The Mercy Seat

by The Mercy Seat

Overview

On the face of it, this is a punk band fronted by Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano doing covers of traditional gospel songs -- and it would be easy to write this album off as being such. The initial surprise of hearing "Let Me Ride" with a fast punk two-beat behind it can be jarring, not to mention the seemingly incompatible couplings of Von Hepinstall's husky alto voice and Gano's whiny, nasally voice in a call-and-response gospel rave-up. But given a listen for the group as it is and not a Gordon Gano side project -- and hearing these songs as songs in their own right and not gospel covers -- this is an excellent record. Truly, the whole band is amazing and shines with virtuosity. Bassist Patrice Moran features very prominently here, and her lines really help to preserve the gospel tone of the record. Gano and drummer Fernando Menendez push the music much more into the Dead Kennedys or Butthole Surfers end of the spectrum. Singer/bombshell Zena Von Heppinstall is the major creative force here, penning four of the songs and carrying the music with her fabulous voice. Highlights are "Don't Forget About Me," the bluesy "He Said," and the "Let the Church Roll On/I Won't Be Back" medley. The final cut on the record is a surprising Spanish-sounding number called "Mother Talking," which sounds more like a Violent Femmes (3 era) tune than anything else here. ~ Mark W. B. Allender

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2009
Label:	Wounded Bird
UPC:	0664140560024
Rank:	59990

Tracks

1. Let Me Ride
2. Soul on Right (Jesus Laid His Hands on Me)
3. Don't Forget About Me
4. I Don't Need Nobody Else (But Jesus)
5. He Said
6. Get Up (When the World Comes Tumbling Down)
7. I Am a Pilgrim
8. I've Got a Feeling
9. Let the Church Roll On/I Won't Be Back
10. Mother Talking

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Mercy Seat   Primary Artist
Fernando Menendez   Vocals,Drums,Shaker
Mama   Tambourine
Peter Balistreri   Saxophone
Zena von Heppinstall   Vocals
Patrice Moran   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
John Kruth   Flute
Gordon Gano   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Patrice Morris   Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
McCoy   Composer
Raymond Patterson   Composer,Composer
Zena von Heppinstall   Composer
James Herndon   Composer,Composer
Lendon Flanagan   Photography
Jeff Price   Art Direction
Georg Lang   Photography
Inez Andrews   Composer
James Taylor   Composer
Warren A. Bruleigh   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer,Audio Production
Merle Travis   Composer
Peter Henderson   Mastering,Assistant Engineer
Gordon Gano   Group Member
Rusty Cobb   Producer
The Mercy Seat   Producer,Audio Production
Cathy Dennis   Composer
Ermint Franklin   Composer
Spencer Taylor   Composer