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Mercury Falling

 
Album Review: Mercury Falling

  • Artist: Sting
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: March 12, 1996
  • Total Time: 48:08
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album, Enhanced CD-ROM
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Falling somewhere between the pop sensibilities of Ten Summoner's Tales and the searching ambition of The Soul Cages, Mercury Falling is one of Sting's tighter records, even if it fails to compel as much as his previous solo albums. Though he doesn't flaunt his jazz aspirations as he did in the mid-'80s, Mercury Falling feels more serious than The Dream of the Blue Turtles, primarily because of its reserved, high-class production and execution. Building from surprisingly simple, memorable melodies, Sting creates multi-layered, vaguely soul-influenced arrangements that carry all of the hallmarks of someone who has studied music, not lived it. Of course, there are many pleasures in the record -- for all of his pretensions, Sting remains an engaging melodicist, as well as a clever lyricist. There just happens to be a distinct lack of energy, stemming from the suffocating layers of synthesizers. Mercury Falling is a record of modest pleasures; it's just not an infectious, compulsive listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The Hounds of Winter Sting Sting (5:27)
I Hung My Head Sting Sting (4:40)
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot Sting Sting (6:41)
I Was Brought to My Senses Sting Sting (5:48)
You Still Touch Me Sting Sting (3:46)
I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying Sting Sting (3:56)
All Four Seasons Sting Sting (4:28)
La Belle Dame Sans Regrets Sting, Dominic Miller Sting (5:17)
Valparaiso Sting Sting (5:27)
Lithium Sunset Sting Sting (2:38)

Credits

Kathryn Tickell (Vocals (Background)), Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian Smallpipes), Sting (Guitar (Bass)), Sting (Vocals), Sting (Producer), Sting (Main Performer), Kenny Kirkland (Keyboards), Lance Ellington (Vocals), Shirley Lewis (Vocals), Vinnie Colaiuta (Drums), B.J. Cole (Pedal Steel), Wayne Jackson (Trumpet), Andrew Love (Saxophone), Branford Marsalis (Saxophone), Dominic Miller (Guitar), Hugh Padgham (Producer), Hugh Padgham (Engineer), Gerry Richardson (Organ (Hammond)), Tony Walters (Vocals), Simon Osborne (Engineer), East London Gospel Choir (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: Mercury Falling
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Mercury Falling
Studio album by Sting
Released March 12, 1996
Genre Rock, adult contemporary, country
Length 48:08
Label A&M
540483
Producer Hugh Padgham, Sting
Professional reviews
Sting chronology
Ten Summoner's Tales
(1993)
Mercury Falling
(1996)
Brand New Day
(1999)

Mercury Falling is the fifth studio album released by Sting. The album was marked by its tight studio production and use of brass reminiscent of recordings made at FAME Studios in the 1960s. This release was considered by many fans to signal the beginning of Sting's transition from heavier jazz-inspired rock to the adult contemporary genre.

The track "Twenty Five to Midnight" is not available on every release of the album. It is listed in the official Sting.com discography tracklist, but was excluded from the American and Canadian releases.

The album begins and ends with the words "mercury falling".

Contents

Track listing

  1. The Hounds of Winter – 5:27
  2. I Hung My Head – 4:40
  3. Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot – 6:41
  4. I Was Brought to My Senses – 5:48
  5. You Still Touch Me – 3:46
  6. I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying – 3:56
  7. All Four Seasons – 4:28
  8. Twenty Five to Midnight – 4:09 (Excluded from original Canada/US releases)[1]
  9. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets – 5:17
  10. Valparaiso – 5:27
  11. Lithium Sunset – 2:38

Personnel

Singles

  • Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot (1996) #15 UK, #86 U.S.
  • You Still Touch Me (1996) #27 UK, #60 U.S.
  • I Was Brought to My Senses (1996) #31 UK
  • I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying (1996) #94 U.S.

References


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mercury Falling" Read more