Ophelia
Studio album by
Natalie Merchant
ReleasedMay 19, 1998
RecordedJuly 1996 – May 1997
StudioTalking Dwarf Studios (Little Valley, New York); AIR Studios (London); Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles)
GenrePop, rock, folk
Length56:38
LabelElektra
ProducerNatalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant chronology
Tigerlily
(1995)		 Ophelia
(1998)		 Live in Concert
(1999)
Singles from Ophelia
  1. "Kind & Generous"
    Released: May 5, 1998
  2. "Break Your Heart"
    Released: 1998
  3. "Life Is Sweet"
    Released: 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB[2]
Pitchfork Media4.1/10[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Ophelia is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, released on May 19, 1998, by Elektra Records. The album was supported by the singles "Kind & Generous" and "Break Your Heart", with the former being the most successful single of the album, reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart. "Break Your Heart" also received single and video treatment. These and the other videos from the album, plus three from Tigerlily, were gathered on a Warner Music Vision home video, also entitled Ophelia. "I love the opportunity to flex my thespian muscle," Merchant quips on it.[5] The album became Merchant's only top ten hit on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number eight.

Merchant built Talking Dwarf Studio in her home and this was the sole recording made in her home studio; she sold the audio equipment in 2022.[6]

Track listing

All songs were written by Natalie Merchant.[7]

  1. "Ophelia" – 5:10
  2. "Life is Sweet" – 5:12
  3. "Kind & Generous" – 4:07
  4. "Frozen Charlotte" (with Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission) – 5:23
  5. "My Skin" – 5:30
  6. "Break Your Heart" (with N'Dea Davenport) – 4:47
  7. "King of May" – 4:09
  8. "Thick as Thieves" – 6:57
  9. "Effigy" – 2:30
  10. "The Living" – 3:18
  11. "When They Ring the Golden Bells" (with Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission) / "Ophelia (Reprise)" (string arrangement by Gavin Bryars) – 9:33

Personnel

  • Natalie Merchant – vocals, Wurlitzer electric piano (4, 9), acoustic piano (5, 10), Hammond organ (9)
  • George Laks – acoustic piano (1, 2), organ (1), Wurlitzer electric piano (3), Hammond organ (3, 7), Rhodes piano (7)
  • Ken Appollo – barrel organ (1)
  • Todd Vos – electric guitar (1)
  • Craig Ross – electric guitar (2, 3, 6), acoustic guitar (2, 5, 7)
  • Lokua Kanza – acoustic guitar (3, 6)
  • Don Peris – electric guitar (4, 11)
  • Donnie Ward – electric guitar (6)
  • Daniel Lanois – electric guitar (8)
  • Karen Peris – vocals (4, 11), acoustic guitar (11)
  • Graham Maby – bass (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11)
  • Jay Brunga – acoustic bass (5)
  • Peter Yanowitz – drums (1–8, 10, 11)
  • Joakim Lartey – percussion (3)
  • Michelle Kinney – cello (1, 5, 8)
  • Karl Berger – string arrangements and conductor (2, 6, 7)
  • Garo Yellin – cello (2, 6, 7)
  • Ralph Farris – viola (2, 6, 7)
  • Conway Kuo – viola (2, 6, 7)
  • Hector Falcon – violin (2, 6, 7)
  • Krystof Witek – violin (2, 6, 7)
  • Tom Varner – French horn (2)
  • Chris Botti – trumpet (6)
  • N'Dea Davenport – vocals (6)
  • Yungchen Lhamo – vocals (9), Tibetan translation (9)

Credits for "Ophelia" and "Ophelia (Reprise)"

  • Camille Labro – French voice (1)
  • Susanna Schmitz – German voice (1)
  • Carmen Consoli – Italian voice (1)
  • Bella Urina – Russian voice (1)
  • Rocio Paez – Spanish voice (1)
  • Christopher Wilson – theorbo (11.3)
  • Pamela Thorby – recorder (11.3)
  • William Hunt – string bass (11.3)
  • Susanna Pell – bass viol (11.3)
  • Richard Campbell – tenor viol (11.3)
  • Julia Hodgson – tenor viol (11.3)
  • Wendy Gillespie – treble viol (11.3)

Technical personnel

  • Todd Vos – engineer (1–7, 10, 11.1)
  • John Holbrook – engineer (8, 9)
  • Rupert Coulson – engineer (11.3)
  • Ricky Graham – assistant engineer (11.3)
  • Jim Scott – mixing
  • Mike Scotella – mix assistant
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine)
  • Helene Silverman – package design
  • Mark Seliger – photography
  • Cynthia Rowley – costume designs

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[14] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ "Ophelia". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Pitchfork Media review". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 1, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved November 16, 2012.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ↑ Q, , May 1999
  6. ↑ Stewart, Alison (March 30, 2023). "Listen: Natalie Merchant on WNYC's 'All of It with Alison Stewart'". All of It. WNYC. Retrieved March 31, 2023 – via Nonesuch Records.
  7. ↑ "Ophelia". AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 185.
  9. ↑ "Charts.nz – Natalie Merchant – Ophelia". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Natalie Merchant Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Natalie Merchant – Ophelia". Music Canada. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  15. ↑ "American album certifications – Natalie Merchant – Ophelia". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
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