A Real Life Story
| A Real Life Story | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros.[1] | |||
| Producer | Greg Penny | |||
| Maura O'Connell chronology | ||||
| ||||
A Real Life Story is an album by the Irish musician Maura O'Connell, released in 1991.[2][3] The album, rather infamously, originally included a market research card, to be mailed to Warner Bros.[4][5]
Production[edit]
Recorded in Nashville with session musicians, the album was produced by Greg Penny.[6][7] "Broken Bicycles" is a cover of the Tom Waits song; O'Connell also covered, among others, Janis Ian, John Hiatt, and Lennon–McCartney.[8][9][10] O'Connell's sisters sang on "A Family Tie".[11]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| Chicago Tribune | [13] |
| The Cincinnati Post | [14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
The Washington Post wrote that "the album's failings are small but bothersome... O'Connell's affection for reflective ballads occasionally leads her to sing lightweight lyrics that convey more a sense of general moodiness than real emotion."[11] Entertainment Weekly thought that "O'Connell proves a marvelous vocal actress."[8] The Chicago Tribune concluded that O'Connell "combines a gorgeous, supple voice with an impeccable taste in material."[13]
The Milwaukee Sentinel determined that, despite being an album of covers, "the result is one of the warmest and in its own way most personal albums of the young year."[15] The St. Petersburg Times stated that "the LP's best track, Larry Tagg's 'Burning My Rowboat', [is] a light-hearted number that deals with deliberate, self-imposed isolation."[16] The Cincinnati Post panned the "more contemporary sound," writing that "the backing is dull."[14] Stereo Review included the album on its list of the top 36 albums of 1991.[17]
AllMusic wrote that "the arrangements ... strike a balance between rustic simplicity and art-pop complexity without tipping too far in either direction."[12]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When Your Heart Is Weak" | |
| 2. | "Burning Your Rowboat" | |
| 3. | "A Family Tie" | |
| 4. | "Ireland" | |
| 5. | "Unwinding" | |
| 6. | "Guns of Love" | |
| 7. | "I Don't Know Why" | |
| 8. | "For No One" | |
| 9. | "When We Ran" | |
| 10. | "Broken Bicycles" |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 271.
- ^ "2 Singers Defy Categorization but Delight Hearers". Deseret News. May 28, 1991.
- ^ "Maura O'Connell Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ McLeese, Don (7 Mar 1991). "Marketing ploy insults record buyers". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. p. 6.
- ^ Bessman, Jim (Mar 9, 1991). "Warner Bros. Queries Album Buyers". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 10. p. 49.
- ^ McIntyre, Ken (February 14, 1991). "O'Connell glad Grammys let her 'gawk and pretend to be famous'". The Washington Times. p. E3.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 830.
- ^ a b "A Real Life Story". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ "The Celtic-country connection". USA Today. 7 May 1991. p. 8D.
- ^ Callahan, Patricia (7 June 1991). "Singer Thrives on Diversity". Features Showtime. Sun-Sentinel. p. 20.
- ^ a b Joyce, Mike (13 Feb 1991). "From the Celtic Fringe: Contemporary Twists on the Old Style". The Washington Post. p. B7.
- ^ a b "A Real Life Story". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Kening, Dan (16 May 1991). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ a b Nager, Larry (February 23, 1991). "Maura O'Connell, 'A Real Life Story'". The Cincinnati Post. p. 5C.
- ^ Tianen, Dave (15 Mar 1991). "O'Connell brings life to others' songs". Feature. Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 31.
- ^ Hall, Dave (19 Apr 1991). "Maura O'Connell A Real Life Story". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 17.
- ^ "Stereo Review's Record of the Year Awards for 1991". Stereo Review. Vol. 57, no. 2. Feb 1992. p. 41.
