The Mekons
The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strnen
Superior Viaduct
/
2019
LP
21.99
SV171LP
Incl. printed inner sleeve
Incl. VAT plus shipping / Orders from outside the EU are exempt from VAT
Tracklist
1Like Spoons No More 2:10
2Join Us In The Countryside 2:09
3Rosanne 2:41
4Trevira Trousers 4:12
5After 6 5:01
6What Are We Going To Do Tonight 1:55
7What 2:16
8Watch The Film 3:23
9Beetroot 4:24
10I Saw You Dance 2:21
11Lonely And Wet 5:17
12Dan Dare 2:38

After two singles for Fast Product, Leeds art-punk collective The Mekons signed with Virgin Records in 1979. The band would have to borrow gear from their mates Gang Of Four to record their major label debut. In classic Mekons style, the album's back cover featured a photo of Gang Of Four instead of themselves.

As Simon Reynolds writes, "The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strnen got a mixed reception at the time. Listening to it now, though, the first LP sounds more of a piece with the band's early punk singles. What's striking is the commonality of sound across the three key Leeds groups of that moment (Gang Of Four, Delta 5 and The Mekons). There are textural affinities in terms of scrawny abrasiveness and a general departure from rock 'n' roll norms of singing and emoting."

With boundless energy, The Mekons net a dozen barbed takes on pop culture, art and politics. "What Are We Going To Do Tonight" stands out as a razor-sharp critique of leisure, while "Beetroot" drowns apathy in angular riffs and catchy, unmelodic chants.