Matters of the Heart (Tracy Chapman album)

Matters of the Heart
Studio album by Tracy Chapman
Released	April 28, 1992
Length	43:34
Label	Elektra
Producer	Tracy Chapman Jimmy Iovine
Tracy Chapman chronology
Crossroads (1989) Matters of the Heart (1992) New Beginning (1995)
Singles from Matters of the Heart
"Bang Bang Bang" "Dreaming on a World"

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Calgary Herald	C [2]
Entertainment Weekly	A– [3]
NME	3/10 [4]
Orlando Sentinel	[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
The Village Voice	[7]

Matters of the Heart is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released on April 28, 1992, by Elektra Records. It was her first not to be produced or co-produced by David Kershenbaum.

Track listing

All songs written by Tracy Chapman.

1. "Bang Bang Bang" – 4:21
2. "So" – 3:26
3. "I Used to Be a Sailor" – 3:56
4. "The Love That You Had" – 4:11
5. "Woman's Work" – 2:01
6. "If These Are the Things" – 4:40
7. "Short Supply" (Jigten; For Richmond) – 4:23
8. "Dreaming on a World" – 5:03
9. "Open Arms" – 4:34
10. "Matters of the Heart" – 6:59

Overview

Critical reception

Matters of the Heart received generally mixed reviews from music critics.

Musical style

The record marked a notable switch in sound from Chapman's earlier works. AllMusic labeled it as "less bold and angry" than her preceding record, ^[8] and Israbox took note of the "subtle elements of world music, blues, and jazz" included in the record. ^[9]

Personnel

Musicians

• Tracy Chapman – acoustic guitar, vocals
• Manu Katché – drums (tracks: 1 to 4, 7 to 10)
• Omar Hakim – drums (tracks: 6)
• Alex Acuña – percussion (tracks: 8, 9)
• Mino Cinelu and Steve Thornton – percussion (tracks: 1 to 4, 7 to 10)
• Michael Fisher – percussion (tracks: 5, 6, 9)
• Nellee Hooper – percussion (tracks: 9)
• Tony Levin – bass guitar (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 10)
• Randy "The Emperor" Jackson – bass guitar (tracks: 1, 8, 9)
• Larry Klein – bass guitar (tracks: 6)
• Bob Glaub – bass guitar (tracks: 4)
• Roy Bittan – accordion (tracks: 5), keyboard
• Charles Judge & Larry Williams – keyboard (tracks: 9)
• Mike Campbell – bouzouki (tracks: 2), mandolin (tracks: 3, 5), electric guitar (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 7)
• Vernon Reid – electric guitar (tracks: 1, 7, 8)
• Waddy Wachtel – electric guitar (tracks: 1, 6)
• Bobby Womack – acoustic Guitar (tracks: 9)

Production

• Producers: Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Iovine
• Engineers: David Bianco, Niko Bolas, Nellee Hooper, Femi Jiya, Bradshaw Leigh, Thom Panunzio, Mark "Spike" Stent
• Assistant engineers: Chad Blinman, Greg Goldman, Ed Korengo, Chad Munsey, Joe Pirrera, Rick Plank
• Mixing: Bob Clearmountain, Femi Jiya
• Mastering: Bob Ludwig
• Coordination: Susie Tallman
• Art direction: Tracy Chapman
• Photography: Herb Ritts

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [10] 23 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [11] 11 Canadian Albums ( RPM ) 55 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [12] 33 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] 13 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [14] 23 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [15] 37 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] 10 UK Albums (OCC) [17] 19 US Billboard 200 [18] 53

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] 69

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [20]	Gold	35,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [21]	Gold	25,000^
United States (RIAA) [22]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Parisien, Roch. Matters of the Heart at AllMusic
2. Obee, Dave (May 3, 1992). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald .
3. Browne, David (May 1, 1992). "Matters of the Heart". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
4. Maconie, Stuart (May 16, 1992). "Long Play". New Musical Express . p. 32.
5. Gettelman, Parry (June 5, 1992). "Tracy Chapman". Orlando Sentinel .
6. "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on July 9, 2008.
7. Christgau, Robert (April 21, 1992). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved July 3, 2017.
8. "Matters of the Heart - Tracy Chapman | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
9. "Tracy Chapman - Matters Of The Heart (1992)". www.israbox.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2009.
10. "Australiancharts.com – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
11. "Austriancharts.at – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
14. "Charts.nz – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
15. "Swedishcharts.com – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
16. "Swisscharts.com – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
17. "Tracy Chapman | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
18. "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
19. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
20. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 54.
21. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Matters of the Heart')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
22. "American album certifications – Tracy Chapman – Matters of the Heart". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 15, 2012.