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Oh Mercy (1989)
(12 votes)
Tracks (Click song title for lyrics)
Album Info
Political World
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Guitar
Daniel Lanois -- Dobro
Mason Ruffner -- Guitar
Brian Stoltz -- Guitar
Tony Hall -- Bass
Cyril Neville -- Percussion
Willie Green -- Drums
Where Teardrops Fall
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Piano
Daniel Lanois -- Lap Steel
Paul Synegal -- Guitar
Larry Jolivet -- Bass
Alton Rubin, Jr. -- Scrub Board
John Hart -- Sax
Rockin' Dopsie -- Accordion
Everything Is Broken
Bob Dylan -- Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica
Daniel Lanois -- Dobro
Malcolm Burn -- Tambourine
Tony Hall -- Bass
Willie Green -- Drums
Brian Stoltz -- Guitar
Daryl Johnson -- Percussion
Ring Them Bells
Bob Dylan -- Vocals, Piano
Daniel Lanois -- Guitar
Malcolm Burn -- Keyboards
Man In The Long Black Coat
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, 6 & 12 String Guitar, Harmonica
Daniel Lanois -- Dobro
Malcolm Burn -- Keyboards
Most Of The Time
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Guitar
Daniel Lanois -- Guitar
Malcolm Burn -- Keyboards
Tony Hall -- Bass
Willie Green -- Drums
Cyril Neville -- Percussion
What Good Am I?
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Guitar, Piano
Daniel Lanois -- Dobro
Malcolm Burn -- Mercy Keys
Disease Of Conceit
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Piano, Organ
Mason Ruffner -- Guitar
Brian Stoltz -- Guitar
Tony Hall -- Bass
Willie Green -- Drums
What Was It You Wanted?
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Guitar, Harmonica
Daniel Lanois -- Guitar
Malcolm Burn -- Bass
Mason Ruffner -- Guitar
Willie Green -- Drums
Cyril Neville -- Percussion
Shooting Star
Bob Dylan -- Vocal, Guitar, Harmonica
Daniel Lanois -- Omnichord
Brian Stoltz -- Guitar
Tony Hall -- Bass
Willie Green -- Drums
Produced by Daniel Lanois
Recorded by Malcolm Burn with Mark Howard
Mixed by Malcolm Burn / Daniel Lanois
Studio Installation by Mark Howard
Mastered By Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York
Street Art by Trotsky
Album Design by Christopher Austopchuk
Type Design by Mark Burdett
Photo: Suzie-Q
Comments
Disease of Conceit
Several here have commented on the song "Disease of Conceit," as one of the lowpoints on this album. Well, I don't think there is a lowpoint - especially not this song. It has an excellent gospel feel that fits rather nicely with the other numbers. I love the piano. Besides that, I think Dylan probably hit a nerve with his lyrics here, which is what he does best. He says it like it is. I relate to this song, because, quite frankly, and quite often, I too suffer from this disease. I need little reminders now and then to not think of myself too highly. I don't have much to think highly of myself anyway, so where does that get me? :)
"Conceit is a disease
that the doctors' got no cure
They've done a lot of research on it
but what it is they're still not sure."
I don't understand?
SLUMDOG
Why ar some of you saying it would be better with this track order or that version of that song and so on? I don't get it!
This is the way the album was released so let it be.
I think it is up there with Time Out Of Mind and Modern Times as being one of the best records ever made.
Every song on this one is a classic for me.
The lyrics and mood of the songs knock me sideways. They really cut through to the heart.
The versions of the songs on here are by far the better versions.
The BS8 versions are ok but just sound like demos to me.
How can I say?
This is the magic? How & why? I do not know. But: so. . .
I love all lyrics but most Political World & Where Teardrops Fall & Man in the Long Black Coat & What Was It You Wanted & Shooting Star.
Feel like I'm readin' some Blake or Kipling (for example Red Earl of Kipling).
I love.
Currently reading Dylan's
No Rating
Currently reading Dylan's Chronicles Vol. 1 - listened to this album continuously while reading the chapter of the same title - just knowing the thought processes behind it makes it so much more worthwhile, I would now consider it one of my favourite Dylan albums, whereas before it was just another of the 80's albums with a few decent tracks.
Re: Ideal Track Order
No Rating
Here is my ideal track order for Oh, Mercy:
First of all, I think it should have been called "Series of Dreams" instead (or possibly, "Everything is Broken"):
1) Series of Dreams (From Tell Tale Signs)
2) Dignity (From MTV Unplugged)
3) Political World (Oh, Mercy)
4) Where Teardrops Fall (Oh, Mercy)
5) Everything is Broken (Oh, Mercy)
6) Ring Them Bells (Oh, Mercy)
7) Man in the Long Black Coat (Oh, Mercy)
8) Most of the Time (From Tell Tale Signs)
9) Born in Time (From Tell Tale Signs)
10) God Knows (From Tell Tale Signs)
11) Dignity (From Tell Tale Signs --- Not the Piano Demo version, but the the bluesy-swing, heavy bass version)
12) Series of Dreams (From Bootleg versions 1-3)
13) Most of the Time (Original version, from Oh, Mercy)
14) What Was It You Wanted? (Oh, Mercy)
15) Shooting Star (Oh, Mercy)
PERFECT!
