March 8: Bob Dylan’s third Oh Mercy recording session in 1989

bob dylan Oh-Mercy

Most of them are stream-of-consciousness songs, the kind that come to you in the middle of the night, when you just want to go back to bed. The harder you try to do something, the more it evades you. These weren’t like that.
~Bob Dylan (to Edna Gundersen, Sept 1989)

The Studio
New Orleans, Louisiana
8 March 1989
Third Oh Mercy recording session, produced by Daniel Lanois

  1. Most Of The Time
  2. Most Of The Time
  3. What Was It You Wanted
  4. What Was It You Wanted
  5. Political World
    I like the sound of “Political World” – the sound of the singer’s voice. certainly. and the feel of the musical accompaniment, starting with the 25-second synthesizer-bass & drums-guitars intro. For me the rising and never-relieved rock and roll tension of the instrument and the vocal together is very effective at sening up the entire 39-minute Oh Mercy experience.
    ~Paul Williams (Bob Dylan: Performing Artist Volume 3: Mind Out Of Time 1986 And Beyond)

    Overdubbed: Bob Dylan (guitar overdubs) 21 March & 8 April 1989
    Released on: Oh Mercy – 19 September 1989



  6. Political World
  7. Disease Of Conceit
  8. Disease Of Conceit
  9. Disease Of Conceit
  10. Disease Of Conceit (or take 7 or 8)
    “Disease of Conceit,” the eighth track on Oh Mercy, is another riveting vocal performance. In this case, there can be no question that the person singing is speaking – again, quite courageously and nakedly- from his own personal experience.
    ~Paul Williams (Bob Dylan: Performing Artist Volume 3: Mind Out Of Time 1986 And Beyond)
    Overdubbed: Brian Stoltz (guitar)
    Released on: Oh Mercy – 19 September 1989Spotify:

  • 1-6 Bob Dylan (guitars), Mason Ruffner (guitar), Cyril Neville (percussion), Willie Green (drums), Tony Hall (bass), Daniel Lanois (electric and 12-string guitars, dobro, bass and tom-tom).
  • 7-10 Bob Dylan (piano, harmonium).
  • 5,6 Cyril Neville (congas and cowbell)

Check out:

-Egil

2 thoughts on “March 8: Bob Dylan’s third Oh Mercy recording session in 1989”

Comments are closed.