Medicine Songs

Medicine Songs is a studio album by Buffy Sainte-Marie, released November 10, 2017 on True North Records.[4] The album includes both new material and contemporary re-recordings of some of her older songs.

Medicine Songs
Studio album by
Buffy Sainte-Marie
ReleasedNovember 10, 2017
GenreFolk, rock, First Nations music
LabelTrue North Records
ProducerBuffy Sainte-Marie, Chris Birkett, Jon Levine
Buffy Sainte-Marie chronology
Power in the Blood
(2015)		 Medicine Songs
(2017)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Exclaim!8/10[3]

It was preceded by the single "You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind)", a collaboration with Tanya Tagaq.[5]

Background

Described by Sainte-Marie as "a collection of front-line songs of unity and resistance," Medicine Songs was released November 10, 2017 by True North Records.[6][7] Produced in collaboration with Chris Birkett, the album features reworked and re-recorded material from throughout Sainte-Marie's career.

Promotion

As part of the Polaris Collaboration Session series, a video featuring Sainte-Marie and Tagaq performing "You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind)" was released in February 2017.[8][9] A music video for "The War Racket" was released in February 2018, animated by Kurt Swinghammer.[10] Sainte-Marie promoted the album in late 2017, giving radio, podcast, print and television interviews where she often reflected on how she was blacklisted by mainstream American radio in the 1960s and 70s, as well as issues related to reconciliation.[11][12][13][14]

Reception

Described by one reviewer as "unflinching in its focus," Medicine Songs was a follow up from 2015's Power in the Blood.[3] Receiving generally positive reviews, some critics bemoaned the "flattening of time and history" with re-recorded protest songs losing some of the signature features of their times, and with the songs ordered out of chronological sequence.[15]

Awards

At the Juno Awards of 2018, the album won the award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year.[16] It was also a nominee for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, but did not win in that category.

The album won the Best Folk Album award at the 2018 Indigenous Music Awards.[17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Buffy Sainte-Marie,[18] except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Got to Run (Spirit of the Wind) / (feat. Tanya Tagaq)" 3:42
2."The War Racket" 4:00
3."Starwalker" 3:05
4."My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying" 5:35
5."America the Beautiful"Katherine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward / new music and lyrics by Buffy Sainte-Marie2:54
6."Carry It On" 2:59
7."Little Wheel Spin and Spin" 3:00
8."No No Keshagesh" 4:46
9."Soldier Blue" 3:42
10."The Priests of the Golden Bull" 4:06
11."Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" 4:33
12."Universal Soldier" 2:41
13."Power in the Blood"Alabama 3, modified lyrics by Buffy Sainte-Marie4:05
14."Disinformation" (digital bonus track) 3:45
15."Fallen Angels" (digital bonus track) 3:45
16."Now That the Buffalo's Gone" (digital bonus track) 2:47
17."Generation" (digital bonus track) 4:02
18."Working for the Government" (digital bonus track) 3:36
19."The Big Ones Get Away" (digital bonus track) 4:07
20."The War Racket (Unplugged)" (digital bonus track) 3:57

References
  1. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  2. Deming, Mark. "Medicine Songs - Buffy Sainte-Marie". AllMusic. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  3. Greene, Sarah (November 16, 2017). "Exclaim! Review". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. "First Play: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Medicine Songs". CBC Music, November 2, 2017.
  5. "Buffy Sainte-Marie Announces 'Medicine Songs' LP". Exclaim!, October 23, 2017.
  6. Greene, Sarah (23 October 2017). "Buffy Sainte-Marie Announces 'Medicine Songs' LP". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  7. Gordon, Holly. (2 November 2017). First Play: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Medicine Songs, retrieved 2018-03-22
  8. polarismusicprize (2017-02-21), Buffy Sainte-Marie & Tanya Tagaq "You Got To Run (Spirit Of The Wind)", retrieved 2018-03-22
  9. "VIDEO: Polaris Winners Buffy Sainte-Marie and Tanya Tagaq Collaborate on New Music Video - Indian Country Media Network". indiancountrymedianetwork.com. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  10. ""The War Racket" Music Video". buffysainte-marie.com. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  11. Buffy Sainte-Marie talks politics, sex scandals and her brand new album, 2017-11-19, retrieved 2018-03-22
  12. Rayner, Ben (15 November 2017). "Buffy Sainte-Marie on her fresh dose of old medicine". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  13. "Buffy Sainte-Marie makes music for a new generation of activists | Q | CBC Radio". CBC. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  14. Frank, Alex (15 November 2017). ""Protest Songs Spell Out Problems. Activist Songs Spell Out Solutions."". Village Voice. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  15. Rancic, Michael (2017-11-15). "Buffy Sainte-Marie remains unflinching on the career-spanning Medicine Songs". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  16. "JUNOS: Krall, Downie win two awards each at non-televised gala". Canadian Press, March 25, 2018.
  17. https://www.indigenousmusicawards.com/nominees
  18. Medicine Songs by Buffy Sainte-Marie on iTunes, 2017-11-10, retrieved 2018-03-22



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