Lucinda Williams has recorded a cover of Bobbie Gentry’s ‘Ode to Billie Joe,’ as a contribution to Mercury Rev’s adventurous re-imagining of Gentry’s largely forgotten (until now) 1968 sophomore album, ‘The Delta Sweete.’ RS Country describes it as “Set within darkly atmospheric production elements, Williams’ vocal is tinged with pain and echoes with hints of anger and regret throughout, deepening the classic tune’s enigmatic nature.
The album features swampy country originals along with covers. Five decades later, Gentry’s album has more than earned back its reputation as a formidable follow-up to the Ode to Billie Joe LP, which famously knocked Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band out of the top spot upon its release in 1967.
Mercury Rev’s ‘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.”
