Mercury Falling (1996)
Don’t you dare listen to any poor review of this album. Those who speak ill of Mercury Falling simply don’t know how to appreciate what it does. It is arguably the most cohesive and consistent record Sting had released up to this point. Veering away from the mainstream pop rock of Ten Summoner’s Tales, the somber and personal tones of The Soul Cages, and the heavy jazz of his first two outings, Sting builds a body of work unlike anything he’d done before. He takes inspiration from gospel and soul, then blends it with his signature pop rock hooks. On his fifth go-around, Sting made a No Skip Album.
Mercury Falling is filled with passion and drama. Hammond organs are ALL OVER these tracks, as bright and lively as ever. The Hounds of Winter and I Hung My Head ride gospel-choir backing vocals that carry the opening tracks to blistering heights. Those Dark Side of the Moon-style backing vocals are exuberant, and no song shows it off better than Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot. Amen, Sting. It’s as infectious as it is moving. There’s even a fantastic A&G Great Divide Mix that pumps some extended techno and dance energy into the song, complete and utter fun. Worth checking out and fully worth shaking your ass to.
I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying is loaded with country influence and twang. Lyrically and musically, it’s some of Sting’s best work. He made a country song listenable?? What can’t this guy do? Can he pull off a Spanish-guitar, bossa nova number sung in French? Of course he can. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets, the ninth track, is gorgeous. Upper-echelon Sting without a doubt.
Say what you want about Mercury Falling. Call it “underwhelming” and “pretentious” like a lot of the internet does. Say it’s lacking energy and uninspiring. Say it’s Sting’s boring attempt at an adult contemporary album. But just know that saying all of that makes you look like a big dumb dummy, and you should go take your dunce cap and sit in the corner where you and your lame music taste belong. Once you apologize and realize this album is amazing for what it is, rather than what it isn’t compared to Sting’s earlier work, we’ll let you back into the party. Take your time. We’ll wait.
——————————————————
Highlight Songs:
The Hounds of Winter
Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot
I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying
I Hung My Head
You Still Touch Me
La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
——————————————————
Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
Do I even have to say it? Go buy it! You’ll look silly for not owning Mercury Falling. Stream it until your phone breaks, then buy a hard copy and play it until it explodes. Don’t worry about skipping tracks. You don’t need to. This is Sting’s first NSA. Own it.
——————————————————
Overall Rating:
5 Stars
