The Innocent Years

Last updated
The Innocent Years
Mattea innocent.jpg
Studio album by
Kathy Mattea
ReleasedMay 16, 2000 (2000-05-16)
Genre Contemporary country [1]
Length46:35
Label Mercury Nashville
Producer
Kathy Mattea chronology
Love Travels
(1997)		The Innocent Years
(2000)		 Roses
(2002)
Singles from The Innocent Years
  1. "Trouble with Angels"
    Released: April 2000
  2. "BFD"
    Released: June 2000

The Innocent Years is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on May 16, 2000, via Mercury Nashville and included 12 tracks of original material. It was the eleventh studio project of Mattea's career and her last with the Mercury Nashville label. The Innocent Years was a collection of songs that discussed Mattea's feelings associated with her father's failing health. Among its songs were the singles "The Trouble with Angels" and "BFD". The album received positive reviews from critics and made the American country albums chart.

Contents

Background

Kathy Mattea was among the country genre's most popular recording artists during the eighties and nineties. A total of four singles topped the American country songs chart ("Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart" and "Burnin' Old Memories") while a dozen more made the top ten or top 20. [2] By the end of the nineties, Mattea had taken time off to care for her aging parents. She also turned 40 years old and was beginning to reconsider her professional outlook. She chose to make an album that reflected her recent experiences. "I realized that I had a chance to make this album from a different place. I thought, Life is so deep right now. I don't want to make a shallow record," she told the Chicago Tribune . [3] Mattea also wanted to dedicate the album to her father as his life was coming to an end. [2] [4] She chose the title of The Innocent Years to reflect "the time when most of us are sheltered, taken care of". The album's cover photo was a photo of Mattea at age two. [3]

Recording and content

The Innocent Years was produced by Mattea herself, along with Ben Wisch. One track also featured production credits from Keith Stegall. [5] The album consisted of 11 tracks, along with one bonus track. [1] The second track, "The Trouble with Angels", described how God looks after people on Earth. The third track, "Why Can't We", reflected on people of Mattea's parents' generation and questioned what was learned from their lives. The ninth track, "That's the Deal", describes how a husband takes of her ailing wife who suffered a stroke. The album's bonus track, "BFD", describes a man who finds a new partner that provides him with the love and respect he needed. [3] Finding that the song did not fit with the project's theme, Mattea chose to make it a "bonus track". [6] Two recordings were co-written by Mattea herself: "Callin' My Name" (co-written with husband Jon Vezner) and the title track (also co-written with Vezner and Sally Barris). [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg

The Innocent Years gained a positive reception from critics and writers. Maria Konicki Dinoia of AllMusic gave it three out of five stars. She named both the title track and "Trouble with Angels" as "track picks" in her review. She also noted the album's use of ballads and how the concept reflected the "tender mercies of life". [1] Eli Messinger of Country Standard Time wrote that, "Though the smooth sound and heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics may not be for the country roots fan (nor the cynically-minded, for that matter), Mattea's superb voice and mature readings are clearly the work of an accomplished artist chasing her musical muse." [7] Dave McKenna of The Washington Post commented, "Kathy Mattea provides a pretty comprehensive primer on the downside of contemporary country with her new CD, The Innocent Years. [8]

Release, chart performance and singles

The Innocent Years was released on May 16, 2000 on Mercury Records Nashville. It was originally distributed as a compact disc and a cassette. [5] It was Mattea's final album on the Mercury label before shifting towards independent record companies. [2] It spent nine weeks on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart, peaking at number 35 on June 3, 2000. [9] In its first week, more than 4000 copies of the album were sold. [10] Two singles were also spawned from the project. The first was the "Trouble with Angels", which was released by Mercury in April 2000. [11] Spending eight weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it only peaked at number 53 in May 2000. [12] "BFD" was then issued as the album's second single in June 2000. [13] It spent only four weeks on the Billboard country songs chart, and peaked at number 63 in July 2000. [12]

Track listing

CD and digital versions [5] [14]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Innocent Years"
3:56
2."Trouble with Angels" Terry Wilson 4:35
3."Why Can't We"
4:13
4."Prove That by Me"
4:57
5."Callin' My Name"
  • Barris
  • Mattea
  • Vezner
4:06
6."Out of the Blue"
3:16
7."I Have Always Loved You"
4:29
8."(Love Is) My Last Word"
3:56
9."Trust Me"
4:54
10."That's the Deal" Hugh Prestwood 3:55
11."The Innocent Years (Reprise)"
  • Barris
  • Mattea
  • Vezner
0:43
Total length:46:35
Bonus track [5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."BFD"
2:37

Chart performance

Chart (2000)Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [15] 35

Release history

Release history and formats for The Innocent Years
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
  • Australia
  • Europe
May 16, 2000CD
  • Mercury Records Nashville
 [16]
North AmericaMay 16, 2000
  • CD
  • cassette
 [5]
2000sDigital downloadMercury Nashville Records [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Mattea</span> American musician, activist (born 1959)

Kathleen Alice Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reached No. 1: "Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart", and "Burnin' Old Memories", plus 12 more that charted within the top ten. She has released 14 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and one greatest hits album. Most of her material was recorded for Universal Music Group Nashville's Mercury Records Nashville 8division between 1984 and 2000, with later albums being issued on Narada Productions, her own Captain Potato label, and Sugar Hill Records. Among her albums, she has received five gold certifications and one platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She has collaborated with Dolly Parton, Michael McDonald, Tim O'Brien, and her husband, Jon Vezner. Mattea is also a two-time Grammy Award winner: in 1990 for "Where've You Been", and in 1993 for her Christmas album Good News. Her style is defined by traditional country, bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Mattea discography</span>

