The biographical Brian Wilson – Beach Boys movie by the same name brought me to this song. The original 80’s drenched synth recording of Love and Mercy left me cold, but his later renditions such as the one below I like a lot. It has been his closing number at his solo live concerts. The song was released as a single on July 1, 1988, but failed to chart. Brian Wilson is no stranger to this blog as his music has featured here prominently in the form of the Beach Boys.
I was sittin’ in a crummy movie
With my hands on my chin
All the violence that occurs
Seems like we never win
Love and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
So love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
I was lying in my room
And the news came on TV
A lotta people out there hurtin’
And it really scares me
Love and mercy, that’s what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight
I respect and understand how this song is a recession in complexity for him. Sometimes in life you just need to go back to basics. Wilson noted the song as “probably the most spiritual song I’ve ever written“.
Brian Wilson is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and significant songwriters of the 20th century. His best-known work is distinguished for its high production values, complex harmonies and orchestrations, layered vocals, and introspective or ingenuous themes. Wilson is also known for his formerly high-ranged singing and for his lifelong struggles with mental illness.
“I would think love is a gentle thing and mercy would be more desperate, ultimately more desperately needed, thing in life. Mercy–a little break here and there for somebody who’s having trouble….I was going for a spiritual, semi-Beach Boy kind of background sound, but more of a Brian Wilson lead vocal thing”.
References:
1. Love and Mercy – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love those background vocals…it ties it together for me.
Hi Max. Yes, the vocals are great. Have you heard the original version?
Yes I have…while not terrible…this is more genuine…more real if that makes sense.
Oh Matt I have a question for you…I’m going to cover an Austraila artist next weekend…I know you have posted him because I thought of you when I listened… Paul Kelly
I couldn’t agree more about the more sanitised versions of Love and Mercy.
You can’t go wrong with Paul Kelly. He’s a folk icon in Australia. Also he’s paved the way for so many other artists like Archie Roach and Vika and Linda Bull. By the way if you haven’t heard the sisters ‘Vika and Linda Bull’ sing ‘When Will You Fall For Me’ then do yourself a favour. Hehe
Are you covering him or posting about him. Which song may I ask?
I like that song…it’s bouncy and I really like the guitar in it.
Probably more than one song. Like I’m doing today on Graham Parker…kind of a short bio and a few of his songs.
I’m looking at To Her Door and Dumb Things, How To Make Gravy (love that title), Life is Fine, and From Little Things Big Things Grow
I was thinking that the Vika and Linda song was a great PowerPop Friday song.
I’m familiar with those aforementioned songs by Paul except ‘How to Make Gravy’. I’ll catch up with your post today in a jiffy.
So you will write about the Paul song or cover it musically?
It would fit no doubt…I’ve bookmarked it.
Oh…write about Paul…sorry. In a few weeks I’m going to post one of mine.
I can’t wait for your post about your song!
I will…but it makes me nervous as hell…but I’m going to do it.
If I cared what others think, I would have stopped posting a long time ago. Haha. You sent me a few a while back which were good.
Oh with the artist I pick I don’t give a rats ass if someone hates it or not…lol…when it’s me…but the hell with it….I’m doing it. Thanks Matt
I had to laugh about your ‘rats arse’ comment. Many times the posts about music I am more attached to, receive the less ‘love’. That’s sometimes how it goes.
I see what you mean about it feeling more personal. I bet people have been pleading for you to post your own music for a long time.
Yes I’ve been asked about it a lot. I want to clean them up sound wise and I’m off this week so I might work on them a bit.
Super Max
I forgot to add that Vika and Linda were backup singers for a Paul Kelly song that you wrote how you liked a lot – ‘Leaps and Bounds’. They performed together at the inauguration of the 2019 AFL premiership game which my beloved Tigers won. Woohoo.
Oh cool I like the connection. That is awesome…I’ll say something about them in my writeup.
Sweet man!
Matt….speaking of power pop…I found this one by a band that we both like. I didn’t know they ventured into that area.
Yeh, I heard this ‘Bread’ song a lot in my youth. Thanks for allowing me to revisit it and enjoy again!
My sister had it on her greatest hits….I had forgotten about it.
Same here, till you relayed it here. It’s not bad. I wouldn’t post on it, but I enjoyed the experience revisiting it.