| Maria McKee | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1989 | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 44:43 | |||
| Label | Geffen [1] | |||
| Producer | Mitchell Froom | |||
| Maria McKee chronology | ||||
| ||||
Maria McKee is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in 1989. [2] [3]
| Maria McKee | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1989 | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 44:43 | |||
| Label | Geffen [1] | |||
| Producer | Mitchell Froom | |||
| Maria McKee chronology | ||||
| ||||
Maria McKee is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in 1989. [2] [3]
The songwriting was inspired in part by books about the history of vaudeville, as well as by Tennessee Williams plays. [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| Hi-Fi News & Record Review | A:1* [6] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
| New Musical Express | 10/10 [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
The Washington Post 's Joe Brown called the album "stunning", writing that "aside from her luminous singing, the real success story of McKee's solo album is her songwriting, highly developed and ambitious, full of melodic and rhythmic variety." [10] Chris Willman writing for the Los Angeles Times stated the album "presents Maria McKee the person as something of an introspective, even introverted loner reeling from a romantic split." [11] Ira Robbins considered McKee's "lyrics don't reveal any clear artistic mission and Mitchell Froom's overstylized production ... drowns and/or drains her personality out of the album, leaving characterless elegance instead of a strong statement." [12] Oscar Wednesday of Cashbox was disappointed by this record. He wrote: "I really wanted to love this album. As far as I'm concerned Maria McKee is one of the most talented and exciting singers around today. No, honest. But after listening to the album repeatedly, I found myself anything but captivated. Lone Justice's second and final album, 1986's Shelter , was unfocused and awkward, and although this solo outing stands head-and-shoulders above that effort, it too feels a little unnatural." [13]
Terry Staunton, writing for New Musical Express , felt that McKee's decision to work with "the elite of American sessions musicians" produced "astonishing results" and suggested the album "has to be one of the best records of the year". He praised McKee's "honey roast vocals" for "matching the frail passion of Patsy Cline, the fiery soul of Aretha Franklin and the forceful blues of Janis Joplin". Staunton added, "Maria's always been able to pen a good tune and here you'll hear nine of her best." [8] NME placed the album at No. 9 on its 1989 albums of the year list. [14] Ian Gittins of Melody Maker summarised, "Maria McKee is country, is blues, is soul, is rock 'n' roll, but is always one delicious demon possessed by the spirit of her songs. I defy you to hear this and not fall in love." [15]
All songs by Maria McKee, except where noted
Production
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [16] | 120 |
| US Cash Box Top 200 Albums [17] | 122 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [18] | 37 |
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"No Cheap Thrill" is a song by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, which was released in 1996 as the second single from her fifth studio album, Nine Objects of Desire (1996). It was written by Vega and produced by Mitchell Froom. "No Cheap Thrill" reached number 40 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1997, giving Vega her fourth and final UK Top 40 hit.
"Sweetest Child" is a song recorded as a collaboration between American singer-songwriter Maria McKee and English record producer Youth. It was released in 1992 as a non-album single and reached No. 45 in the UK Singles Chart. "Sweetest Child" was written by McKee, Bruce Brody and Youth, and produced by Youth.
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