Advantages: The Only Desert Island Disc You'll Ever Need.
Disadvantages: Blast, There's A White Liner In The Distance.

...And right out of the blue came Mercury Rev. Nearly men, who had crafted several flawed albums, until the magical opus that is 'Deserters Songs' reared its head. Add this album to their unforgettable intimate live performances and Mercury Rev rightfully hold pride of place on the a-list of innovative artists. I've always liked 'Boces', one of Mercury Rev's previous albums, because it was it was full of brilliant half ideas. What it lacked in focus, it made up in energy. Songs like 'Something For Joey' will always hold a special place in my heart. 'Deserters Songs' is a different proposition altogether, however. Where Mercury Rev once fumbled (with some success) in the dark, they now provide the bright lights for an art form in serious need of reinvention. 'Holes' kicks off proceedings in reflective mode. Lacking a distinct beat... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Psychedelic and beautiful songs
Disadvantages: Dodgy Sax Solos

...To be perfectly honest, I didn't have a clue who Mercury Rev were until 'Deserters' Songs' was released. Even then it took about Four months of the NME waxing lyrical about them to convince me to buy the CD. I never usually trust the NME, but as I chanced to see the inspiring 'Goddess On A Hiway' on Irish TV station TV3 one morning, I was blown away (no not literally!) by it and knew it had to be my next purchase. Today, almost 2 years later, it still gets regular spins on my CD player. Mercury Rev are not the most high profile of bands. They rarely get radio air-play or their videos on MTV. Therefore you should be pretty assured that they must be pretty good and they just get on with making great music. And that's what they do. Their earlier work I have only sampled by way of Napster and it sounds a bit dodgy to me (besides Coney... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: It's a sexy melancholy happy fuzzy emotional security blanket
Disadvantages: ?

...This album exist's in it's own world of fluffy fuzzyness which has been rarely touched on by any other band and even Mercury Rev only managed to pull it off for this album. How this album manages to sound so happy and melancholy at the same time is a total mystery as at the time all the band members hated each other and even refused to live in the same state let alone the same city (Grasshopper, the guitarist, even tried to remove the singers eye with a spoon whilst on a plane flight). Although this can be seen as a bad thing as the obvious total lack of rehersal that went into this album has produced a sound that is totally fresh and free flowing. Improvisation is the order of the day here, in the same manner as old jazz bands, the band members clearly never know what they are about to do before they do it. The only way i can... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Amazing music, opens up your mind
Disadvantages: I can't read all of the song titles!

...Mercury Rev have been one of the best American bands of the last fifteen years. Going through many changes, both in personnel and musical style, they have consistently produced quality mind bending albums, but have had relatively little success in shifting records until the last few years, with songs such as ‘Goddess On A Hiway’ and ‘The Dark Is Rising’ reaching the top 40. The music of Mercury Rev can be broadly described in one of two categories: With vocalist David Baker, or after David Baker. The latter category is the band’s newer music, with the albums ‘See You On The Other Side’, ‘Deserter’s Songs’ and ‘All Is Dream’. The sound of these albums can be described as tuneful, melodic and often soft, with about every instrument you can think of being used. ‘Yerself Is Steam’ However, belongs in the two albums in the ‘with... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful