Lucinda Williams adds a touch of her native Louisiana grit to the Southern Gothic of Bobbie Gentrys Ode to Billie Joe, in a version of the quintessentially mysterious tune that supplements Mercury Revs adventurous track-by-track re-imagining of Gentrys largely forgotten 1968 sophomore album, The Delta Sweete.
Set within darkly atmospheric production elements, Williams vocal is tinged with pain and echoes with hints of anger and regret throughout, deepening the classic tunes enigmatic nature. The song and its phenomenal success on the pop chart at a time when the Beatles and other psychedelia were dominant would continue to loom large as The Delta Sweete was released in February 1968.
Mixed with swampy country originals and choice covers, The Delta Sweete nevertheless failed to break into the upper half of the Billboard 200. Five decades later, Gentrys album has more than earned back its reputation as a formidable follow-up to the Ode to Billie Joe LP, which famously knocked Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band out of the top spot upon its release in 1967.
Mercury Revs The Delta Sweete Revisited also features appearances by Margo Price, Norah Jones, and several other singers representing multiple genres. The album will be released on February 8th via Partisan Records/Bella Union and is now available for pre-order.