Tidy Tunes 2019 #18/28 Sermon - Mercury Rev feat. Margo Price

Sermon - Mercury Rev feat. Margo Price
from the album 

'Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited'
Bella Union/Partisan Records
Released 8th February 2019



Listen To The Album Click Here.

Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited 

Tracklist:
01. Okolona River Bottom Band (feat. Norah Jones)
02. Big Boss Man (feat. Hope Sandoval)
03. Reunion (feat. Rachel Goswell)
04. Parchman Farm (feat. Carice van Houten)
05. Mornin’ Glory (feat. Laetitia Sadier)
06. Sermon (feat. Margo Price)
07. Tobacco Road (feat. Susanne Sundfør)
08. Penduli Pendulum (feat. Vashti Bunyan w/ Kaela Sinclair)
09. Jessye’ Lisabeth (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
10. Refractions (feat. Marissa Nadler)
11. Courtyard (feat. Beth Orton)
12. Ode To Billie Joe (feat. Lucinda Williams)
 

Louisianna Man is the only track from the Bobbie Gentry album that Mercury Rev did not include on the album, in it's place they included the Ode To Billie Joe. I'm not sure the reason behind that decision.

There are some more links below to check out to enjoy even more music.

The Delta Sweete - Bobby Gentry
Capitol Records
Produced by Kelly Gordon
Released 5th February 1968
US Chart #132

A1 Okolona River Bottom Band 2:57
A2 Big Boss Man 2:56
A3 Reunion 2:35
A4 Parchman Farm 3:00
A5 Mornin' Glory 2:57
A6 Sermon 2:41
B1 Tobacco Road 2:50
B2 Penduli Pendulum 2:55
B3 Jessye' Lisabeth 3:00
B4 Refractions 2:20
B5 Louisiana Man 2:35
B6 Courtyard 2:58

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In a press release, Margo Price said of Bobby Gentry's craft and career:

"Bobbie Gentry is one of the greatest writers and performers of our time. She was the definition of country funk and southern soul. Her songs were well crafted, literary masterpieces. Bobbie produced so much of her own work that she didn’t get credit for. Her influence on my music has been massive and her influence on the music world in general is earth shattering. Bobbie is iconic, original, eloquent and timeless. She is an elusive wonder in a world of plain spoken, worn out cliques. She has remained a strong voice and an eternal spirit of the delta, wrapped in mystery, yet forever here."

Remaking a classic album is something that doesn't always appeal to me but down through the years there has been a couple that grabbed my attention: Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones covering The Everly Brothers 1958 album 'Songs Our Daddy Taught Us' back in 2014 with the title 'Foreverly', was pretty interesting. Camper Van Beethoven's take on Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' was another I found quite delightful. Also the Various Artist take on Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' entitled 'Dead Man's Town: A Tribute To Born in the U.S.A.' was pretty cool as well. I'm sure there must be some others out there worth listening to.

Anyway, Indie Rock band Mercury Rev have returned with their first album since 'The Light In You' (2015) and it's a remake (bar the one track that I mentioned above) of Bobbie Gentry's 1968 album The Delta Sweete. Each track features a different female vocalist  and I have to say I was more than impressed with it. Hope you enjoy listening to it today and hopefully you'll take some time to listen to the original as well which is also posted above.