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Oh Mercy

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For the band, seeOh Mercy (band).For the 2019 French film, seeOh Mercy!Forthe Cat Empiresong, seeWhere the Angels Fall.
Oh Mercy
A painting of a woman leaning against a brick wall and a man in a suit and sunglasses next to her snapping his fingers
Studio albumby
Bob Dylan
ReleasedSeptember 12, 1989(1989-09-12)
RecordedFebruary–April 1989
StudioMobile studio at 1305 Soniat St., New Orleans
GenreRock
Length38:46
LabelColumbia
ProducerDaniel Lanois
Bob Dylanchronology
Dylan & the Dead
(1989) 		Oh Mercy
(1989) 		Under the Red Sky
(1990)
SinglesfromOh Mercy
  1. "Everything Is Broken"
    Released: October 1989

Oh Mercyis the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer-songwriterBob Dylan,released on September 12, 1989,[1]byColumbia Records.Produced byDaniel Lanois,it was hailed by critics as a triumph for Dylan, after a string of poorly reviewed albums.Oh Mercygave Dylan his best chart showing in years, reachingNo. 30on theBillboardcharts in theUnited StatesandNo. 6in theUK.

Background and recording[edit]

The composition of the songs at Dylan's home inMalibu[2]and the recording of the album inNew Orleansare described by Dylan in detail in the "Oh Mercy" chapter of his memoirChronicles: Volume One.[3]EngineerMark Howardnoted that Dylan had previously attempted to record the songs withRonnie Woodbut was dissatisfied with the results: "There’s a whole version ofOh Mercythat was recorded with Ron Wood already. But I think Dylan had maybe decided he didn’t like what had happened ".[4]In the spring or summer of 1988,U2singerBonoput Dylan in touch with producerDaniel Lanois,and the two agreed to work together although the recording sessions would not commence until early 1989.[5]Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin notes that Dylan finished recording the basic tracks for the album on March 29, 1989 but added new vocals (and other overdubs) for almost all the tracks the following month.[6]

In their bookBob Dylan - All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track,authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon callOh Mercy"a renaissance" for Dylan and write of the recording sessions: "The arrangements are very reminiscent ofYellow Moonby theNeville Brothers,and Dylan eventually got familiar with this particular atmosphere. Lanois claimedOh Mercywas a record you listen to at night because it was 'designed at night': 'Bob had a rule, we only recorded at night. I think he's right about that: the body is ready to accommodate a certain tempo at nighttime. I think it's something to do with the pushing and pulling of the moon. At nighttime we're ready to be more mysterious and dark.Oh Mercyis about that'. He added that if there was one lesson he learned from Dylan, it was working relentlessly while searching first and foremost for efficiency and speed. And he concluded, 'Oh Mercywas two guys on a back porch, that kind of vibe'. As for the songwriter, he recognized 'There's something magical about this record' and felt sincere admiration for the work of the Canadian producer ".[7]

Outtakes[edit]

During aSound Opinionsinterview broadcast on Chicago FM radio, Lanois toldChicago TribunecriticGreg Kotthat "Series of Dreams"was his pick for the opening track, but ultimately, the final decision was Dylan's.[8]Music criticTim Rileywould echo these sentiments, writing that"'Series of Dreams' should have been the working title song toOh Mercy,not a leftover pendant. "[9]"Series of Dreams" would become the final track onThe Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991,and was later included on 1994'sBob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3.

"Dignity",another outtake, was performed live during a 1994 appearance onMTV Unplugged,and the same performance was later issued on the accompanying album. A remixed version of "Dignity" featuring new overdubs by producer Brendan O'Brien was also released onBob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3,while the original Lanois production would not see release until thesoundtrack albumof the television showTouched by an Angel.

Listed as "Broken Days/Three of Us" on the track sheets, the original version of "Everything Is Broken" was briefly issued on-line as an exclusive download onApple Computer'siTunes music store.[10]In 2008, it was remastered from a better source and reissued onThe Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs.Described by Heylin as an "evocation of a fragmented relationship", the lyrics were later rewritten and overdubbed with new vocals and an additional guitar part.[citation needed]

Two more outtakes, "Born in Time"and" God Knows ", were set aside and later re-written and re-recorded for Dylan's next album,Under the Red Sky.Versions of both songs from theOh Mercysessions were also included onThe Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs."TheOh Mercyouttake of 'Born In Time' was one of those Dylan performances that so surrendered itself to the moment that to decry the lyrical slips would be to mock sincerity itself ", wrote author Clinton Heylin.[11]

