Blue Is the Colour of Hope
Blue Is the Colour of Hope | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Jerry Douglas | |||
Maura O'Connell chronology | ||||
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Blue Is the Colour of Hope is an album by the Irish musician Maura O'Connell, released in 1992.[1][2] She supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Loudon Wainwright III.[3][4] The album title comes from a line by J. D. Salinger.[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Jerry Douglas, who also played dobro and lap steel.[6][7] O'Connell considered herself a folk singer, regardless of the instrumentation on a track.[8] Most of the songs are ballads; O'Connell picked songs she liked without worrying about stylistic or thematic flow.[9][10] "It Don't Bring You" is a cover of the Mary Chapin Carpenter song.[11] "Bad News (At the Best of Times)" was written by Paul Carrack and John Wesley Harding.[12] "I Would Be Stronger Than That" is about domestic abuse.[12] Jennifer Kimball cowrote "The Blue Train".[13] Rosanne Cash, Webb Wilder, and Alison Krauss were among the backing vocalists on Blue Is the Colour of Hope.[14][15]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [16] |
Chicago Tribune | [12] |
The Indianapolis Star | [17] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [18] |
The Republican | [13] |
The Virginian-Pilot | [9] |
The Washington Post called the album "an almost unbroken series of meditations on love and longing."[3] The Chicago Tribune stated that it "combines an easy, bluesy groove with polished production."[12] The Indianapolis Star determined that "the songs are unremittingly sad but beautiful through O'Connell's voice and sparse arrangements featuring the cream of Nashville's session players."[17]
The Los Angeles Times concluded that "O'Connell's sturdy, dignified delivery allows her to probe the hurt unstintingly and hit thrilling emotive peaks without ever sounding overwrought."[19] Rolling Stone opined that "the subtle refinements in her full-bodied vocals make her seem like cabernet in a shot-and-beer world."[20] The Advocate stated that O'Connell "ranks among the finer song stylists of her generation."[21]
AllMusic wrote that "this charmingly eclectic album may be O'Connell's best."[16]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Still Hurts Sometimes" | |
2. | "The Blue Train" | |
3. | "To Be the One" | |
4. | "It Don't Bring You" | |
5. | "I Would Be Stronger Than That" | |
6. | "So Soft Your Goodbye" | |
7. | "Love to Learn" | |
8. | "First You Cry" | |
9. | "Bad News (At the Best of Times)" | |
10. | "Sunnyshine Day" |
References
[edit]- ^ McCarty, Patrick (12 Nov 1992). "Great singers sell you on a song...". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. D31.
- ^ "Maura O'Connell Biography by Leon Jackson". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (4 Nov 1992). "Three Shades of Celtic Magic". The Washington Post. p. C7.
- ^ Heim, Chris (27 Nov 1992). "Loudon Wainwright III and Maura O'Connell". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.
- ^ Semon, Craig S. (10 Jan 1993). "Maura O'Connell sings of love and pain with style". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 12.
- ^ Davis, John T. (21 Jan 1993). "O'Connell's 'vocal acting' is poetic". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 9.
- ^ Miller, Michael (December 4, 1992). "Last-Minute Reviews Help Relieve Guilt". The State. Columbia. p. 10D.
- ^ Darragh, Tim (23 May 1993). "O'Connell Offers an Alternative to Dance-Pop Divas". The Morning Call. p. F1.
- ^ a b Frieden, Jack (January 8, 1993). "Folk". Preview. The Virginian-Pilot. p. 8.
- ^ Ferman, Dave (January 18, 1993). "A touch of sadness, a touch of hope". A&E. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 1.
- ^ Zimmerman, David (3 Dec 1992). "Country: Keeping up with Jones". USA Today. p. 6D.
- ^ a b c d Dretzka, Gary (26 Nov 1992). "Rave Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
- ^ a b O'Hare, Kevin (November 29, 1992). "Maura O'Connell, 'Blue Is the Colour of Hope'". The Republican. p. D2.
- ^ Seacord, Megan (November 6, 1992). "Singer Maura O'Connell Shies Away from Labels". Entertainment. Rocky Mountain News. p. 99.
- ^ Jaeger, Barbara (January 17, 1993). "When She Sings, People Listen". The Record. Hackensack. p. E4.
- ^ a b "Blue Is the Colour of Hope Review by Brian Mansfield". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ a b Hall, Steve (30 Nov 1992). "Maura O'Connell's explores all facets of love in new release". The Indianapolis Star. p. C7.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 497.
- ^ Boehm, Mike (3 Dec 1992). "Maura O'Connell 'Blue Is the Colour of Hope'". OC Live. Los Angeles Times. p. 5.
- ^ McLeese, Don (Jan 7, 1993). "Country & Western". Rolling Stone. No. 647. p. 54.
- ^ Wirt, John (November 20, 1992). "Maura O'Connell Blue Is the Colour of Hope". Fun. The Advocate. p. 6.