Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1989, MERCURY REV quickly grew to become leading figures in left field alternative rock. Earlier albums veered towards experimental, off-kilter psychedelia but by the end of the decade, the band had developed their own brand of serene, piano-based Americana with the acclaimed, best-selling LP Deserter’s Songs (1998).
Originally issued in September 2008, SNOWFLAKE MIDNIGHT was the seventh album by Mercury Rev and followed The Secret Migration (2005) and All Is Dream (2001) – both of which have already been treated to deluxe editions by Cherry Red.
Although the album wasn’t fanfared by any singles, the tracks ‘Senses On Fire’, ‘Butterfly's Wing’ and ‘Snowflake In A Hot World’ all enjoyed exposure on radio. Meanwhile, the vinyl edition of Snowflake Midnight was issued as a double LP with a bonus disc of remixes, entitled STRANGE ATTRACTOR. And V2 also released a 12” EP featuring further remixes.
Cherry Red Records are proud to unveil a deluxe 5-CD edition of this relatively recent highlight in the continuing musical story of Mercury Rev, compiled and coordinated by the band’s Jonathan Donaghue and Sean ‘Grasshopper’ Mackowiak.
Joining the original album are a second disc of previously unissued outtakes, entitled Hymn Of The Heavenly Snowflake, a third disc cryptically entitled Snowflakes From A Train (again, hitherto unheard) and a fourth disc of live material (again, unreleased until now). Disc 5 offers the first commercial CD outing for STRANGE ATTRACTOR, with the added bonus of those four 12” remix tracks.
This expanded edition of SNOWFLAKE MIDNIGHT is presented as a plush, hardbook book containing original album lyrics, lots of visuals and new sleeve-notes by acclaimed author and journalist Martin Aston.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE:
SNOWFLAKE MIDNIGHT
SNOWFLAKE IN A HOT WORLD
BUTTERFLY’S WING
SENSES ON FIRE
PEOPLE ARE SO UNPREDICTABLE (THERE’S NO BLISS LIKE HOME)
OCTOBER SUNSHINE
RUNAWAY RAINDROP
DREAM OF A YOUNG GIRL AS A FLOWER
FARAWAY FROM CARS
A SQUIRREL AND I (HOLDING ON… AND THEN LETTING GO)
DISC TWO:
HYMN OF THE HEAVENLY SNOWFLAKE
IS THAT YOU?
TRIUMPHANT ELEPHANT
EVENING DELIGHT
THE WITCHES OF MINK HOLLOW
LULLABY FOR LEGS DIAMOND
UPSTAIRS AT THE CONTINENTAL
BRAINWAVE CONCERTO #12 ATJOHN ZORN’S PLACE
CFNY IN THE MID EIGHTIES (SOUNDS LIKE)
THE RECURRING DREAM OF MARV LEVY
BELLES OF KINGSTON
THE FLYING SAUCER
REMEMBER THAT TIME WHEN WE …
ALL TRACKS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
DISC THREE:
SNOWFLAKES FROM A TRAIN
SATURDAY IN THE DARK
THE FALL OF SOPHIA
MAYOR IN A CATHOUSE
THE GIANT COURTHOUSE SCREW
4AM TRAINS ACROSS KINGSTON
FLASHBACK AND FREEDOM
STEPPING IN AND STEPPING OUT
LAST TRAIN TO POUGHKEEPSIE
DISC FOUR:
LIVE 2008
SNOWFLAKE IN A HOT WORLD
OCTOBRE SUNSHINE
YOU’RE MY QUEEN
PEOPLE ARE SO UNPREDICTABLE
BUTTERFLY’S WING
DREAM OF A YOUNG GIRL AS A FLOWER
THE DARK IS RISING
SENSES ON FIRE
DISC FIVE:
STRANGE ATTRACTOR
LOVE IS PURE
TAKEN UP INTO CLOUDS, CHANGED, AND RAINED DOWN
PURE JOIE DE LA SOLITUDE
PERSISTENCE AND THE APIS MELLIFERA
FABLE OF A SILVER MOON
LOOP, LISSE, LOOP
IN MY HEART A STRANGE ATTRACTOR
INCIDENT ON ABEEL STREET
AF DEN FADER KOMMER DEN SOL
BECAUSE BECAUSE BECAUSE
NOCTURNE FOR NORWOOD
BONUS TRACKS
BUTTERFLY'S WING (ISAN ALIEN ADOPTION REMIX)
SENSES ON FIRE (FUJIYA AND MIYAGI REMIX)
BUTTERFLY'S WING (CARLOS ANTHONY MOLINA ''4 ON THE FLUX'' MIX)
