Mercury Rev

Mercury Rev

Jonathan Donahue fronting Mercury Rev in Tel Aviv, Israel, 2010
Background information
Origin Buffalo, New York, United States
Genres Psychedelic rock, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia, dream pop
Years active 1989–present
Labels Jungle Records, Rough Trade, Columbia, Beggars Banquet, V2, Yep Roc Records
Associated acts The Flaming Lips
Website http://www.mercuryrev.com
Members Jonathan Donahue
Grasshopper
Carlos Anthony Molina
Jason Miranda
Past members David Baker
John DeVries
Jeff Mercel
Gerald Menke
Suzanne Thorpe
Jimy Chambers
Justin Russo
Jason Russo
Adam Snyder
Michael Schirmer
Dave Fridmann
Paul Dillon

Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York.[1] Original personnel were David Baker (vocals), Jonathan Donahue (vocals, guitars), Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a. "Grasshopper" (guitars, clarinet), Suzanne Thorpe (flute), Dave Fridmann (bass) and Jimy Chambers (drums).

History

The first years with David Baker

With their early records, Mercury Rev offered experimental, psychedelic rock, which gradually shifted to a melodic, ornate sound. Mercury Rev is often compared to The Flaming Lips,[2] and in fact share close ties: soon after the band's formation, Donahue also joined the Flaming Lips as second guitarist and appeared on two of their albums; and since the 1990 album In a Priest Driven Ambulance, Dave Fridmann has co-produced every Flaming Lips studio album to date except 1993's Transmissions from the Satellite Heart.

Despite considerable critical acclaim,[3][4][5] their early releases never gave Mercury Rev more than cult popularity,[2] though they appeared on the smaller second stage at some 1993 Lollapalooza stops. Baker left after their second record, Boces (1993), citing musical and personal disputes; he later recorded an album as Shady. With his departure, the thematically darker and musically experimental features of the band began to disappear.[6]

Transitional period

The band's first post-Baker album, See You on the Other Side (1995), found them in transition. The album was varied: Like the first releases, it still featured a sprawling psychedelic opening track and noise rock numbers like Young Man's Stride (for which a music video released), but also more melodic songs, such as Sudden Ray of Hope.

The same year the group also recorded and released the album Paralyzed Mind Of The Archangel Void under the moniker "Harmony Rockets". This album features a single forty minute track of mostly instrumental psychedelic improvised music. It was rated four and half stars, out of five, by AllMusic. The group performed it again in the Don't Look Back concert series in 2009.

Wide critical and commercial success

The 1998 release of the acclaimed[7][8][9][10][11] Deserter's Songs (which featured appearances by Garth Hudson and Levon Helm of The Band) made Mercury Rev unexpected pop stars. In the UK, NME magazine made Deserter's Songs their Album of the Year.[12] Donahue's earnest, high-pitched vocals and concentration on relatively concise, melodic songs gave the band's material an entirely new feel and much increased popularity (Deserter's Songs spawned three UK Top 40 singles).

All Is Dream was issued in 2001. It included, "The Dark is Rising," which reached No. 16 in the UK Singles Chart.[13]

Later years

Mercury Rev's The Secret Migration was released on January 24, 2005. This was followed up in 2006, by a compilation album, The Essential Mercury Rev: Stillness Breathes 1991-2006 and the film soundtrack album Hello Blackbird. More recently, the band released a pair of albums on September 29, 2008: Snowflake Midnight, and a free MP3 album of instrumentals, Strange Attractor.

Mercury Rev's new album, The Light in You, was released on October 2, 2015 through Bella Union. It is their first studio album in seven years.[14]

Members

Film Music Live Improvisation for the short movie The Red Balloon

Discography

Albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[15]		 US Heatseekers
[16]		 AUS
[17]		 BE (Wa)
[18]		 BE (Fl)
[19]		 FRA
[20]		 NOR
[21]		 SWE
[22]
1991 Yerself Is Steam - - - - - - - -
1993 Boces 43 - - - - - - -
1995 See You on the Other Side
  • Released: 19 September 1995
  • Label: Beggars Banquet Records
 - - - - - - - -
Paralyzed Mind of the Archangel Void (as 'Harmony Rockets') - - - - - - - -
1998 Deserter's Songs
  • Released: 29 September 1998
  • Label: V2
 27 - 85 - - 36 15 38
2001 All Is Dream
  • Released: 11 September 2001
  • Label: V2
 11 17 36 - 46 27 4 55
2005 The Secret Migration
  • Released: 24 January 2005
  • Label: V2
 16 - 66 48 27 30 27 -
2008 Snowflake Midnight
  • Released: 29 September 2008
  • Label: V2/Yep Roc
 52 14 - 94 48 150 - -
2015 The Light in You 39 - - 152 77 66 - -

Compilation albums, live albums and soundtracks

Singles and EPs

Other contributions

See also

References

  1. ↑ Archived February 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 "Mercury Rev". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  3. ↑ "Chris Roberts reviews Mercury Rev’s Yerself Is Steam, 16th February 1991 | Archived Music Press". Archivedmusicpress.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  4. ↑ Archived September 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Heather Phares (1995-09-19). "See You on the Other Side - Mercury Rev | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  6. ↑ Jason Ankeny (2001-09-11). "Mercury Rev | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  7. ↑ Jason Ankeny. "Deserter's Songs - Mercury Rev | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  8. ↑ Archived May 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Nme.Com (2005-09-12). "NME Reviews - Deserter's Songs". Nme.com. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  10. ↑ Archived October 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ Sinclair, Tom (1998-09-25). "Deserter's Songs". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  12. ↑ "Rocklist.net...NME Lists Menu Page". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. 1992-05-09. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  13. ↑ "The Official UK Top 40". BBC News. January 27, 2002. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  14. ↑ "The Light in You - Mercury Rev | Credits". AllMusic. 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
  15. ↑ "Chart Stats - Mercury Rev". theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  16. ↑ "Mercury Rev | Awards". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
  17. ↑ "Discography Mercury Rev". Australian-Charts.com. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  18. ↑ "Discography Mercury Rev". ultratop.be/fr. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  19. ↑ "Discography Mercury Rev". ultratop.be/nl. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  20. ↑ "Discographie Mercury Rev". lescharts.com. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  21. ↑ "Discography Mercury Rev". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  22. ↑ "Discography Mercury Rev". SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
  23. ↑ "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on 2011-12-26. Note: User needs to enter "Mercury Rev" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Go" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history.
  24. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Mercury-Rev-The-Peel-Sessions/release/2206937?ev=rr
  25. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Mercury-Rev-Beyond-The-Swirling-Clouds-An-Evening-At-Barrowland-Ballroom/release/2987643
  26. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/Mercury-Rev-Live-In-Brixton-92/release/4364059

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