Cover art[edit]

The photo on the cover of the album shows a mural that Dylan came across on a wall of a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan’sHell’s Kitchenon 9th Avenue and 53rd Street. The artist, Trotsky, who created the image of two people dancing was located (he lived near the mural) and permission was granted.[12][13]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Robert ChristgauB[15]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[16]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[17]
MusicHound[18]
Rolling Stone[19]

After disappointing sales withKnocked Out LoadedandDown in the Groove,Oh Mercywas hailed as a comeback.[20]Consensus was strong enough to placeOh MercyatNo. 15inThe Village Voice'sPazz & JopCritics Poll for 1989.[21]Also in 1989,Oh Mercywas rankedNo. 44onRolling Stonemagazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.[22]

Oh Mercy's production drew praise from a majority of critics.Robert ChristgauofThe Village Voicewrote, "Daniel Lanois's understated care and easy beat suit [Dylan's] casual ways, and three or four songs might sound like something late at night on the radio, or after the great flood. All are modest and tuneful enough to make you forgive 'Disease of Conceit,' which is neither. "But as Heylin notes," Though many a critic who had despaired at the sound of Dylan's more recent albums enthused about the sound onOh Mercy,it was evident that rock music's foremost lyric writer had also rediscovered his previous flair with words ".[23]

Rock critic Bill Wyman criticized the production but praised the songs. "Taken over by Daniel Lanois, master of a shimmering and distinctive electronically processed guitar sound...[the album] is overdone", writes Wyman. "It's irritating to hear Dylan's songs so manipulated, but there are sufficient nice tracks—"Most of the Time","Shooting Star",both simple and direct, among them—to make this by far the most coherent and listenable collection of his own songs Dylan has released sinceDesire".[24]

Though it did not enterBillboard's Top 20,Oh Mercyremained a consistent seller, enough to be considered a modest commercial success.

To celebrate the album's 20th anniversary,Montague Street Journal: The Art of Bob Dylandedicated roughly half of its debut issue (published in 2009) to a roundtable discussion onOh Mercy.

It was voted number 438 inColin Larkin'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums3rd Edition (2000).[25]In 2006,Qmagazineplaced the album atNo. 33in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[26]During that same year, "Political World" appeared in the filmMan of the Year.Michael Azerrad in aRolling Stonearticle felt that "it would be unfair to compareOh Mercyto Dylan's landmark Sixties recordings ".[22]

Lou Reedselected "Disease of Conceit" as one of his favorite songs of 1989.[27]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Dylan

Side one
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Political World"March 8, 1989 (overdubbed March 21 and April 8, 1989)3:43
2."Where Teardrops Fall"March 21 and 22, 1989 (overdubbed April 15–16, 1989)2:30
3."Everything Is Broken"March 14 or 15, 1989 (overdubbed April 1 and 3, 1989)3:12
4."Ring Them Bells"March 7, 1989 (overdubbed April 6, 1989)3:00
5."Man in the Long Black Coat"March 29, 1989 (overdubbed April 4, 1989)4:30
Total length:16:55
Side two
No.TitleRecordedLength
1."Most of the Time"March 12, 1989 (overdubbed April 19, 1989)5:02
2."What Good Am I?"March 7, 1989 (overdubbed April 7, 1989)4:45
3."Disease of Conceit"March 8, 1989 (overdubbed April 1989)3:41
4."What Was It You Wanted"March 21, 1989 (overdubbed March 24 and April 3, 4 & 10, 1989)5:02
5."Shooting Star"March 14 or 15, 1989 (overdubbed April 1–3, 1989)3:12
Total length:21:42

Personnel[edit]

Additional musicians
  • Malcolm Burn–tambourine,keyboards,on "Everything Is Broken", "Ring Them Bells", "Man in the Long Black Coat", "Most of the Time", "What Good Am I?" and "What Was It You Wanted"
  • Rockin' Dopsie–accordionon "Where Teardrops Fall"
  • Willie Green –drumson "Political World", "Everything Is Broken", "Most of the Time", "Disease of Conceit", "What Was It You Wanted" and "Shooting Star"
  • Tony Hall– bass guitar on "Political World", "Everything Is Broken", "Most of the Time", "Disease of Conceit" and "Shooting Star"
  • John Hart –saxophoneon "Where Teardrops Fall"
  • Daryl Johnson– percussion on "Everything Is Broken"
  • Larry Jolivet – bass guitar on "Where Teardrops Fall"
  • Daniel Lanois–Dobro,lap steel guitar,guitar,omnichord,bass guitar(performs on all tracks except "Disease of Conceit" )
  • Cyril Neville–percussionon "Political World", "Most of the Time" and "What Was It You Wanted"
  • Alton Rubin, Jr. –scrub boardon "Where Teardrops Fall"
  • Mason Ruffner– guitar on "Political World", "Disease of Conceit" and "What Was It You Wanted"
  • Brian Stoltz – guitar on "Political World", "Everything Is Broken", "Disease of Conceit" and "Shooting Star"
  • Paul Synegal – guitar on "Where Teardrops Fall"

