Blue Is the Colour of Hope

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Blue Is the Colour of Hope
Studio album by
Maura O'Connell
Released1992
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerJerry Douglas
Maura O'Connell chronology
A Real Life Story
(1991) 		Blue Is the Colour of Hope
(1992) 		Stories
(1995)

Blue Is the Colour of Hope is an album by the Irish musician Maura O'Connell, released in 1992.[1][2] She supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Loudon Wainwright III.[3][4] The album title comes from a line by J. D. Salinger.[5]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Jerry Douglas, who also played dobro and lap steel.[6][7] O'Connell considered herself a folk singer, regardless of the instrumentation on a track.[8] Most of the songs are ballads; O'Connell picked songs she liked without worrying about stylistic or thematic flow.[9][10] "It Don't Bring You" is a cover of the Mary Chapin Carpenter song.[11] "Bad News (At the Best of Times)" was written by Paul Carrack and John Wesley Harding.[12] "I Would Be Stronger Than That" is about domestic abuse.[12] Jennifer Kimball cowrote "The Blue Train".[13] Rosanne Cash, Webb Wilder, and Alison Krauss were among the backing vocalists on Blue Is the Colour of Hope.[14][15]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Chicago Tribune[12]
The Indianapolis Star[17]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[18]
The Republican[13]
The Virginian-Pilot[9]

The Washington Post called the album "an almost unbroken series of meditations on love and longing."[3] The Chicago Tribune stated that it "combines an easy, bluesy groove with polished production."[12] The Indianapolis Star determined that "the songs are unremittingly sad but beautiful through O'Connell's voice and sparse arrangements featuring the cream of Nashville's session players."[17]

The Los Angeles Times concluded that "O'Connell's sturdy, dignified delivery allows her to probe the hurt unstintingly and hit thrilling emotive peaks without ever sounding overwrought."[19] Rolling Stone opined that "the subtle refinements in her full-bodied vocals make her seem like cabernet in a shot-and-beer world."[20] The Advocate stated that O'Connell "ranks among the finer song stylists of her generation."[21]

AllMusic wrote that "this charmingly eclectic album may be O'Connell's best."[16]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Still Hurts Sometimes" 
2."The Blue Train" 
3."To Be the One" 
4."It Don't Bring You" 
5."I Would Be Stronger Than That" 
6."So Soft Your Goodbye" 
7."Love to Learn" 
8."First You Cry" 
9."Bad News (At the Best of Times)" 
10."Sunnyshine Day" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ McCarty, Patrick (12 Nov 1992). "Great singers sell you on a song...". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. D31.
  2. ^ "Maura O'Connell Biography by Leon Jackson". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b Joyce, Mike (4 Nov 1992). "Three Shades of Celtic Magic". The Washington Post. p. C7.
  4. ^ Heim, Chris (27 Nov 1992). "Loudon Wainwright III and Maura O'Connell". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. M.
  5. ^ Semon, Craig S. (10 Jan 1993). "Maura O'Connell sings of love and pain with style". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 12.
  6. ^ Davis, John T. (21 Jan 1993). "O'Connell's 'vocal acting' is poetic". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 9.
  7. ^ Miller, Michael (December 4, 1992). "Last-Minute Reviews Help Relieve Guilt". The State. Columbia. p. 10D.
  8. ^ Darragh, Tim (23 May 1993). "O'Connell Offers an Alternative to Dance-Pop Divas". The Morning Call. p. F1.
  9. ^ a b Frieden, Jack (January 8, 1993). "Folk". Preview. The Virginian-Pilot. p. 8.
  10. ^ Ferman, Dave (January 18, 1993). "A touch of sadness, a touch of hope". A&E. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 1.
  11. ^ Zimmerman, David (3 Dec 1992). "Country: Keeping up with Jones". USA Today. p. 6D.
  12. ^ a b c d Dretzka, Gary (26 Nov 1992). "Rave Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
  13. ^ a b O'Hare, Kevin (November 29, 1992). "Maura O'Connell, 'Blue Is the Colour of Hope'". The Republican. p. D2.
  14. ^ Seacord, Megan (November 6, 1992). "Singer Maura O'Connell Shies Away from Labels". Entertainment. Rocky Mountain News. p. 99.
  15. ^ Jaeger, Barbara (January 17, 1993). "When She Sings, People Listen". The Record. Hackensack. p. E4.
  16. ^ a b "Blue Is the Colour of Hope Review by Brian Mansfield". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  17. ^ a b Hall, Steve (30 Nov 1992). "Maura O'Connell's explores all facets of love in new release". The Indianapolis Star. p. C7.
  18. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 497.
  19. ^ Boehm, Mike (3 Dec 1992). "Maura O'Connell 'Blue Is the Colour of Hope'". OC Live. Los Angeles Times. p. 5.
  20. ^ McLeese, Don (Jan 7, 1993). "Country & Western". Rolling Stone. No. 647. p. 54.
  21. ^ Wirt, John (November 20, 1992). "Maura O'Connell Blue Is the Colour of Hope". Fun. The Advocate. p. 6.
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