Motherland (Natalie Merchant album)

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Motherland is the third studio album by Natalie Merchant, released on November 13, 2001 by Elektra Records.

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."<ref>Singer, Barry (July 7, 2002). Natalie Merchant, Accidental Prophet. The New York Times.</ref> "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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>"Color Blind." Alias, season 1, episode 7, November 25, 2001. Directed by Jack Bender, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman. American Broadcasting Company.</ref> The song "Henry Darger" is about "posthumously appreciated outsider artist" Henry Darger.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Track listing

All songs written by Natalie Merchant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

1. "This House Is on Fire" – 4:42
2. "Motherland" – 4:44
3. "Saint Judas" – 5:44
4. "Put the Law on You" – 5:01
5. "Build a Levee" – 4:46
6. "Golden Boy" – 4:10
7. "Henry Darger" – 4:24
8. "The Worst Thing" – 5:46
9. "Tell Yourself" – 5:14
10. "Just Can't Last" – 4:31
11. "Not in This Life" – 5:22
12. "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

Charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart performance for Motherland

Chart (2001)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite Ryan</ref>	83

External links

• Motherland Lyrics