Back to Mine

• Artist: Mercury Rev
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 16, 2006
• Type: Mix-album
• Genre: Rock

Review

The Back to Mine series provides "a personal mix for after hours grooving" as well as a glimpse into the listening habits and influences of the artists who curate its volumes. Mercury Rev's mix does both, with plenty of inspiration. You could mix almost any of these songs together and come up with something that sounds like Mercury Rev. Though tracks like Galaxie 500's "When Will You Go Home?" and Spacemen 3's "Big City" nod to the dream pop and space rock that made up the early foundation of Mercury Rev's sound, this may be the most eclectic volume of Back to Mine yet, which is fitting since the band has done everything from avant-bubblegum to spacy country lullabies over the years. David Bowie's "New Career in a New Town" and Johan Johannson's "Hotel Borg" begin the set with lushly layered electronic atmospheres, echoed later in the mix by Mercury Rev's own "Cecilia's Lunar Expose." The band's sentimental streak and respect for classic songcraft is reflected by songs like Billie Holiday's "I'm a Fool to Want You," George Jones' "The Grand Tour," and the Disney sweetness of Cliff Edwards' "When You Wish Upon a Star," while John Cale's "Days of Steam" and Andrew Bird's "Opposite Day" share Mercury Rev's intricate arrangements and sense of whimsy. Other standout tracks include Pharoah Sanders' "Astral Traveling," which is a clear influence on See You on the Other Side and the band's other jazzy excursions, and Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun"; its morbid verses and jubilant chorus make it one of AM pop's most unsettling moments. Though Back to Mine sometimes feels like a particularly lucky streak on shuffle rather than a precisely planned mix, that's the appeal of this freewheeling collection. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
A New Career in a New Town	David Bowie	David Bowie	(2:53)
Hotel Borg		Johan Johannson	(2:42)
Seasons in the Sun	Rod McKuen, Jacques Brel	Terry Jacks	(3:17)
When Will You Come Home (Lyrics)		Galaxie 500	(5:23)
I'm a Fool to Want You (Lyrics)	Jack Wolf, Joel Herron, Frank Sinatra	Billie Holiday	(3:07)
Days of Steam	John Cale	John Cale	(1:55)
Opposite Day (Reprise)	Andrew Bird	Andrew Bird	(:46)
The Grand Tour [Clean Version]	George Richey, Carmol Taylor	George Jones	(3:06)
If I Were a Little Star	Nicolai Dunger	Nicolai Dunger	(3:24)
Wrap Your Troubles in My Dreams	Lou Reed	Nico	(5:06)
Cecilia's Lunar Exposé		Mercury Rev	(4:05)
Big City		Spacemen 3	(4:32)
Dream Baby Dream		Suicide	(6:11)
Let Me Get Close to You		Alex Chilton	(2:29)
Astral Traveling	Lonnie Liston Smith	Pharoah Sanders	(5:37)
Cast Anchor	Hanne Hukkelberg	Hanne Hukkelberg	(4:05)
Uncle Bob's Midnight Blues (Lyrics)	Randy Newman	Randy Newman	(1:56)
When You Wish Upon a Star	Ned Washington, Leigh Harline	Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards	(3:14)

Credits

Kalle Gustafsson (Producer), Terry Jacks (Producer), Ebbot Lundberg (Producer), Tom Wilson (Producer), Johan Johannson (Performer), Lenny Waronker (Producer), Ed Michel (Producer), Jóhann Jóhannsson (Producer), John Cale (Producer)