Mercy (Steve Jones album)
Mercy is a 1987 hard rock album by Steve Jones. It was the first solo album from Jones, a former member of the Sex Pistols. The single "Mercy" was used in a Miami Vice episode called "Stone's War" and was also featured on the Miami Vice II soundtrack album. The song "With You or Without You" was used in, and is on the soundtrack for, Jonathan Demme's 1986 film Something Wild. "Raining in My Heart" was originally recorded as "When Dreaming Fails", a 1985 demo with Iggy Pop which they recorded at Olivier Ferrand's home studio in Hancock Park, Los Angeles. Jones added new lyrics. Jones reflected in 2017 that he doesn't like the song "Drugs Suck", proclaiming that: "It's sounds like I'm preachy, I don't like being preachy, if people wanna get high, good, do your thing″.[3]
Mercy | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 1987 | |||
Studio | Cherokee Studios, The Village Recorder, Image Recording Studios and Baby'O Recorders, Los Angeles, California | |||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Length | 47:00 | |||
Label | MCA | |||
Producer | Bob Rose, Steve Jones, Paul Lani | |||
Steve Jones chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Kerrang! | [2] |
Track listing
All songs by Steve Jones, except where indicated
- Side one
- "Mercy" – 5:04
- "Give It Up" – 4:55
- "That's Enough" – 4:05
- "Raining in My Heart" – 5:33
- "With You or Without You" – 4:29
- Side two
- "Pleasure and Pain" – 4:51
- "Pretty Baby" – 6:01
- "Drugs Suck" – 4:30
- "Through the Night" – 4:43
- "Love Letters" (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) – 2:57
Personnel
- Steve Jones – lead vocals, guitars, bass guitar, co-producer
- Mickey Curry, Jim Keltner – drums
- Bob Rose, Kevin Savigar – keyboards
For his solo debut, Jones chose a sparse arrangement and played most instruments himself. He partners with just two drummers and a keyboardist as he "gamely sing-speaks his way through".[4]
Production
- Bob Rose - producer
- Paul Lani - producer on "Pretty Baby", engineer, mixing on "That's Enough" and "Through the Noght"
- Charlie Brocco, Cliff Kane, Jim Dineen - assistant engineers
- Neil Dorfsman - mixing at The Village Recorder, Can-Am Recorders, One on One Recording Studios, Unique Recording Studios
- Greg Calbi - mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
- Jim Shea - photography
Reception
Critic Ira Robbins notes that original punk rocker Jones "caught followers off guard" with this release.[4] Unexpectedly, the album "allows low-key, sentimental moments – like the title track, the hopelessly sappy "Love Letters" and others – to mingle with the rock numbers".[4]
References
- Heibutzki, Ralph. "Steve Jones Mercy review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
- Johnson, Howard (25 June 1987). "Steve Jones ' Mercy'". Kerrang!. 149. London, UK: Spotlight Publications. p. 18.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsmI1WRUmAU
- Robbins, Ira A., ed. (1989). The New Trouser Press Record Guide (3rd ed.). New York: Collier/Macmillan. p. 303. ISBN 0-02-036370-2. Retrieved 19 February 2016.