Mother (Natalie Maines album)

Last updated
Mother
Mother, by Natalie Maines.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 7, 2013 (2013-05-07)
RecordedJune–December 2012
Genre Pop rock
Label Columbia [1]
Producer Ben Harper and Natalie Maines [1]

Mother is the first solo studio album by American singer Natalie Maines. It was released on May 7, 2013. [2]

Contents

Background

Mother is Natalie Maines' first album since the Dixie Chicks' Grammy-sweeping Taking the Long Way in 2006, and comes ten years after the Dixie Chicks were boycotted and banned by country radio for Maines' criticism of U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003. [3] [4] In her seven-year absence from the recording industry, Maines expressed a lack of interest in modern country music. [5]

In June 2012, Maines announced the project on a Howard 100 News broadcast, stating, "I'm making an album, I think." [3] On October 6, she confirmed on Twitter that it would be a rock album, and her first without the Dixie Chicks. [6] Recording completed on December 19. [7] It will include both original music and covers.

The title track, a cover of Pink Floyd's "Mother", debuted on the West of Memphis soundtrack on January 15, 2013. [8] On February 27, Maines and the album's producer Ben Harper performed songs from the album in a private concert at The Troubadour.

The vinyl LP version of the record was pressed by United Record Pressing in Nashville, Tennessee.

The cover of Jeff Buckley's Lover, You Should've Come Over has been described as "the sort of careening soul-metal epic that few vocalists even dare to attempt." by NPR's Anne Powers. [9] [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [13]
Paste 7.9/10 [14]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Salt Lake Tribune C+ [16]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Tampa Bay Times B+ [18]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [19]

Mother has received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews and ratings from mainstream critics, the album received a metascore of 70, based on 10 reviews. [20] At Daily News , Jim Farber called it "a flat-out masterpiece, an ideal match of singer and songs that moves Maines from being a skilled and decorative singer into one of the most emotive vocalists of our time." [12] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly evoked that the release is "full of muscular blues riffs and slide guitar, with nary a banjo breakdown — Natalie Maines is still going to bat for underdogs." [13] At Paste , Philip Cosores proclaimed that "Mother is a good, at times even great, start to a solo recording identity for Natalie Maines, but lacks only in the listener’s greatest desire, to learn more about Maines." [14] Sean Daly of Tampa Bay Times wrote that "if Mother isn't exactly a saucy return to her robust Dixie days, neither is she withdrawing into obtuse, difficult songs that muted her elastic voice like a shroud." [18] At USA Today , Edna Gunderson called the album "a collection of buffed roots-rock that veers sharply from the cheery twang that sent Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison into the sales stratosphere." [19] Maines' cover of "Mother" was praised by critic Ann Powers of NPR Music for its "unadorned singing" and "tender" interpretation of a vulnerable mother, in contrast to Roger Waters' "prissy and cruel" mother. [8]

However, AllMusic's Tom Jurek found that "the set's overly polished production and the scattershot curation of the material makes it feel like more like just a haphazard collection of songs than a cohesive album." [11] At Rolling Stone , Jody Rosen criticized the album because "too often, the music feels a bit limp, and the buttery harmony backups of her fellow Dixie Chicks are sorely missed." [15] David Burger of The Salt Lake Tribune stated that for fans "looking for the fun country shown by the Dixie Chicks will find primarily rock-influenced production that is serious to the point of dry earnestness." [16] Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe wrote that "however welcome it may be to hear her voice again, it's ultimately her decision to play things so safe that keeps Mother from being a wholly satisfying return." [17]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Without You" Eddie Vedder 3:51
2."Mother" Roger Waters 5:52
3."Free Life" Dan Wilson 5:02
4."Silver Bell" Patty Griffin, Adam Steinberg3:00
5."Lover, You Should've Come Over" Jeff Buckley 7:01
6."Vein in Vain" Ben Harper, Jesse Ingalls, Natalie Maines, Jason Mozersky 4:44
7."Trained"Harper2:40
8."Come Cryin' to Me" Gary Louris, Martie Maguire, Maines, Emily Robison 4:33
9."I'd Run Away" Mark Olson, Louris3:31
10."Take It on Faith"Harper, Ingalls, Maines, Mozersky5:46

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [21] 50
US Billboard 200 [22] 17
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [23] 4

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Harper</span> American musician (born 1969)