Production:

See also[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPISwitzerland)[29]
CBS 		Gold 25,000^
Switzerland (IFPISwitzerland)[30]
Sony Music 		Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 100,000^

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^"Oh Mercy | the Official Bob Dylan Site".
  2. ^Newman, Martin Alan (2021).Bob Dylan's Malibu.Hibbing, Minnesota: EDLIS Café Press.ISBN9781736972304.
  3. ^Dylan, Bob (2004).Chronicles: Volume One.New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.ISBN0743272587.
  4. ^"Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs Special - Mark Howard!".UNCUT.2008-10-08.Retrieved2021-03-05.
  5. ^Margotin, Philippe; Jean-Michel Guesdon (2015).Bob Dylan: all the songs: the story behind every track(First ed.). New York. p. 562.ISBN978-1-57912-985-9.OCLC869908038.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^Heylin, Clinton (September 2016).Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1974-2006.Chicago Review Press. pp. 370–371.ISBN9781613736760.
  7. ^Margotin, Philippe; Jean-Michel Guesdon (2015).Bob Dylan: all the songs: the story behind every track(First ed.). New York. p. 565.ISBN978-1-57912-985-9.OCLC869908038.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^Kot, Greg (host) (22 April 2003)."Daniel Lanois interview".Sound Opinions.WXRT-FM 93.1.
  9. ^Riley, Tim.Hard Rain: A Dylan Commentary.Da Capo Press. p. 284.ISBN9780306809071.
  10. ^Evan Marshall (12 February 2008)."Dylan Rarities".Record Collector.Retrieved18 February2021.
  11. ^Heylin, Clinton (April 2011).Behind the Shades: The 20th Anniversary Edition.Faber and Faber Press. p. 705.ISBN9780571272419.
  12. ^Editor,People Magazine.“Trotsky, Whose Lively Street Art Became An Off-the-Wall Album Cover for Bob Dylan”.People Magazine.V. 32. No. 17. 23 October 1989[1]
  13. ^Spencer, Lauren. “Off the Record: Positively 53rd Street”.New York Magazine.25 September 1989[2]
  14. ^Oh MercyatAllMusic
  15. ^Christgau, Robert (2011)."Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 169".robertchristgau.com.Retrieved10 September2011.
  16. ^Larkin, Colin(2007).The Encyclopedia of Popular Music(4th ed.).Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0195313734.
  17. ^Entertainment Weekly review
  18. ^Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999).MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide(2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p.371.ISBN1-57859-061-2.
  19. ^DeCurtis, Anthony (1989-09-21)."Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy: Music Reviews".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon 2006-07-02.Retrieved10 September2011.
  20. ^Oh MercyatAllMusic
  21. ^"The 1989 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll".The Village Voice.New York. February 27, 1990.RetrievedFebruary 15,2021.
  22. ^abMichael Azerrad, Anthony DeCurtis (16 November 1989)."The 100 best albums of the eighties".Rolling Stone.p. 102. Archived fromthe originalon 24 June 2018.Retrieved3 June2017.
  23. ^Heylin, Clinton (2003)Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited,p. 631.
  24. ^Wyman, Bill. (May 22, 2001) "Bob Dylan"SalonRetrieved 11 December 2012.
  25. ^Colin Larkin,ed. (2000).All Time Top 1000 Albums(3rd ed.).Virgin Books.p. 160.ISBN0-7535-0493-6.
  26. ^QAugust 2006, Issue 241
  27. ^Rolling Stone,March 8, 1990
  28. ^"Canadian album certifications – Bob Dylan – Oh Mercy".Music Canada.RetrievedJuly 12,2022.
  29. ^"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Oh Mercy') ".IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.RetrievedJuly 12,2022.
  30. ^"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Oh Mercy') ".IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.RetrievedJuly 12,2022.
  31. ^"British album certifications – Bob Dylan – Oh mercy".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedAugust 27,2022.

External links[edit]

  • Lyricsat Bob Dylan's official site
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