Motherland (Natalie Merchant album)
2001 studio album by Natalie Merchant
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Motherland is the third studio album by Natalie Merchant, released on November 13, 2001, by Elektra Records.
| Motherland | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 13, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | June 15 – September 9, 2001 | |||
| Studio | Allaire Studios (Shokan, New York); Clinton Studios (New York City, New York); Sunset Sound and Cello Studios (Hollywood, California). | |||
| Genre | Folk rock[1] | |||
| Length | 58:22 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
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| Natalie Merchant chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Motherland | ||||
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History
Originally, a song named "The End" was supposed to appear on the album instead of "Not In This Life". Merchant noted that: "I'd take out one song, 'Not in This Life,' because it seems frivolous to me now. And I'd put back a song called 'The End,' which probably would have gotten me in trouble. Part of the lyric goes: 'That'll be the end of war/ the end of the law of Bible, of Koran, Torah.' I really wanted to put it on the record, but I felt there was so much serious material already that I chose something lighter, for balance."[8] "The End" later appeared on Merchant's self-titled sixth studio album (2014).
Two tracks from Motherland, "Tell Yourself" and "Not in This Life", appeared on the television series Felicity and Alias respectively.[9][10] The song "Henry Darger" is about "posthumously appreciated outsider artist" Henry Darger.[11]
Track listing
All songs written by Natalie Merchant.[12]
- "This House Is on Fire" – 4:42
- "Motherland" – 4:44
- "Saint Judas" – 5:44
- "Put the Law on You" – 5:01
- "Build a Levee" – 4:46
- "Golden Boy" – 4:10
- "Henry Darger" – 4:24
- "The Worst Thing" – 5:46
- "Tell Yourself" – 5:14
- "Just Can't Last" – 4:31
- "Not in This Life" – 5:22
- "I'm Not Gonna Beg" – 3:40
Personnel
- Natalie Merchant – vocals, Rhodes piano (5), acoustic piano (11, 12)
- Elizabeth Steen – Hammond organ (1, 3, 4, 5, 9–12), mellotron (6), Wurlitzer electric piano (8), acoustic piano (9)
- Van Dyke Parks – accordion (2)
- Patrick Warren – pump organ (2, 9), Chamberlin (5, 6, 9, 10, 11)
- Keefus Ciancia – acoustic piano (4), Hammond organ (5), keyboards (6)
- Guy Klucevsek – accordion (8)
- Gabriel Gordon – electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12), EBow (6), classical guitar (8), acoustic guitar (10, 11), vocals (10)
- Erik Della Penna – oud (1), banjo (3, 10), electric guitar (4, 6, 8, 11), classical guitar (8), acoustic guitar (9), bouzouki (10), lap steel guitar (10, 12)
- Greg Leisz – acoustic guitar (2, 9), banjo (2), mandolin (2), electric guitar (5), 12-string guitar (9)
- Graham Maby – bass guitar (1, 3, 4, 8–12)
- Mike Elizondo – acoustic bass (2, 6)
- Bob Glaub – bass guitar (5)
- Matt Chamberlain – drums (1, 3–6, 8, 9–12), percussion (1, 6, 8, 9, 11)
- Carla Azar – drums (live) (6)
- Sandra Church – alto flute (1)
- David Ralicke – tenor saxophone (4, 5, 10), baritone saxophone (5, 10), trombone (10)
- Mitchell Estrin – bass clarinet (7)
- David Krakauer – clarinet (8)
- Tony Kadleck – trumpet (7)
- Chris Tedesco – trumpet (10)
- Philip Myers – French horn (7)
- Stephen Barber – arrangements and conductor (1, 7, 8)
- Mavis Staples – vocals (3, 5)
- Kate Daley – Vivian girl's (7)
- Kelly Daley – Vivian girl's (7)
- Katie Goldberg – vocals (9)
String sections (1, 7, 8)
- Alan Stepansky – cello (1, 7, 8)
- Elizabeth Dyson – cello (7)
- Sarah Seiver – cello (7)
- Jeremy McCoy – double bass (7)
- Karen Dreyfus – viola (1, 7, 8)
- Nicholas Cords – viola (7)
- Vivek Kamath – viola (7)
- Sandra Park – violin (1, 8), first violin (7), string contractor (7)
- Sharon Yamada – violin (1, 7, 8)
- Bruno Eicher – violin (7)
- Soo Hyun Kwon – violin (7)
- Ann Kim – violin (7)
- Lisa Kim – violin (7)
- Krzysztof Kuznik – violin (7)
- Karen Marx – violin (7)
- Laura Seaton – violin (7)
- Rob Shaw – violin (7)
- Fiona Simon – violin (7)
- Jung Sun Yoo – violin (7)
Production
- T-Bone Burnett – producer
- Natalie Merchant – producer, package design
- Mike Piersante – recording
- Ryan Boesch – recording assistant
- Kevin Dean – recording assistant
- Brandon Mason – recording assistant
- Keith Shortreed – recording assistant
- Jim Scott – additional recording, mixing
- Jennifer Hilliard – mix assistant
- Robert Read – mix assistant
- Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine)
- Paul Ackling – production assistant, guitar technician
- Lili Picou – package design
- Laura Wilson – photography
- Gary Smith – management