Benjamin Charles Harper is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances, and activism. He has released twelve studio albums, mostly through Virgin Records, and has toured internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martie Maguire</span> American musician (born 1969)

Martha Elenor Maguire is an American musician who is a founding member of the country band the Chicks and the country bluegrass duo Court Yard Hounds. She won awards in national fiddle championships while still a teenager. Maguire is accomplished on several other instruments, including the mandolin, viola, double bass and guitar. She has written and co-written a number of the band's songs, some of which have become chart-topping hits. She also contributes her skills in vocal harmony and backing vocals, as well as orchestrating string arrangements for the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Maines</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1974)

Natalie Louise Maines is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist for the country band the Chicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Vincent (musician)</span> American musician (born 1982)

Anne Erin Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, is an American musician and singer. Her guitar playing has been praised for its melodic style and use of distortion, and she has been listed among the best guitarists of the 21st century by multiple publications. Rolling Stone named Clark the 26th-greatest guitarist of all time in 2023.

<i>Home</i> (Dixie Chicks album) 2002 studio album by Dixie Chicks

Home is the sixth studio album by American country music band Dixie Chicks, released on August 27, 2002, through Monument and Columbia Records. It is notable for its acoustic bluegrass sound, which stands in contrast with their previous two country pop albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria McKee</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1964)

Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress " from the film Pulp Fiction.

<i>Wide Open Spaces</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Dixie Chicks

Wide Open Spaces is the fourth studio album and the major label debut of American country music band Dixie Chicks. It was their first record with new lead vocalist Natalie Maines, and became their breakthrough commercial success. It received diamond status by the RIAA on February 20, 2003, in the United States, having shipped 13 million units worldwide, while spending more than six years in the Australian ARIA music charts Country Top 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Wilson (musician)</span> American musician

Daniel Dodd Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, visual artist and record producer who has been called the songwriter's songwriter. His songwriting résumé includes "Closing Time", which he wrote for his band, Semisonic; "Not Ready to Make Nice", co-written with The Chicks; and "Someone Like You", co-written with Adele. Wilson's work earned him a Grammy nomination for "Closing Time" and garnered him Grammy wins for Song of the Year and Album of the Year as a producer for Adele's 21 in 2012.

<i>Taking the Long Way</i> 2006 studio album by Dixie Chicks

Taking the Long Way is the seventh studio album by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released on May 23, 2006, through Columbia Nashville, it was also the group's last album released under the “Dixie Chicks” name. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over 2.5 million copies in the U.S., being certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 11, 2007. It won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year in February 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landslide (Fleetwood Mac song)</span> 1975 song by Fleetwood Mac

"Landslide" is a song by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, written and performed by Stevie Nicks. The song was first featured on the band's self-titled album Fleetwood Mac (1975). The original recording also appears on the compilation albums 25 Years – The Chain (1992), The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002) and 50 Years – Don't Stop (2018), while a live version was released as a single 23 years later from the live reunion album The Dance (1997). "Landslide" reached No. 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Landslide" was certified gold in October 2009 for sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States. According to Nielsen Soundscan, "Landslide" sold 2,093,186 copies in the United States as of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accidents & Accusations Tour</span> 2006 concert tour by the Dixie Chicks

The Accidents & Accusations World Tour was a concert tour by the Dixie Chicks. It was their first tour where tickets were sold after the scandal which ensued in 2003 when lead singer Natalie Maines publicly criticized President George W. Bush at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London during the Top of the World Tour, leading to intense criticism of the group. The tour was named after the lyrics in the song "Easy Silence" from the album Taking the Long Way, released in May 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Ready to Make Nice</span> 2006 single by The Dixie Chicks

"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released on March 20, 2006 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Chicks</span> American country band

The Chicks are an American country band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. Maguire and Strayer, both née Erwin, founded the band in 1989, with bassist Laura Lynch and vocalist and guitarist Robin Lynn Macy. They performed bluegrass and country music, busking and touring the bluegrass festival circuits and small venues for six years without attracting a major label. In 1992, Lynch replaced Macy as the lead vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide Open Spaces (song)</span> 1998 single by Dixie Chicks

"Wide Open Spaces" is a song written by Susan Gibson and recorded by the American country music group Dixie Chicks. It was released in August 1998 as the third single and title track from the band's album Wide Open Spaces. The song hit number one on the U.S. Country singles chart and spent four weeks there in November 1998. It also placed to number 41 on the U.S. Pop singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Were Mine</span> 1998 single by Dixie Chicks

