Mercury (American Music Club album)

Mercury is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band American Music Club. It was released in March 1993 on Reprise Records as their major-label debut. Virgin Records released the album in the United Kingdom.

Mercury
Studio album by
American Music Club
ReleasedMarch 1993 (1993-03)
RecordedNovember–December 1992
StudioSunset Sound Factory (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length49:37
Label
ProducerMitchell Froom
American Music Club chronology
Everclear
(1991)		 Mercury
(1993)		 San Francisco
(1994)
Singles from Mercury
  1. "Johnny Mathis' Feet"
    Released: 1993
  2. "Keep Me Around"
    Released: 1993

"I've Been a Mess" remained a staple of the band's concerts. The album's title comes from a beverage featured in the lyrics of "Challenger."

Release

"Johnny Mathis' Feet" and "Keep Me Around" were released as singles from Mercury. 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 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, and assorted clips, including of Mark Eitzel riding his bike by the ocean. The band members talk at length about the origins of American Music Club, with two of them commenting on how scary it is to be in the band.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Christgau's Consumer GuideB−[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]
NME9/10[5]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[6]
Q[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
Select4/5[9]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[10]

Spin magazine ranked Mercury the 14th best album of 1993.[11]

Legacy

In a retrospective "On Second Thought" feature for Stylus Magazine, critic Todd Hutlock wrote that "the rock-solid ensemble musicianship and straightforward production... let in just enough light to let Eitzel's darkness contrast but not overwhelm things."[12]

Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady has cited Mercury as one of his biggest musical influences.[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mark Eitzel.

No.TitleLength
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

Production notes

  • All songs recorded and mixed at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, November–December 1992, and mastered at Gateway Mastering.

Charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 41

References
  1. Ankeny, Jason. "Mercury – American Music Club". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. Caro, Mark (April 29, 1993). "American Music Club: Mercury (Reprise)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  3. Christgau, Robert (2000). "American Music Club: Mercury". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. Hilburn, Robert (May 2, 1993). "American Music Club 'Mercury' Reprise". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  5. "American Music Club: Mercury". NME. March 13, 1993. p. 31.
  6. Moon, Tom (April 4, 1993). "American Music Club: Mercury (Reprise)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  7. "American Music Club: Mercury". Q. No. 79. April 1993. p. 77.
  8. O'Connor, Rob (April 15, 1993). "American Music Club: Mercury". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 6, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  9. Cavanagh, David (April 1993). "American Music Club: Mercury". Select. No. 34. p. 73.
  10. Weisbard, Eric (1995). "American Music Club". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 11–12. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  11. Greer, Jim (January 1994). "20 Best Albums of the Year — 14. American Music Club: Mercury". Spin. Vol. 9 no. 10. p. 41. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  12. Hutlock, Todd (July 5, 2005). "American Music Club – Mercury". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on March 29, 2006. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  13. Lindsay, Andrew (February 16, 2009). "Interview: Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady)". Stereokill. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
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