TotW 12/01/2018 - 12/07/2018: PETER GABRIEL - Mercy Street

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    What do you think about "Mercy Street"? 14

    1. 14 points - very good (7) 50%
    2. 15 points - outstanding! (2) 14%
    3. 12 points - good + (2) 14%
    4. 10 points - good - (2) 14%
    5. 11 points - good (1) 7%
    6. 13 points - very good - (0) 0%
    7. 09 points - satisfactory + (0) 0%
    8. 08 points - satisfactory (0) 0%
    9. 07 points - satisfactory - (0) 0%
    10. 06 points - sufficient + (0) 0%
    11. 05 points - sufficient (0) 0%
    12. 04 points - sufficient - (0) 0%
    13. 03 points - poor + (0) 0%
    14. 02 points - poor (0) 0%
    15. 01 point - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) 0%

    PETER GABRIEL - Mercy Street

    Year: 1986

    Album: So [album review]

    Working title: unknown

    Credits: Gabriel, Anderson

    Lyrics: Yes

    Length: 06:22

    Musicians: (tba)

    Played Live: 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011

    mp3 downloads:

    Cover versions: none


    Notes: So made Peter Gabriel the same kind of rockstar as his former band and Phil Collins - he had worldwide success. He wrote Mercy Street with Laurie Anderson. This song had a long evolutions behind it - one of its earliest incarnations was the B-side Don't Break This Rhythm - and Gabriel would happily explain the inspiration for this song live. Mercy Street has never been a single, but it is a Gabriel classic.



    We invite you to share interesting facts and tidbits about this track. Let's look at the track in the context of the band's / the artist's history, at the music, the songwriting and all other aspects that are relevant for this track. Please do stick to the discussion of the track above. Comparisons to other tracks are okay, but remember that the other track you may be keen to talk about has or will have its own Track Of The Week thread.

    If you spot a mistake or if you can close a gap in the fact sheet above please feel free to contact martinus or Christian about it; we will gladly add and improve!

    • Official Post

    Ok, that one is tricky. I heardt it too much, but then again does it mean it's weaker than I once thought it was? No, it's one of the key tracks on SO and for Gabriel in general. Nevertheless, 14 point should do, since I have a couple of tracks from Peter worth 15 points ...

    It is tricky: captivating melody and story, beautiful atmosphere, however, to my ears at least, plagued and marred by all those mid-80s mannerisms in sound and production that would bowl me over when listening to it but have aged badly, as far as I am concerned. A problem I have with the whole SO album with the exception of Red Rain. Still, a very good one. 12+.

    So isn't a favourite PG album of mine. 3 & 4 had really set the tone for me and created what's still in many ways a high-water mark of creativity in my view. I recognised So as a necessary change of direction, even including (shock horror!) an actual TITLE. And of course, a game-changer for him commercially, and an opening for new fans who clicked with the warm pulse of Sledgehammer but who might, just possibly, find the glacial spiky Family & the Fishing Net too much of a challenge.


    'So', I get the significance of So. But apart from Red Rain and Milgrams, it leaves me cold. As such, Mercy Street is one that passes me by. I've never been able to get interested in it, even though I can see how others find it atmospheric and melodic. Its soft tinkly shuffly rhythm track annoys me. There's a wispyness to the song I just can't connect with. At PG gigs, I'd get impatient when they played it.


    Overall I'm a big fan of PG's solo work but, along with a few others including 2 or 3 on So, Mercy St comes close to what I'd classify as 'boring'.

    Abandon all reason

    Quote from Backdrifter

    So isn't a favourite PG album of mine. 3 & 4 had really set the tone for me and created what's still in many ways a high-water mark of creativity in my view. I recognised So as a necessary change of direction, even including (shock horror!) an actual TITLE. And of course, a game-changer for him commercially, and an opening for new fans who clicked with the warm pulse of Sledgehammer but who might, just possibly, find the glacial spiky Family & the Fishing Net too much of a challenge.


    'So', I get the significance of So. But apart from Red Rain and Milgrams, it leaves me cold. As such, Mercy Street is one that passes me by. I've never been able to get interested in it, even though I can see how others find it atmospheric and melodic. Its soft tinkly shuffly rhythm track annoys me. There's a wispyness to the song I just can't connect with. At PG gigs, I'd get impatient when they played it.


    Overall I'm a big fan of PG's solo work but, along with a few others including 2 or 3 on So, Mercy St comes close to what I'd classify as 'boring'.

    I love The Family and fishing net, one of his best songs imo and heavily underrated. As for Mercy Street, I personally don't fond it boring but I would certainly define it as ''cute'' and ''cute'' is not what I expect from PG. I must also say that the lyrics, his voice and singing have very redeeming qualities, another singer would have probably descended into downright syrupy with a melody like that.

    Quote from Backdrifter

    ^ I rarely pay much attention to lyrics and this one's no exception but fair point about the vocals and melody.


    I too really like TF

    For me, particularly with artists like Peter , the lyrics are part of the package. He, generally speaking, puts a fair amount of work in them and he certainly wants to say something, tell a story. Biko, with other lyrics, would still be a great song with an innovative sound but the subject matter and the way it is lyrically dealt with, just elevates it. If you slap some love lyrics onto Mercy Street, you would probably have a hit, it is after all pretty and melodic but you would also have not as good as a song imo. I can however absolutely anyway the lyrics with other artists and enjoy the final result.

    Edited 2 times, last by Fabrizio ().

    Dreaming of Mercy Street
    Swear they moved that sign
    Looking for mercy
    In your daddy's arms


    those lyrics give me the chills swear they moved that sign are you kidding me?

    I mean it can’t compare to the complex heart-wrenching lyrics of John Cougar lol


    Suckin’' on chilli dog outside the Tastee Freez
    Diane sitting on Jacky's lap
    Got his hands between her knees









    Quote from Backdrifter

    I recognised So as a necessary change of direction, even including (shock horror!) an actual TITLE.

    I know this is a tangent, but I wonder how you felt when you heard that in the US they'd named Peter Gabriel 4 'Security'? And that at some point it became the official name for it. XD

    --------------------------------------

    'When you wake in the morning

    Wake and find you're covered in cellophane

    Well, there's a hole in there somewhere'

    --------------------------------------

    Quote from TheGerkuman

    I know this is a tangent, but I wonder how you felt when you heard that in the US they'd named Peter Gabriel 4 'Security'? And that at some point it became the official name for it. XD

    It mildly irritated me. But when did it become the "official" title? I thought the first 4 albums have always been officially called Peter Gabriel.


    I remember a poster promoting the 1st 4, around the time of Plays Live. It had 4 quarters, each was the cover of those albums, with the relevant word in each - Car, Scratch, Melt and for 4 it just said '?'

    Abandon all reason

    Their names on spotify seem to be a composite of the two. e.g. 'Peter Gabriel 4: Security'

    --------------------------------------

    'When you wake in the morning

    Wake and find you're covered in cellophane

    Well, there's a hole in there somewhere'

    --------------------------------------

    Its Wikipedia entry says Geffen insisted on a title for the US/Canada release to distinguish it. PG reluctantly agreed and chose the title himself, which appeared on a sticker on the outer shrink wrap (I'm not sure if that means it never appeared on the cover itself). It remained as 'Peter Gabriel' in all other territories and reverted to that in US/Canada from 2010 under the Real World imprint. PG's website has the self-title.

    Abandon all reason

    Like 1