Mercury: Difference between revisions

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  | Next album  =''[[San Francisco]]''<br />(1994)
  | Next album  =''[[San Francisco]]''<br />(1994)
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'''''Mercury''''' is American Music Club's sixth album, released in early 1993.  It was their major label debut.
==Background==
The album's title comes from a beverage featured in the lyrics of "[[Challenger]]". The inside front cover photo is Jennifer Gonsalves photographed by Robby Müller outside of Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, California.
===Singles & promotion===
''[[Keep Me Around]]'' and ''[[Johnny Mathis' Feet]]'' were released as singles on CD single and cassingle formats. A promotional version of the ''[[Johnny Mathis' Feet]]'' CD had a 10-track bonus live CD; it was recorded at Slim's in San Francisco on June 15, 1993, and is usually called ''Live at Slim's''. A promotional single for "Over And Done" was issued to radio, but ended up without a commercial release. Additionally, there was a different promotional CD for "Over And Done" featuring interviews, demos and other unreleased tracks.
A black-and-white 11-minute promotional VHS tape, generally referred to as "[[1992 Press Kit]]," was issued in advance of the album's release.  This contained interviews with each band member, live performances, studio footage, clips of Eitzel riding his bike by the ocean, etc.  The band members talk at length about the origins of AMC, with two of them commenting on how scary it is to be in the band.
===Reception===
{{Album reviews
{{Album reviews
|rev1 = Allmusic
|rev1 = Allmusic
Line 18: Line 30:
|rev2 = ''Rolling Stone''
|rev2 = ''Rolling Stone''
|rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/americanmusicclub/albums/album/231091/review/5944673/mercury Rolling Stone review]</ref>
|rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/americanmusicclub/albums/album/231091/review/5944673/mercury Rolling Stone review]</ref>
|rev3 = ''New Musical Express''
|rev3score = {{Rating|9|10}}
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->


'''''Mercury''''' is American Music Club's sixth album, released in early 1993. It was their major label debut.
"It's weird how people are starting to compare us to Springsteen. Somebody said ''Mercury'' was like ''Born To Run'' (Bruce Springsteen), although I like that album...or I guess I do. Why not? Why should I put it down? It never hurt me, never bit me in the face. Maybe it's because of my big baritone shout or my big bulging musculature," Eitzel said in a 1993 interview with ''Ray Gun'' magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Howard |first=David |date=May 1993 |title=Hanging By A Thread |url= |magazine=Ray Gun |location= |publisher= |access-date=March 9, 2018}}</ref>
 
   
''[[Keep Me Around]]'' and ''[[Johnny Mathis' Feet]]'' were released as singles on CD single and cassingle formats. A promotional version of the ''[[Johnny Mathis' Feet]]'' CD had a 10-track bonus live CD; it was recorded at Slim's in San Francisco on June 15, 1993, and is usually called ''Live at Slim's''. A promotional single for "Over And Done" was issued to radio, but ended up without a commercial release. Additionally, there was a different promotional CD for "Over And Done" featuring interviews, demos and other unreleased tracks.
 
The album's title comes from a beverage featured in the lyrics of "[[Challenger]]".
 
A black-and-white 11-minute promotional VHS tape, generally referred to as "[[1992 Press Kit]]," was issued in advance of the album's release.  This contained interviews with each band member, live performances, studio footage, clips of Eitzel riding his bike by the ocean, etc. The band members talk at length about the origins of AMC, with two of them commenting on how scary it is to be in the band.
 
''Spin Magazine'' voted ''Mercury'' the 14th best album of 1993.
''Spin Magazine'' voted ''Mercury'' the 14th best album of 1993.


The album was remastered and re-issued on 180-gram vinyl on January 21, 2014 by [[Plain Recordings]], on license from [[Warner Bros. Records]].  
===Reissue===
The album was remastered and re-issued on 180-gram vinyl on January 21, 2014 by [[Plain Recordings]], on license from Warner Bros. Records.  


