Mercury Years

Don't know why, but I kept on going back to this band!! Proves the quality of Tom Keifer's songwriting and the togetherness of this band, Philly's own Cinderella...too bad they finally split up for good in 2017. At least Tom is keeping on with a solo career cuz this man's got a lotta talent!! I got into them from the beginning, or at least the 1st album, "Night Songs" from 1986...they go back to 1983, Tom & bassist/foil Eric Brittingham (actually 1980), but the other half, lead guitarist Michael Schermick/Michael Kelly Smith & drummer Tony Destra, were fired in the development stage at the label (6 month development deal at Mercury) and went & formed the sorta similar but nowhere near as good Britney Fox...I haven't heard their earliest '83-'85 material but based on the titles, sounded kinda cheesy...Anyhoo, back to Cinderella...they landed guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Fred Coury and soldiered on thru 4 diverse records, "Night Songs" (1986), "Long Cold Winter" (1988), "Heartbreak Station" (1990) and "Still Climbing" (1994), then got dropped in 1995...then went on hiatus...there was almost a 5th album on Portrait/Epic/Sony in 1998/1999, but the band got dropped again before that album got made and went into litigation that lasted another 3 years...I do wonder if anything from those sessions ever got recorded or demos on tape?? The band reunited again, toured off and on for years until they finally broke up in 2017...Tom made his solo album in 2014, which was excellent...this 5CD box has everything and then some...these 4 albums remastered with bonus tracks from singles, greatest hits bonus tracks and EPs, as well as a 5th disc with more bonuses of live B-sides and the "Live Train To Heartbreak Station" Japanese EP ...talk about complete!! This is the set to get because every compilation released in the past (the 2CD "Gold", the hits collection "Once Upon A...", "Rocked, Wired & Bluesed") were never complete and the albums were not remastered until now...this set gathers it all together, nice & compact, with faithfully reproduced album artwork from the vinyls, front & back covers...the booklet is well-put together too, with single sleeves and well-written, informative essay, with Tom intricately involved. Very impressive, and the price & value are right-on...5 full CDs for just over 20 bucks and compact in size, just a tad wider than 1 jewelcase and no plastic!!What I love most is the diversity and quality of the songwriting here...1986's "Night Songs" was easily slotted in with the mid-80s hard rock/metal of the day, but the songs were better-written, the sound heavier and bluesier than most of what was popular then so it stood out, not unlike prime AC/DC, but the secret ingredient was killer bullseye pop/powerpop hooks and melodies somehow woven in, like on the rockers "Shake Me" & "Push Push" and the haunting powerballad "Nobody's Fool", the songs still hold up quite well today in 2018...1988's "Long Cold Winter" was even bluesier but it still had an accessibility and catchy hooks like "Night Songs" did...plus there were more actual hits here too, with 4...the catchy chugging rocker "Gypsy Road", the widescreen powerpop tune "The Last Mile", the pretty and sad/remorseful piano ballad "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" (their biggest hit at #12), and the optimistic "Coming Home" (also Top 20)...but the whole album is solid...3rd album, 1990's "Heartbreak Station" was the real departure...it not only got even bluesier than "Winter", but uses horns, strings and pianos, and even incorporates Americana/alt-country in spots...it very much resembles a 70s Stones and Faces record and retains a freshness and always impresses the too-cool-for-school crowd like the No Depression/Alt-country audience, espesh the title track...play that for an audience at a club to see Steve Earle or Lucinda Williams or Drive-By Truckers or Old 97's or Ryan Adams...and they would ask "who is that???"...there were 2 charting hits here in the Stonesy "Shelter Me" and the GORGEOUS and sad alt-country dusky piano & steel ballad title track "Heartbreak Station"...this is one album that was WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY ahead of its time and still holds its place as a total masterpiece that still impresses...then trouble struck...after the album's tour, Fred joined Arcade with Ratt's Stephen Pearcy, then Tom's voice just imploded with an almost deadly diagnosis of vocal cord paresis (not paralysis)...he almost could not sing again!! He did get it together for a time to record album #4, 1994's "Still Climbing", which did include the catchy rocker "Hot N Bothered" from the "Wayne's World" soundtrack in 1991, with Fred Coury on drums...the sound was more back to basics, not grunge/garage per se, but definitely stripped back from the more elaborate/eloquent "Heartbreak Station"...anyhoo, with the industry in with Seattle and grunge, and the perception that Cinderella was from the scene they had tried to kill off, even though they were not, at all, "Still Climbing" never had a chance and was fighting a losing battle...it tanked and the band got dropped shortly afterwards, in 1995...In the end, this box proves Cinderella had the goods, that they had a catalogue that stands up with the best rock & roll bands that ever was...only 4 albums (almost 5)?? Doesn't matter. Jellyfish, one of the best-ever powerpop bands, only had TWO, Big Star THREE (not counting sorta "reunion" albums). Rock & roll history will be very kind to them because their catalogue transcended time and trends and was simply about quality stuff. Guaranteed, even the ever-picky Keith Richards would give his stamp of approval if he heard this box...maybe he has?? The only other bands from the same era which could stand toe to toe with Cinderella would be Guns N Roses, Tesla, Motley Crue, KIX and maybe Faster Pussycat...I would say Britain's Wildhearts, but they came later...but Cinderella were better than all of them...objectively & honestly...I would include Def Leppard too, but they are in a whole other section, stylistically...the writer of the booklet compares them to Aerosmith, Humble Pie & Bad Company...perhaps, but I like Cinderella better because they incorporate great pop/powerpop hooks in the songs (no surprise, that Tom's first record he ever bought was a Monkees record, so he knows pop/powerpop/bubblegum too)...those others do not have many good pop hooks, and aside from Aerosmith, were quite dull...this band was not dull, they were exciting and unpredictable and talented...Pick up this box...if you are not familiar, watch some YouTube videos and then listen...prepare to be blown away, just as I was with the 10+ minute live version of "Gypsy Road" that is on Disc 5 on this box, which was on "Gold"...

