Boces

{{for|the New York State educational board known as BOCES|Boards of Cooperative Educational Services}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Boces | type = studio | artist = Mercury Rev | cover = Bocesmercuryrev.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|1993|6|1}} | recorded = 1992–1993 | venue = | studio = | genre = Neo-psychedelia, noise pop | length = 53:55 | label = Beggars Banquet (UK) <br> Columbia (US) | producer = Mercury Rev | prev_title = Yerself Is Steam | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = See You on the Other Side | next_year = 1995 }}

'''''Boces''''' is the second album by American indie rock band Mercury Rev, released on June 1, 1993. It was their final album with original frontman David Baker, who was asked to leave shortly after the supporting tour concluded.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Jonathan Donahue 'The Mercury Rev Story' Interview by Iain McNay |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbr_lFcRLAo |access-date=2023-03-18 |language=en}}</ref> The title is derived from the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) system of vocational schools in New York.<ref name=":0" />

During a performance at Lollapalooza on the supporting tour, the band were forced off the stage for playing too loud.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jonathan Donahue (mercury Rev)|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/jonathan-donahue-109-guide_festivals_us_09/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920113534/https://www.vice.com/print/jonathan-donahue-109-guide_festivals_us_09|url-status=live|archive-date=2016-09-20}}</ref>

== Music == ''Boces'' contains music that has been characterized as "dreaming musing[s]" as well as "thrashy freakouts." Some of the material has been categorized as jazz-pop. The album's instrumentation additionally incorporates flutes, harps, brass and choir.<ref name="Phares"/>

== Reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Phares">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/boces-mw0000619099 |title=Boces – Mercury Rev |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 13, 2018 |last=Phares |first=Heather}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev2score = B+<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1993/07/09/boces/ |title=Mercury Rev: Boces (Columbia) |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |issue=178 |date=July 9, 1993 |access-date=January 13, 2018 |last=Farber |first=Jim |page=50 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507051115/https://ew.com/article/1993/07/09/boces/ |archive-date=May 7, 2024 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev3 = ''NME'' | rev3score = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=These Schoolish Things |magazine=NME |date=May 29, 1993 |last=Cameron |first=Keith |page=32}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Q'' | rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mercury Rev: Boces |magazine=Q |issue=82 |date=July 1993 |last=Snow |first=Mat |author-link=Mat Snow |page=98}}</ref> | rev5 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' | rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Mercury Rev |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/538 538]}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Select'' | rev6score = 4/5<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mercury Rev: Boces / Urge Overkill: Saturation |magazine=Select |issue=37 |date=July 1993 |last=Perry |first=Andrew |page=93}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Uncut'' | rev7score = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Magnum Opus |magazine=Uncut |issue=330 |date=October 2024 |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |page=89}}</ref> }}

Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "With ''Boces'', Mercury Rev took everything that made ''Yerself Is Steam'' such an impressive debut and made their second album even more so...Mercury Rev never released another album as joyfully, unselfconsciously creative as ''Boces''; after chief weirdo David Baker departed, the band pursued other fascinating directions, but this album remains one of the highest points of its career."<ref name="Phares"/>

==Track listing== {{track listing | headline = | extra_column = | all_writing = Mercury Rev according to the liner notes; actual writing credits from the ASCAP Repertory are listed below.<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/performer/MERCURY%20REV |website=ASCAP |access-date=7 September 2024}}</ref> | title1 = Meth of a Rockette's Kick | writer1 = David Baker, Jimy Chambers, Jonathan Donahue, Dave Fridmann, Sean Mackowiak, Suzanne Thorpe | length1 = 10:29 | title2 = Trickle Down | writer2 = Baker, Chambers, Donahue, Fridmann, Mackowiak, Thorpe | length2 = 5:04 | title3 = Bronx Cheer | writer3 = Baker, Donahue, Fridmann | length3 = 2:49 | title4 = Boys Peel Out | writer4 = Baker, Donahue, Fridmann, Mackowiak | length4 = 4:28 | title5 = Downs Are Feminine Balloons | writer5 = Baker, Donahue, Fridmann, Mackowiak, Thorpe | length5 = 6:29 | title6 = Something for Joey | writer6 = Baker, Chambers, Fridmann, Mackowiak, Thorpe | length6 = 4:06 | title7 = Snorry Mouth | writer7 = Baker, Chambers, Donahue | length7 = 10:55 | title8 = Hi-Speed Boats | writer8 = Baker, Fridmann, Mackowiak | length8 = 4:00 | title9 = Continuous Drunks and Blunders | writer9 = Baker, Donahue, Fridmann, Mackowiak | length9 = 0:48 | title10 = Girlfren | writer10 = Baker, Chambers, Donahue, Fridmann, Mackowiak, Thorpe | length10 = 4:41 }}

==Personnel== ;Mercury Rev * Jimy Chambers – Drumming, AtlasSweepstakes * Jonathan Donahue – Silver Pickup Guitar, Vocals between Ventolin hits * Grasshopper – Dither Guitar, Licorice Stick * Suzanne Thorpe – Rooster Tail Bass Flute, Chevron Fife * Dave Fridmann – Bass Explore, Exhaled band-with Magnetics * David Baker – Vocals

;Additional musicians * Julie Baker – violin * C. Gavazzi – French horn * Jim Burgess – trombone

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Mercury Rev albums Category:1993 albums Category:Albums produced by Dave Fridmann Category:Beggars Banquet Records albums Category:Columbia Records albums