20+ years in the making, but well worth the wait - Tender Mercies

San Francisco in the early 1990s was a happenin' place to be. Lots of great bands came out of that city/time. If you happened upon the Hotel Utah, you may have run into an early incarnation of Tender Mercies. Dan Vickrey, Patrick Winningham, Kurt Stevenson and Charlie Gillingham were the band. They played around San Francisco under changing names and drummers, until Charlie left to focus on working with another up-and-coming San Francisco based band, Counting Crows. Through Charlie's recommendation, and his awesome guitar skills, in 1993 Dan Vickrey would too join that little band, who's debut album had just been released. If you know your '90s music history, that little band would blow up to be a major success, and Tender Mercies as a band was put on the back burner. A few of their songs would be added to the set lists of early Counting Crows shows, and some still are to this day.


Fast forward to October 2011. Counting Crows had been taking more time off, which gave Patrick Winningham, Kurt Stevenson, Dan Vickrey and new drummer Jim Bogios time to get together, play music, and eventually record said music. The result: Tender Mercies' debut album is finally released. I don't know exactly which genre this record fits into: country, alternative country, Americana, folk, indie rock, take your pick. All I know is that it's a damn good album. 

The album opens with a Vickrey penned track, Safe and Sound. I love this song, with lyrics like this, how can you not? -- 
You're speaking softly into my broken ears / your voice assures me there's nothing here to fear / and on a night like this I should know / the stars are crystal clear the moons a side show / looking in to the sky / well you can't see / this carnival of emotion inside of me / I'm spinning round upon the ferris wheel / there's no words to explain this feeling I feel / all this time I know / that I must be the luckiest man in the world / the wheel turns upside down / my feet have touched the ground / and I'm stranded in an open field / and as I call your name I hear my voice just the same / echoing like someone's lost beyond the hills / suddenly I see the earth is at my feet and I've landed above you and it's clear / that you are safe and sound on a dry and distant ground / whispering words that I will never hear / and all this time I know / that I must be the luckiest man in world 

Its nice to hear Dan singing lead, as he usually only does backing vocals on Counting Crows songs (I loved when Adam Duritz made him sing at the Counting Crows show in Seattle, he went with the Beach Boys' Wouldn't it Be Nice.) He has a great country twang to his voice. Safe and Sound is a perfect song, the lyrics sweet and beautiful, the acoustic guitar flawless. My other favorite Vickrey song on the album is Heaven Knows. One of my favorite lines from the song, and really from any song: You don't know how beautiful you are / as pretty as the sky is to the stars. Love it. The other Dan songs, I love them all, on this album are Angeline and Perfect Hour. Both are lyrical masterpieces. Dan Vickrey writes some good stuff. 

Counting Crows fans will recognize the tracks Four White Stallions and Mercy, as they covered them on their new album Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation). Though these original versions are slightly different, a bit more country, less rock and roll. I love Four White Stallions, it's a great song. Thank you Patrick Winningham for writing this song. Patrick also gets to take lead vocals on these songs, as well as on Scarecrow, Ball & Chain, Riding Blind, Almighty Trial and yet another song that Counting Crows fans may recognize, and another one of my favorites, Wiseblood. 

I don't know what it is about this song, but it really resonates with me. Maybe it's the lyrics, maybe it's the harmonies, maybe it's the electric guitar. I don't know, but I loves it. This video is from South By Southwest 2012, the band is joined by Charlie Gillingham, doing his best "I'll just sit here and look cool" act (for other songs in this set Charlie played the accordion)

How many more times can I say that I love this band, and this record. Not just because of the Counting Crows connection, I mean sure, that helps, but they really are really good. The songs are fantastic in every aspect; lyrics, guitars, drums, lead vocals, backing vocals, everything. Like I always do, I will recommend picking up Tender Mercies' album. If you're a country fan, you'll like it. If you're a rock n roll fan, you'll like it. If you're a Counting Crows fan you'll like it. If you have functioning ears, you'll like it. You can get it from iTunes or Amazon. Don't bother previewing it, just buy it. 

(oh, and go "like" them on Facebook too. You're already on Facebook all the time, may as well show support for these guys. Anyway, after listening to the record, you will like them.  http://www.facebook.com/tendermerciesmusic)