The discography of American country music artist, Kathy Mattea, contains 17 studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums, one extended play (EP), 51 singles, 27 music videos and has made 19 additional album appearances. Under PolyGram and Mercury Records, Mattea's first two albums were releases: her eponymous debut album (1984) and From My Heart (1985). In 1986, Walk the Way the Wind Blows reached number 13 on America's Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spawned four top ten Billboard Hot Country Songs singles: "Love at the Five and Dime", the title track, "You're the Power" and "Train of Memories". It was followed by Untasted Honey (1987), which was Mattea's first album to certify gold in the United States. Of its four singles, "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Goin' Gone" both topped the Billboard country chart. In 1989, PolyGram/Mercury released Willow in the Wind, which also certified gold and reached number six on the Billboard country albums chart. Its first single, "Come from the Heart", topped both the American and Canadian country charts. Its remaining three singles were also top ten North American country chart songs: "Burnin' Old Memories", "Where've You Been" and "She Came from Fort Worth".

<i>Lonesome Standard Time</i> 1992 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Lonesome Standard Time is the seventh studio album by American country artist Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 22, 1992 via PolyGram and Mercury Records. It was recorded during a period when she was experiencing vocal challenges. The project featured songs about heartbreak and loss written by various Nashville writers. It received a mixed critical response, but certified gold in the United States. The album spawned four singles. Both the title track and "Standing Knee Deep in a River " reached the American country chart top 20 in 1993.

<i>Good News</i> (Kathy Mattea album) 1993 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Good News is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 21, 1993, via Mercury Records and the PolyGram label. It was the eighth studio album of Mattea's career and her first collection of Christmas music. The project featured mostly new recordings that embedded gospel music sounds. Good News made the American country albums chart in 1993 and received an accolade from the Grammy Awards in 1994. Critics and writers remarked positively of the album and highlighted its uniqueness as compared to other Christmas album projects.

<i>Walking Away a Winner</i> 1994 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Walking Away a Winner is the ninth studio album by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on May 17, 1994 via the Mercury/PolyGram labels and contained ten tracks of original material. The album's production featured a pop rock sound that was considered unique from Mattea's previous country-folk albums. Its title track was issued as the lead single and became her first top ten hit in several years on the American country chart. Three more singles were also commercially-successful and the album sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States. Walking Away a Winner received mostly positive reception from critics. It also charted on the American country albums and Billboard 200 charts.

<i>Love Travels</i> 1997 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Love Travels is the tenth studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on February 4, 1997, via Mercury Records Nashville. The disc contained a total of 11 tracks that blended a mixture of different musical styles. Love Travels spawned four singles, two of which made the North American country songs charts: "455 Rocket" and the title track. The album itself reached the top 20 of the American country albums chart and was reviewed positively by critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where've You Been</span> 1989 single by Kathy Mattea

"Where've You Been" is a song recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in November 1989 as the third single from the album Willow in the Wind. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

"Time Passes By" is a song written by Jon Vezner and Susan Longacre, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in March 1991 as the first single and title track from the album Time Passes By. The song reached #7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The song features Trisha Yearwood on harmony vocals.

<i>Joy for Christmas Day</i> 2003 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Joy for Christmas Day is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 30, 2003 via Narada Productions and contained 11 tracks. It was the thirteenth studio album in Mattea's career and her second album containing Christmas music. The album mixed both covers of Christmas tunes along with new material that featured writing credits from various songwriters. The disc made the American country albums chart and was received positively by critics following its release.

"Whole Lotta Holes" is a song written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry, and recorded by American country music artist Kathy Mattea. It was released in July 1991 as the second single from the album Time Passes By. The song reached #18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

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<i>Pretty Bird</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Kathy Mattea

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Konicki Dinoia, Maria. "The Innocent Years: Kathy Mattea: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Kathy Mattea Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Samms Rush, Diane (July 12, 2000). "SERIOUS TIMES". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Carlin, Richard (2014). Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary. Taylor & Francis. p. 253. ISBN   978-1135361044.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mattea, Kathy (May 16, 2000). "The Innocent Years (Liner Notes and Album Information)". Mercury Records . 088 170 130-4 (Cassette), 088 170 130-2 (CD).
  6. ↑ Remz, Jeffrey B. "Kathy Mattea lives through the innocent years". Country Standard Time. Page 1, page 2, page 3
  7. ↑ Messinger, Eli. "The Innocent Years". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  8. ↑ McKenna, Dave (June 4, 2000). "Loyal to Her Country?". The Washington Post . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "Kathy Mattea chart history (Country Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Jessen, Wade (June 3, 2000). "Country Corner". Billboard . p. 57. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  11. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (April 2000). ""Trouble with Angels"/"Prove That by Me" (CD Single)". Mercury Records Nashville . 088-172160-7.
  12. 1 2 "Kathy Mattea chart history (Country Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (June 2000). ""BFD"/"The Innocent Years" (CD Single)". Mercury Records Nashville . 088-172173-7.
  14. 1 2 "The Innocent Years by Kathy Mattea". Apple Music . Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Kathy Mattea Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  16. ↑ Mattea, Kathy (May 16, 2000). "The Innocent Years (CD Information)". Mercury Records . 170 130-2 (Australia).
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