Mermaid Avenue Vol. II
by Billy Bragg & Wilco
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7

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  1. JossS.
    Dec 25, 2001
    7
    another solid release of guthrie material all done up modern. wilco and bragg breath life into the material as usual, but not as catchy, fun, or about any positive adjective as vol. I. go listen to vol. I if you haven't heard it yet, and if you love then come back to this one.
  2. RobS.
    Sep 12, 2003
    8
    I don't relate to the reviews that say vol. 2 is sloppy seconds to vol. 1. Maybe it's because I first heard both albums some years after their release. Coming at this as a Wilco fan, the vol. 2 songs strike me as being a lot - a LOT - catchier than their vol. 1 stuff. "Secret of the Sea" is the more hummable brother to vol. 1's "California Stars". "Somewhere, Some Morning I don't relate to the reviews that say vol. 2 is sloppy seconds to vol. 1. Maybe it's because I first heard both albums some years after their release. Coming at this as a Wilco fan, the vol. 2 songs strike me as being a lot - a LOT - catchier than their vol. 1 stuff. "Secret of the Sea" is the more hummable brother to vol. 1's "California Stars". "Somewhere, Some Morning Sometime", "Airline to Heaven" and and "Blood of the Lamb" simply don't have equivalent songs on vol. 1 that match their otherworldliness. The production on "Airline" is wonderous....Guthrie would have NEVER done the song this way, which is what makes it so cool. I'd give vol. 1 an "8" rating, too, but I honestly listen to vol. 2 a lot more. It's very possible one could not like vol 1, but love this album. In my opinion, the Bragg-sung material is better here, too, than his offerings on the first album.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best Album of 2000
64
#64 Most Shared Album of 2000

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Checkout.com
    90
    Songs don't get any better than this, and with the exception of Elliott Smith, no one plays a sad song sweeter than Tweedy & Co. -- it's always a thrill to hear a band maturing into its prime.
  2. The A.V. Club
    80
    A worthy successor to the original, MA2 is another inspired reminder of Guthrie's relevance.
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  3. CDNow
    80
    As a result of Bragg and Wilco's increasing ease with Guthrie's enormous legacy, this album sees both more experimentation and a stronger contemporary feeling than its predecessor.
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