Tag Archives: Oh Mercy

Bob Dylan: Live versions of all the songs from “Oh Mercy”

Most of them [the songs on “Oh Mercy”] 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, 21 September 1989)

Happy 30th birthday “Oh Mercy” – released September 18, 1989.

To celebrate this great album I’ve collected live versions of all the tracks on the album.

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March 14: Bob Dylan recorded “Shooting Star” in 1989

bob dylan shooting star

Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you
You were trying to break into another world
A world I never knew
I always kind of wondered
If you ever made it through
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you

“Shooting star” was his first album closer since “Every Grain of Sand” to share that slightly somnambulant feel, a gorgeous melody, caressed vocal and an abiding conviction that there are two kinds of people, good (i.e. saved) and lost people.
~Clinton Heylin (Still on the Road: The Songs of Bob Dylan Vol. 2, . 1974-2008)

This was the 6th “Oh Mercy” recording session, and Dylan also landed another master: “Everything Is Broken”.

The Studio
New Orleans, Louisiana
14 or 15 March 1989
6th Oh Mercy recording session, produced by Daniel Lanois

Continue reading March 14: Bob Dylan recorded “Shooting Star” in 1989

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

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

Bob Dylan: 5 Great live versions of “Shooting Star”

 

Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you
You were trying to break into another world
A world I never knew
I always kind of wondered
If you ever made it through
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you

Here are 5 Great live versions of this wonderful song from the album “Oh Mercy” (1989).

Rome, Italy 6 June 1991

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Classic Bob Dylan Bootleg: The Oh Mercy outtakes 1989

mercy on us1

Classic Bob Dylan bootleg 1989: The Oh Mercy Outtakes

“Most of them [the songs on “Oh Mercy”] 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, 21 September 1989)

There are several releases that has these outtakes, the first I found was Deeds of Mercy but my favourite is Mercy on Us: The Oh Mercy outtakes remastered. Essentially the same release but with better sound.  I think they managed to cut the hiss, without ruining the music – unlike so many other times…

 “These recordings have traded for years, and have appeared on several commercial bootlegs. The cover states the tracks to be remastered, and indeed they sound great. The package is a cardboard triptych with some beautiful “Oh Mercy” inspired graphics. The track list shown on the back cover is correct except for one thing…What Good Am I? has a misspelling and appears as “What Goog Am I?”. Other than that typo, this is truly a stunning title . Highly recommended!”
– Bobsboots

Highlights: Born in Time, Shooting Star (both takes) and God Knows but everything is highly recommended and I would pick different songs if you asked me another day.

Other entries in this series:

My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1973: The Pat Garrett sessions
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1983: Infidels outtakes (Rough cuts)
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1995: Prague 3 nights in March
My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village Denmark June 27
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012: The Day of Wine and Roses, Barolo, Italy July 16
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2014: Gothenburg Sweden July 15

Continue reading Classic Bob Dylan Bootleg: The Oh Mercy outtakes 1989