"You Were Mine" is a song recorded by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released in December 1998 as the fourth single from the album Wide Open Spaces, the song spent two weeks atop the U.S. Country singles chart in March 1999; that same month, it reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Canada's country music chart for a week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Court Yard Hounds</span> American country and folk music duo

Court Yard Hounds were an American country music and folk duo, founded by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. They, along with Natalie Maines, make up The Chicks, formerly the Dixie Chicks. The sisters decided to record a side project under a different name. Court Yard Hounds, featuring Robison for the first time as lead vocalist, released a debut album for Columbia Records, the same label for which the Dixie Chicks has recorded, on May 4, 2010. The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart, initially selling 61,000 copies. It has sold approximately 825,000 copies in the United States.

<i>Court Yard Hounds</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Court Yard Hounds

Court Yard Hounds is the debut studio album by American country duo the Court Yard Hounds, founded as a side project of the Dixie Chicks by sisters Emily Robison and Martie Maguire. The album was released on May 4, 2010, via Columbia Records. It was mainly recorded in Maguire's home studio in Austin, and co-produced with Jim Scott.

<i>Back Roads and Abandoned Motels</i> 2018 studio album by The Jayhawks

Back Roads and Abandoned Motels is the tenth studio album by the alt country band the Jayhawks, released on July 13, 2018.

"Soon You'll Get Better" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). Swift and Jack Antonoff wrote and produced the song, which features background vocals and instruments from the American band the Dixie Chicks. "Soon You'll Get Better" is a country ballad featuring slide guitar, banjo, and fiddle alongside vocal harmonies. The lyrics were inspired by Swift's parents' cancer diagnoses.

<i>Gaslighter</i> (album) 2020 studio album by the Chicks

Gaslighter is the eighth studio album by American country band the Chicks. It was released on July 17, 2020, by Columbia Records. Produced by Jack Antonoff and the Chicks, it is the group's first album in fourteen years, and first to be released under their new name. The album was preceded by the release of three singles: "Gaslighter", "Julianna Calm Down", and "March March". The album received critical acclaim.

References

  1. 1 2 "Natalie Maines announces new album MOTHER coming May 7". NatalieMainesMusic.com. Columbia Records. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  2. "Tweet by @1NatalieMaines". Twitter . 19 December 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012. Good news! I made some calls and had them push the end of the world to sometime after the release of my album, #Mother 5/7/13. You're welcome.
  3. 1 2 Willman, Chris (10 July 2012). "Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines Covers Pink Floyd's 'Mother' With Ben Harper (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  4. Fitzgerald, Michael. "Dixie Chicks axed by Clear Channel". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  5. Dukes, Billy (15 February 2012). "Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines Takes Jab at Jason Aldean". Taste of Country. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  6. "Tweet by @1NatalieMaines". Twitter . 6 October 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2012. It's true!
  7. "Tweet by @1NatalieMaines". Twitter . 20 December 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  8. 1 2 Powers, Ann. "Hearing A Mother's Song After Tragedy". NPR: The Record. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  9. "Natalie Maines' solo album is streaming". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  10. "First Listen: Natalie Maines, 'Mother'". NPR . Archived from the original on 2023-05-23.
  11. 1 2 Jurek, Thom (May 7, 2013). "Mother – Natalie Maines : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Farber, Jim (May 7, 2013). "Natalie Maines, 'Mother': Album review". Daily News. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  13. 1 2 Anderson, Kyle (May 1, 2013). "Mother Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Cosores, Philip (May 7, 2013). "Natalie Maines: Motherv". Paste. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  15. 1 2 Rosen, Jody (May 7, 2013). "Natalie Maines: Mother (Columbia)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  16. 1 2 Burger, David (May 7, 2013). "CD Reviews: Lady Antebellum, Pistol Annies, Natalie Maines". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  17. 1 2 Keefe, Jonathan (May 7, 2013). "Natalie Maines: Mother". Slant Magazine . Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  18. 1 2 Daly, Sean (May 7, 2013). "Review: Natalie Maines back with a holler on new solo album". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  19. 1 2 Gunderson, Edna (May 5, 2013). "Natalie Maines exits Dixie to be rock chick on 'Mother'". USA Today. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  20. "Critic Reviews for Mother". Metacritic . May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  21. "Australiancharts.com – Natalie Maines – Mother". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  22. "Natalie Maines Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  23. "Natalie Maines Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 5, 2020.