Date: Wed, 15 Nov 1995 20:47:25 -0500 From: jtgayton@POLISCI.WISC.EDU Subject: Mary Margaret O'Hara A lot of people have been asking about M2O'H's "Miss America," so I thought I'd provide what info I could. I have no idea if it's still in print, but here's the US cat. info: Virgin Records 91274. It is genius. If you like Lisa Germano and/or Kendra Smith, you really should check it out. Check it out even if you don't like them, because she's better than they are. Actually, those comparisons are probably not as good as Tarnation and Mojave 3. There's definately a country feel to it. Sort of a "deranged k.d. lang" vibe. And what a voice! Contrary to at least one opinion, I don't think the album is just "Help Me Lift You Up" and a bunch of filler. It is the best song (head and shoulders above the TMC version), but "To Cry About," "Body in Trouble," and "You Will Be Loved Again" are brilliant too. Anyway, good luck finding it. I hope the information helps you. -- Jeff Jeffrey T. Gayton jtgayton@polisci.wisc.edu Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 09:37:21 +0100 From: Grant Goodes (ggo@CSD.CRI.DK) Subject: Re: Mary Margaret O'Hara Yes, I cringed slightly at message after message saying the album was a one-hit-wonder. The whole thing is quite strong. There was a video for "Body in Trouble", which is primarily the divine Miss-O standing there having a caffiene reaction while singing the song -- quite effective. I have some annecdotes about MMO'H, since I lived in Toronto where she sometimes plays. The first is about "Miss America" itself. It seems that she is a bit (or a lot) of a flake, and the album was bogged down in endless revisions, and it looked like it would never be finnished. Then, someone brought in Michael Brook ('nother Canadian) to work on the project. He was credited by all involved with saving the album, and making it coherant, etc. General Goodness. A local entertainment rag (Now Magazine) ran an article on Mr. Brook, wherein he shyly denied that he had done all that much for "Miss America", but saying he though MMO'H was briliant. One week later, they published a scathing letter from Miss O'Hara (which I wish I'd saved) in which she basically called Michael Brook a raving ego-maniac, and saying that he'd been a heavy-handed dictator, coming in on a nearly complete project, and tried to grab credit for work that wasn't his, etc. Somewhat contradictary, don't you think? I've seen Brook play in a small club, and he was extremely quiet, self-efacing, and pleasant. I've also seen MMO'H play at a benefit concert for a local street-shelter, and she was, to say the least, unstable. Sort of a combination "Glass Menagerie"/Scarlet figure. She had endless dificulties setting up her song, and there were various thick undercurrents with the other musicians on-stage. I also have a Christmas EP she released about that time, and it too is good, but who knows why she hasn't released more material. By the way, she's got many talented siblings, some of whom are probably more famous than she, especially sister Katherine. grant.. Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:43:01 -0500 From: Michael Jones Subject: Mary Margaret O'Hara Advance apologies for posting a query about an artist with only the most nebulous connections with 4AD but... Can anyone fill me in on the current status of Ms O'Hara's recording career ? Since 'Miss America' I only know of a couple of releases: a festive EP from Xmas '91 and her contribution to Gary Lucas' 'Gods And Monsters' album in '92. I understand there are a couple of (new ?) MMO'H songs on the new Holly Cole release... Contractual problems ? Writers' block ? Gone back to her old job (graphic design, wasn't it) ?