OH MERCY!
All the songs in Oh Mercy are great. My favorite songs are Ring Them Bells and Most of the Time. I would say this is his best work in the 80's!
Mercy Me!
No Rating
What can I say? This is one terrific Dylan album that closes the 80s decade rather nicely.
I listened to a bootleg of some of the songs on this album without Daniel Lanoi's production. This album simply would not work as well without it. After Lanoi Produced U2's Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree albums, he was a "wanted man" in the record producing industry, and Dylan found him quickly. What a find, and what a collaboration!
My favorites here:
Ring Them Bells
The Man In The Long Black Coat
What Was It You Wanted?
What Good Am I?
Diseas Of Conceit
And the terrific Shooting Star.
The album begins ends on the right chord. There is not a weak track here.
I reccomend this album for new Dylan fans.
Alternate Version
This is the version i've
constructed and far prefer !
1 Political World
2 Where Teardrops Fall
3 Broken Days
4 Ring Them Bells
5 Man In The Long Black Coat
6 Most Of The Time (Alternate Version)
7 Born In Time
8 God Knows
9 Dignity
10 Series Of Dreams
FANTASTIC !!!
A Convincing Dylan's Work
"Oh Mercy" is one of my favorite Dylan's albums. Agreed that a couple of songs are not Dylan-grade, a couple of few others are unremarkable but "Everything is Broken", "Ring Them Bell", "What Good Am I?" make the album sound while "What Was It You Want It" (intense) and "Shooting Star" (a gem) take it to the high grade. "Oh Mercy" is not a masterpiece but still provides a taste of Dylan at his best i.e. how songwriting is supposed to be.
Most of the Songs
Great album - but no masterpiece. Some excellent songs (The Man In The Long Black Coat, Most Of The Time), some very good (Political World, What Good Am I?) and some omissible ones (Disease Of Conceit, Where Teardrops Fall).
Very Strong
Most of the Time and Shooting Star are terrific. Ring Them Bells is very good. Most of the songs that are included carry themselves and are worthy of inclusion. Everything is Broken was done live one time at a concert in Springfield, IL, and it was like when Drifter's Escape and Wicked Messenger were part of the sets in the early '00's--you couldn't even believe it was the same song. I am sure everyone breathed a sigh of relief when this came out. I had not purchased a record or seen a show yet in '89. My only Dylan was Biograph, a Christmas present from my brother. I was just getting started then. At that time all the pundits were associating his "comeback" with the Wilbury's as a second chance for revival after the Live Aid debacle. Even though he had toured successfully with the Heartbreakers, no one was really saying anything good about Dylan back then when I was graduating from high school and college.
Dave
Oh Mercy
This is really awesome - the real comebackafter some weak 80`s material. Great songs/great production/great performance - how much more do you want to get from this man?
sorry but I find it over-rated
No Rating
Oh mercy is a decent album but for me it isnt one of his finest moments. 3 or 4 songs are very good but When Teardrops Fall should have been dumped from the album and Political World suffers from being a one chord tune. I find Man in Long Black Coat to be vastly over-rated. Apart from the obvious Ring Them Bells I think Shooting Star is the best song on the album.
Back from the dead
So, by the end of the 80s, Bob was fading to obscurity. Along comes Lanois to revive the ghost. Dylan writes some of the best material of his career and reminds us why he is the greatest songwriter of all time. The beginning of a new era for Bob.
Wonderful
This is the new masterpiece. It seemed tha Dylan could never do it again, but as he always does, he proves he can do it. Many say Lanois is the low point about it, but I think the atmosphere he helped to create is one of the highest points in the abum. These songs breathe. And they're great songs. Everything is broken, man in the long black coat, Most of the time, What good am I, What was it you wanted, Shooting star... I already liked Dylan, but from that moment on I became a fan. I was 13.
Oh Mercy
Once again Bob switches tracks on us. And much like I hated to agree with the popular consensus about Blood On The Tracks, I’ve got to admit I really like Oh Mercy. Of course the fact that this was the first Dylan album I ever bought (okay... permanently borrowed from my father) may have something to do with it. Sure “Man In The Long Black Coat” threatens to bring up comparisons to his earlier work in much the same way “Dark Eyes” or “Brownsville Girl” did, but luckily the song is strong enough to stand on its own – and the atmospheric touches Daniel Lanois added, help it seem like less of a throwback. Aside from that song, my other two favorite numbers on here are “Political World” and “Everything Is Broken”. Two up-tempo rockers based on simple blues riffs that help keep this album from being a complete refutation of the two albums that came before it. Personally my least favorite tunes are the ones that everyone else liked: the slower material like “Where Teardrops Fall”, “Ring Them Bells”, “Disease Of Conceit”, and “Shooting Star”, but they’re not bad. Every Dylan album has its ups and downs, but it’s really the quality of the songs in the middle (“What Was It You Wanted”, “What Good Am I?”, “Most Of The Time”) that really make the album work as a whole.