==Influence==
==Influence==
Line 65: Line 74:
* Art direction: [[Tom Recchion]] & [[Jeff Gold]]
* Art direction: [[Tom Recchion]] & [[Jeff Gold]]
* Design: [[Tom Recchion]]
* Design: [[Tom Recchion]]
* Cover & inlay photography: [[Bobby Neel Adams|Bobby Neal Adams]]
* Cover & inlay photography: [[Bobby Neel Adams]]
* Inside cover photograph: Robby Müller
* Other photography: [[Ralf Strathmann]]
* Other photography: [[Ralf Strathmann]]
* All songs written by [[Mark Eitzel]] and published by Songs Of PolyGram International Inc./I Failed In Life Music, BMI
* All songs written by [[Mark Eitzel]] and published by Songs Of PolyGram International Inc./I Failed In Life Music, BMI

Latest revision as of 19:55, 20 March 2018

Mercury
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Studio album by American Music Club
Released March 15, 1993
Recorded 1992
Length 49:37
Label Reprise Records (US) / Virgin Records (UK)
Producer Mitchell Froom
American Music Club chronology

Everclear
(1991) 		Mercury
(1993) 		San Francisco
(1994)

Mercury is American Music Club's sixth album, released in early 1993. It was their major label debut.

Background

The album's title comes from a beverage featured in the lyrics of "Challenger". The inside front cover photo is Jennifer Gonsalves photographed by Robby Müller outside of Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, California.

Singles & promotion

Keep Me Around and Johnny Mathis' Feet were released as singles on CD single and cassingle formats. A promotional version of the Johnny Mathis' Feet CD had a 10-track bonus live CD; it was recorded at Slim's in San Francisco on June 15, 1993, and is usually called Live at Slim's. A promotional single for "Over And Done" was issued to radio, but ended up without a commercial release. Additionally, there was a different promotional CD for "Over And Done" featuring interviews, demos and other unreleased tracks.

A black-and-white 11-minute promotional VHS tape, generally referred to as "1992 Press Kit," was issued in advance of the album's release. This contained interviews with each band member, live performances, studio footage, clips of Eitzel riding his bike by the ocean, etc. The band members talk at length about the origins of AMC, with two of them commenting on how scary it is to be in the band.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars[1]
Rolling Stone4/5 stars[2]
New Musical Express9/10 stars

"It's weird how people are starting to compare us to Springsteen. Somebody said Mercury was like Born To Run (Bruce Springsteen), although I like that album...or I guess I do. Why not? Why should I put it down? It never hurt me, never bit me in the face. Maybe it's because of my big baritone shout or my big bulging musculature," Eitzel said in a 1993 interview with Ray Gun magazine.[3]

Spin Magazine voted Mercury the 14th best album of 1993.

Reissue

The album was remastered and re-issued on 180-gram vinyl on January 21, 2014 by Plain Recordings, on license from Warner Bros. Records.

Influence

Franz Nicolay, of The Hold Steady, states that Mercury is one of his biggest musical influences.[4]

Video

1992 Press Kit for Mercury

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Track listing

  1. "Gratitude Walks" - 4:14
  2. "If I Had A Hammer" - 3:36
  3. "Challenger" - 2:57
  4. "I've Been A Mess" - 4:24
  5. "Hollywood 4-5-92" - 4:12
  6. "What Godzilla Said To God When His Name Wasn't Found In The Book Of Life" - 3:40
  7. "Keep Me Around" - 2:53
  8. "Dallas, Airports, Bodybags" - 2:00
  9. "Apology For An Accident" - 3:57
  10. "Over And Done" - 3:05
  11. "Johnny Mathis' Feet" - 3:40
  12. "The Hopes And Dreams Of Heaven's 10,000 Whores" - 4:20
  13. "More Hopes And Dreams" - 1:55
  14. "Will You Find Me?" - 4:06

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  3. ↑ Howard, David (May 1993). "Hanging By A Thread". Ray Gun. 
  4. ↑ Lindsay, Andrew. "Interview: Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady)". stereokill.net. Retrieved 2012-03-01. 

External links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.americanmusicclub.com/index.php?title=Mercury&oldid=29781"