Swamp Ophelia is the fifth studio album by the Indigo Girls, released in 1994.
| Swamp Ophelia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 10, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 46:53 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Peter Collins (for Jill Music, Inc.) with Indigo Girls | |||
| Indigo Girls chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Swamp Ophelia | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[4] |
| The Music Box | [5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fugitive" | Amy Ray | 4:37 |
| 2. | "Least Complicated" | Emily Saliers | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Language or the Kiss" | Saliers | 5:35 |
| 4. | "Reunion" | Ray | 3:27 |
| 5. | "Power of Two" | Saliers | 5:22 |
| 6. | "Touch Me Fall" | Ray | 6:11 |
| 7. | "The Wood Song" | Saliers | 4:13 |
| 8. | "Mystery" | Saliers | 4:04 |
| 9. | "Dead Man's Hill" | Ray | 4:43 |
| 10. | "Fare Thee Well" | Saliers | 4:01 |
| 11. | "This Train Revised" | Ray | 4:38 |
Personnel
edit- Indigo Girls
- Amy Ray - vocals, acoustic and electric guitar (lead on Fugitive, rhythm elsewhere)
- Emily Saliers - vocals, acoustic, classical and electric guitar (rhythm and lead), bouzouki
- Musicians
- Jerry Marotta - drums (all except 10 & 11), percussion, bongos, African drums, marimba
- Sara Lee - bass (all except 9–11)
- Michael Lorant - drums (11), guest/backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 8, 11)
- Jan Dykes - bass (6, 11)
- Danny Thompson - acoustic bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
- Tony Levin - Chapman stick (9)
- Chuck Leavell - piano (1, 3, 5), chimes (1)
- John Mark Painter - baritone guitar (1), flugelhorn (1, 5, 6), accordion (2), string arrangement (6, 11), electric guitar (11)
- Mike Batt - string and woodwind arrangement, conductor on "The Wood Song"
- Connie Grauer - melodica, bass synthesizer (9)
- Kim Zick - triangle, snare, tom tom, timpani (9)
- Lisa Germano - penny whistle (1), mandolin (1, 4, 5), violin (4, 7, 8)
- Jane Scarpantoni, Anthony Lamarchina - cello
- Jo-El Sonnier - accordion (2)
- Bill Newton - chromatic harmonica (5)
- James Hall - trumpet (1, 6)
- David Davidson, Sheila Doyle, Christian Teal - violin
- Kristin Wilkinson - viola
- Jane Siberry (3), The Roches (4, 8), Sam "Shake" Anderson (5), Larry Ray Sr. (9) - backing vocals
Reception
editThe Allmusic review noted that "Amy Ray and Emily Saliers continue to hone their signature lush melodies .... The Indigo Girls are no longer afraid to hit upon past relationships and personal emotion. Saliers and Ray's incredible harmonies are most stylish .... [b]ut the duo also move beyond the sweet and tender by dipping into darker realms .... This album is another humanistic effort from the Indigo Girls' deep and indwelling passions and ideas."[2]
In 2015, the Indigo Girls were invited by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver to perform Swamp Ophelia in its entirety at the inaugural Eaux Claires festival, which Vernon founded.[7] Vernon has written that Swamp Ophelia was one of his sister Kim's favorite albums, and after she urged him to listen to it, it became one of his as well.[8]
Commercial performance
editThe album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and it spent 26 weeks on the chart.[9] It was certified Platinum in the Us with sales of 1 million copies.
Covers
editDavid Crosby covered "Fare Thee Well" on the B-side to his 1993 single Hero.
The British mother-and-daughter folk duo Chris and Kellie While covered "Power of Two" on their self-titled 2004 album.
In 2009, Michael Feinstein covered "Power of Two" in his nightclub act and studio album The Power of Two with Cheyenne Jackson, using the song's title for both the album and act as well.[10]
In 2010, Filipino pop rock singer Aiza Seguerra also covered the song. In 2012, Filipino acoustic pop singer Nyoy Volante and his acoustic band, "Rhythmic Circle" also covered the song on the OPM pop compilation album 90's Music Comes Alive.
References
edit- ^ Heinrichs, Audra (25 August 2024). "Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Survived a Devastating Storm to Make New 'Woodland' Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ a b Swamp Ophelia at AllMusic
- ^ Kot, Greg (1994-05-19). "Artistic Schmaltz". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ Cannon, Bob (1994-05-13). "Swamp Ophelia Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ Metzger, John (February 1995). "Indigo Girls – Swamp Ophelia (Album Review)". The Music Box. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ Matteo, Steve (1994-08-25). "Indigo Girls: Swamp Ophelia – Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ Winistorfer, Andrew (20 July 2015). "Bon Iver's Eaux Claires Fest: Hot As Hell, Nearly More Than A Festival". Vice.
- ^ Vernon, Justin (15 July 2009). "My Ophelia". Indyweek.
- ^ "Indigo Girls | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
- ^ "The Power of Two". Allmusic. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
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