Ophelia

by Natalie Merchant

Overview

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). Features PVG arrangements of 10 songs from the album: Break Your Heart * Frozen Charlotte * Kind & Generous * King of May * Life Is Sweet * The Living * My Skin * Ophelia * Thick as Thieves * When They Ring the Golden Bells.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/19/1998
Label:	Elektra
UPC:	0075596219624
Rank:	28287

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Natalie Merchant   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Wurlitzer,Organ (Hammond)
Gavin Bryars   Guest Artist,Conductor
Craig Ross   Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Lokua Kanza   Guest Artist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Daniel Lanois   Guest Artist,Guitar (Electric)
Yungchen Lhamo   Guest Artist,Vocals
Karen Peris   Guest Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Chris Botti   Guest Artist,Trumpet
N'Dea Davenport   Guest Artist,Vocals
Krystof Witek   Violin
Pamela Thorby   Recorder (Tenor)
William T. Hunt   Bass
Susanna Pell   Violin,Bass Viol
Karl Berger   Conductor
Carmen Consoli   Voices
Tom Varner   French Horn
Todd Vos   Guitar (Electric)
Ralph Farris   Viola
Richard Campbell   Tenor Violin
Michelle Kinney   Cello
Christopher Wilson   Theorbo
Peter Yanowitz   Drums
Joakim Lartey   Percussion
Rocio Paez   Voices
Hector Falcon   Violin
Ken Apollo   Organ,Barrel Organ
Bella Urina   Voices
Camille Labro   Voices
Susanna Schmitz   Voices
Jay Brunga   Bass (Acoustic)
Julia Hodgson   Tenor Violin
Conway Kuo   Viola
George Laks   Organ,Piano,Wurlitzer,Fender Rhodes,Organ (Hammond)
Don Peris   Guitar (Electric)
Graham Maby   Bass,Guitar (Electric)
Garo Yellin   Cello

Technical Credits

John Holbrook   Engineer
Jim Scott   Mixing
Rupert Coulson   Engineer
Karl Berger   Arranger,String Arrangements
Natalie Merchant   Composer,Producer
Todd Vos   Engineer
Yungchen Lhamo   Translation
Helene Silverman   Package Design
Mike Scotella   Mixing,Mixing Assistant
Mark Seliger   Filmmaker,Photography
Fred Woodward   Filmmaker
Ricky Graham   Assistant Engineer
Cynthia Rowley   Costume Design
Dion De Mabelle   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Gavin Bryars   Arranger

Editorial Reviews

She's no longer a Maniac, but whirling dervish Natalie Merchant is still crazy about smart, mysterious songs that reach the heart and head. Using strings, keyboards, and horns to great effect, Ophelia has a lusher, more atmospheric sound than Merchant's first solo project, Tigerlily, but just as powerful an emotional kick. Release date: May 1998.

barnesandnoble.com

Tigerlily established that Natalie Merchant could survive outside of 10,000 Maniacs, both commercially and artistically. Its follow-up album, Ophelia, is a bit more problematic. Initially, the album appears to be conceptual, tracing the Ophelia character through modern times. That concept quickly falls away, leaving studied, if somewhat elliptical, lyrical portraits. Like Tigerlily, the songs on Ophelia have hushed, layered arrangements that are outgrowths, not replicas, of 10,000's jangly folk-rock. However, Ophelia lacks the subtle sonic textures and graceful hooks that made Merchant's debut so charming. Instead, all of the subdued songs -- only "Kind & Generous" has a clear-cut, sing-along hook -- blend together, which makes the album decidedly less accessible. Unfortunately, it doesn't always reward the close listening it demands. A few songs reveal hidden layers and meanings upon repeated listens, but on the whole Ophelia sounds too insular and similar to make a large impression. -- All-Music Guide

Stephen Thomas Erlewine