The live cd was awesome Tom Kiefer and the band really rocks Tokyo all disc remastered total of five disc in a clam shell box

Cinderella The Mercury Years is quite an impressive package. In a 5 disc set you have all 4 studio albums beautifully remastered along with a bonus disc of live tracks and b-sides previously only available outside the US. The quality of the remastering of the individual albums was astounding. Too often, record labels will use the "digitally remastered" banner to describe a hastily packaged reissue that relies on volume enhancement in lieu of painstaking attention to detail. This was Not the case with Mercury Years. To begin with Night Songs, the first of the four albums has never sounded so crisp and clear. All 10 tracks are presented in a manner which surpasses the original 1986 release, with the guitars sounding richer and fuller, the bass more prominently featured in the mix and Tom Keifer's vocals sounding more sublime than ever before. Each subsequent album in the set is presented in a similar manner, playing to the strengths of the original LPs as opposed to simply turning up the volume across the board. This is particularly noteworthy on Heartbreak Station, where metallic riffs and thunderous percussion give way to steel guitars and arrangements found more often in bluegrass than hair metal. Along with extensive liner notes presented in a glossy booklet, these factors and more create a superlative experience for all Cinderella aficionados, both new and experienced.

Four amazing albums, classics all. Still Climbing is one of the most underrated rock albums ever made. Possibly Cinderella's best album, but it was murdered by Grundge. Released too late to get any airtime, because radio and MTV had moved on from hair metal and were now listening to grunge or so the music labels wanted everyone to believe. The production on Night Songs never did match up with the other Cinderella albums, but now it does and boy does it sound crisp. The remastering is well done and sounds great. I hear things now that I've never even noticed before. My only complaint is I wish it was a little louder, but I'll take clarity over volume every time. 4.5 stars out of 5

First of all the remaster job is AWESOME! I always thought the first album REALLY needed it. It now sounds amazing! As do the others. Also, if you're like me you always overlooked "Still Climbing." Well, 25 years later I am really sorry I did! Its a great album! I love it! I'd love to see Tom bring some of these songs back on solo records. Good stuff. Lastly the live disc is cool too. Great sound quality. The box, booklet, and mini LP sleeves are a nice touch! You cant go wrong for around $25-$30! get it! Get it now!

If you’re reading this you already know the music is some of the best hard rock music of the 80’s. The only thing I can tell you is they sound great and the first 3 albums all have bonus tracks such as single edits or cover tunes such as Janis Joplin’s Move Over for one. It’s all in a nice clamshell box with an informative booklet. Buy it you won’t be disappointed.

CDs arrived before stated ship date and were in pristine condition. Must-have collection for any Cinderella fan -- all of their great music, lots of extra tracks, great booklet with information about the band. Love this collection!

One of my most favorite bands, probably Top 3... and this collection is just amazing. All of the songs sound GREAT (remastered), but then you also have the wonderful bonus tracks. This set is worth it just for those extras, seriously they gave me goosebumps. This is one of those sets that make you wish you could go back in time and ditch your responsibilities and follow this band around while they lasted. Very glad I purchased this set!

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Diese Box ist sehr weiterzuempfehlen. Wer Cinderella mag (oder auch andere Bands aus den 80ern, 90ern in dem Stil), sollte diese Box kaufen.

This cd set is great value for the amount of music

Amo i Cinderella da sempre e ai tempi avevo acquistato tutti i loro vinili. Questo set è, ovviamente, molto più pratico dei vinili (anche se con meno fascino!) e per l'ottimo prezzo che ha, offre anche un cd con bonus track.Certo, nelle sleeve dei CD non ci sono i booklet originali, quindi niente testi o altre informazioni, diciamo che è un set spartano, ma che comunque molto interessante per i fan del gruppo.Contiene anche un booklet con la storia della band e altre informazioni, insomma diciamo che mi sembrano soldi ben spesi!Se conoscete i Cinderella solo superficialmente e volete approfondire la loro discografia, questo è il prodotto che fa per voi. Per chi invece li ama già e non ha i loro dischi in versione CD, questa è l'occasione giusta, il prezzo vale decisamente l'acquisto.Il loro rock blues rimane sempre attuale e sempre molto interessante!

All round musical history of a great 80s rock band brilliant.