall.
This helped me understood what made Mark Linkous and Sparklehorse so wonderful. The vocals took some getting used to. Certain instruments came across as cheap, especially the flutes at the beginning and some of the organ throughout. But while I can do without cheap flute, give me cheesy organ licks seven days a week.
much better then I though it would be
i enjoyed this
A solid indie rock record that sounds of the time and scene in which it was created. The Flaming Lips connection was both apparent and welcome.
Good, but not enough for me
From the cover art and period during which this was related, I expected either death metal or its opposite (metal performed by a dead person, I guess). But no – this is actually kind of good. Holes is an absolutely great way to start the album. Psychedelic, a little gaze-inspired, lots of interacting elements of space- and psychedelic-rock like "sci-fi synths", wavery strings, soft horns, a sort of Lennonesque vocal quality... If every song is like this, I can definitely understand the hype. More gorgeous strings along with some glockenspiels and another decent vocal delivery. Though, as we progress to tracks like Tonite It Shows and Opus 40, I can't help but feel like Mercury Rev is parodying a bunch of different bands without really creating their own unique identity. (But then isn't that every band?) Endlessly is a little disappointing if only because it's vastly inferior to the Muse song of the same name. Some nice arpeggios though, and the introduction of a harp and that instrument used in Good Vibrations. (Theremin!) Cool. One of the more interesting songs here. Later we get a theremin (or something like it) instrumental in Pick Up If You're There. Which is significantly worse. "I Collect Coins": bizarre title. It sounds like if the band's main guy, Donahue, was playing Super Mario Bros with his bandmates and had just started delegating roles. Unfortunately, the music itself is less interesting: weak, forgettable flute-ish synths. Or maybe they're flutes. I dunno. At least, at 87 seconds long, it acts more as an interlude than anything. Mercury Rev is capable of decent instrumentals – see the exciting, cinematic Hudsin Line. They just flop with I Collect Coins, and also with The Happy End (The Drunk Room), a noodlage of synth organ noises that don't really change for the entire two minutes. The outro of Opus 40, with some pretty backing vocals and whistling improv of the main melody, is that song's highlight. Goddess On A Hiway is an obvious standout because of the completely different vocal delivery in the verses. The guy almost sounds radio-friendly here. Definitely emulative of alt-rock from the mid/late 90s. The Funny Bird starts off relatively weak, but that percussive explosion and completely unhinged guitar solo together manage to change my mind. Barely. Delta Sun Bottleneck Swamp is a completely mess of a closing number. But I kind of enjoy it. With a different singer it could be convincingly played behind a "summer sale" radio advert. It's shorter than I expected – only 3:30 – which is a plus. The bonus track consists mainly of SFX, possibly courtesy of King Crimson's Moonchild. 3/5 Key tracks: Holes, Endlessly, Goddess On A Hiway
It was OK, better than I expected. I knew Goddess on a Hiway before but never knew it was by Mercury Rev.
Interesting aesthetic, but feels like they didn’t do the most with their ideas.
So credit due to the fact I didn't know what shoegaze was before this. Then the nexy day I saw a youtuber I sometimes watch released his own shoegaze album, so there's that. It's a really artsy alternative rock with a mix of other genres and instumentals like jazz or opera. Creative, but not really my thing. It feels like it really is someone's passion but I'm pretty much an otsider with no context so it feels rather dull. Some of these I found even annoying at times, but let's pick 3 fine ones: Goddess on a Hiway, Hudson line and Holes. But they dont't make it to the revisit playlist. Sorry
I enjoyed this one a lot. I had never heard of the band before, but I really liked the vocalist.it felt smooth and fun but also deeply emotional. The album went to surprising places and really carried along well.
this was ok but nothing special