Boces
Boces is the second album by Mercury Rev, released in 1993. It was their final album with frontman David Baker, who was asked to leave shortly after the supporting tour concluded. The title is derived from the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services system of vocational schools in New York.
Background
During the tour for this album, the band were forced off the stage for being too loud.Music
Boces contains music that has been characterized as "dreaming musing" 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.Reception
Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote, "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."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
- Julie Baker – violin
- C. Gavazzi – French horn
- Jim Burgess – trombone