Rites of Passage (Indigo Girls album)

Rites of Passage
Studio album by Indigo Girls
Released	May 12, 1992 October 3, 2000 (Reissue)
Recorded	1992
Studio	Bearsville (Woodstock, New York)
Genre	Rock
Length	55:38
Label	Epic [1]
Producer	Peter Collins [2]
Indigo Girls chronology
Nomads Indians Saints (1990) Rites of Passage (1992) Swamp Ophelia (1994)
Singles from Rites of Passage
"Galileo" "Ghost"

Rites of Passage is the fourth studio album by American folk rock duo the Indigo Girls, released on May 12, 1992, by Epic Records. ^[3]

Background and music

Rites of Passage was recorded in four months, twice longer than the previous record. The duo invited Siouxsie and the Banshees members to take part to the sessions, drummer Budgie, cello player Martin McCarrick and percussionist Talvin Singh, ^[2] along with Gang of Four bassist Sara Lee. ^[4] Singer and guitarist Amy Ray later commented on their choice: "we had dreams with who we wanted to play" adding, that "Budgie is one of my favourite drummers". ^[5] Other instruments include acoustic guitars, mandolin and world-folk elements. ^[4] The duo's other singer Emily Saliers stated that Ray "really wanted to have a Celtic feel to certain things and that happened". ^[4] Musically the album was a bit more colorful and punchy compared to their previous material. ^[2] Critic Mike Joyce noted that the themes of the songs were "pain and suffering, fear and loathing, angst and anger, desire and dread". ^[2] Orlando Sentinel wrote the duo's "lyrics are highly personal with a strong literary bent". ^[4]

Release

The lead single, "Galileo" got significant play on radio and MTV in the US, and consequently, Rites of Passage nearly entered in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 . ^[4] The album was reissued and remastered on CD in 2000 with two bonus tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
Chicago Tribune	[7]
Down Beat	[8]
Entertainment Weekly	B− [9]
Q	[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[10]

The Washington Post wrote that "the arrangements ... are more colorful and punchy, and every now and then the duo even manages to inject a little welcome humor into its otherwise dreary musings." ^[2] Trouser Press wrote that producer Peter Collins expunges "the folk patina to reveal a crystalline mainstream pop center around the snappy, subtle rhythms of bassist Sara Lee and drummer Jerry Marotta." ^[1]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Three Hits"	Amy Ray	3:10
2.	"Galileo"	Emily Saliers	4:12
3.	"Ghost"	Saliers	5:16
4.	"Joking"	Ray	3:33
5.	"Jonas and Ezekial"	Ray	4:08
6.	"Love Will Come to You"	Saliers	4:37
7.	"Romeo and Juliet"	Mark Knopfler	4:46
8.	"Virginia Woolf"	Saliers	5:27
9.	"Chickenman"	Ray	5:44
10.	"Airplane"	Saliers	3:21
11.	"Nashville"	Ray	3:57
12.	"Let It Be Me"	Saliers	3:54
13.	"Cedar Tree"	Ray	3:48

2000 reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Three Hits" (Live from Eddie's Attic, Atlanta)	Ray	3:17
15.	"Love Will Come to You" (Live from Eddie's Attic, Atlanta)	Saliers	4:51

Personnel

Indigo Girls

• Amy Ray – vocals, guitars
• Emily Saliers – vocals, guitars (all tracks except 7)

Additional personnel

• Sara Lee – bass (1–5, 8, 9, 11–13 & bonus 1 & 2)
• Budgie – drums and percussion (1, 9), marimba and claves (8)
• Lisa Germano – fiddle (1, 2, 11, 12)
• Ronan Browne – uilleann pipes (1, 13), low whistle (12)
• Dónal Lunny – bouzouki and bodhran (1, 13)
• Jerry Marotta – drums (2, 3, 6, 9, 11–13 & bonus 1, 2) percussion (2, 3, 6, 9–13 & bonus 1, 2), piano (2)
• Talvin Singh – percussion (2, 6, 11, 12)
• Martin McCarrick – cello and accordion (2, 8, 11, 12)
• Jackson Browne and David Crosby – backing vocals (2, 12)
• John Jennings – electric guitar (3, 9, 12), slide guitar (13)
• Simone Simonton – cymbals and sidestick (3)
• Jai Winding – piano (3)
• Michael Kamen – string arrangements, conductor (3)
• Kenny Aronoff – drums and percussion (4)
• Benmont Tench – organ (4)
• Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass (6, 8, 9)
• Maggie Roche – backing vocals (8, 10), piano (10)
• Terre Roche and Suzzy Roche – backing vocals (8, 10)
• Michael Lorant – backing vocals (9)
• Sandy Garfinkle – harmonica (11)
• Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh (also known as Nollaig Casey) – Irish fiddle (12 13)
• Uncredited – harmonica (9)
• Jane Scarpantoni – cello (bonus 1, 2)
• Scarlet Rivera – violin (bonus 1, 2)

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [11]	110
US Billboard 200 [12]	21

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [13]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Indigo Girls". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
2. Joyce, Mike (27 May 1992). "Recordings: Rites of Passage Indigo Girls". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
3. "Indigo Girls | Biography & History". AllMusic.
4. "Indigo But Not Blue". Orlando Sentinel. 17 July 1992. Archived from the original on 2024-01-19. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
5. "Episode 337 - Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls - interview". Thehustle.podbean.com. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2024. Excerpt about Budgie from 1:05:10.
6. Rites of Passage at AllMusic
7. Caro, Mark (1992-05-14). "Indigo Girls Rites of Passage (Epic)". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
8. "Indigo Girls - Rites of Passage CD Album". CD Universe . Retrieved 2013-07-20.
9. Zacharek, Stephanie (1992-05-22). "Rites of Passage Review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
10. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 404. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
11. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing July 27, 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
12. "Indigo Girls Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
13. "American album certifications – Indigo Girls – Rites of Passage". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 27, 2021.