The Memory of Trees

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The Memory of Trees
Enya5.jpg
Studio album by Enya
Released 5 December 1995 (1995-12-05)[1]
Recorded Aigle Studios, Ireland
Genre New age, celtic, pop
Length 43:24
Label WEA (UK)
Producer Nicky Ryan
Enya chronology
The Celts
(1992)The Celts1992		 The Memory of Trees
(1995)		 A Day Without Rain
(2000)A Day Without Rain2000
Singles from The Memory of Trees
  1. "Anywhere Is"
    Released: 20 November 1995
  2. "On My Way Home"
    Released: 22 November 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 3/5 stars[1]
Entertainment Weekly B[2]
Los Angeles Times 3/4 stars[3]
Q 4/5 stars[4]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[5]

The Memory of Trees is the fourth studio album from the by Irish musician Enya, released in December 1995 on WEA Records. Four years after the release of her previous album, Shepherd Moons, Enya began work on a new album with lyricist Roma Ryan and arranger and producer Nicky Ryan.

The Memory of Trees continued Enya's commercial success in the 1990s, reaching No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US, where it went on to sell over 3 million copies. Two singles were released, "Anywhere Is" and "On My Way Home". In 1997, the album won a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.[1][6] A limited remastered edition was released in Japan on Super High Material CD with bonus tracks.[7]

Songs

"The Memory of Trees" originated from Roma Ryan after she read about Druids and Irish mythology. Ryan wrote the lyrics to "Hope Has a Place" after she visited the Silent Valley Reservoir in the Mourne Mountains of Ireland. Enya visited the reservoir and recorded her voice outdoors. Rob Dickins of WEA Records was invited to listen to the album at a time when Enya and Nicky Ryan felt it needed more work. He liked the material recorded, but felt "Anywhere Is" needed further development as it "had the makings of an obvious single". Dickins is credited on the album's sleeve in Gaelic.[8]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Roma Ryan, all music composed by Enya and all songs produced by Nicky Ryan.

No. Title Length
1. "The Memory of Trees" (Instrumental) 4:18
2. "Anywhere Is"   3:58
3. "Pax Deorum"   4:58
4. "Athair ar Neamh"   3:39
5. "From Where I Am" (Instrumental) 2:20
6. "China Roses"   4:47
7. "Hope Has a Place"   4:44
8. "Tea-House Moon" (Instrumental) 2:41
9. "Once You Had Gold"   3:16
10. "La Soñadora"   3:35
11. "On My Way Home"   5:08
12. "Oriel Window" (Bonus track on WEA Japan release) 2:22
Total length:
 43:24

All lyrics are in English except those of "Pax Deorum" (Latin: "Peace of the Gods"), "Athair Ar Neamh" (Irish: "Heavenly Father"), and "La Soñadora" (Spanish: "The Dreamer"). "From Where I Am" and "Oriel Window" are piano solos; "Tea-House Moon" is an instrumental.

"The Memory of Trees" was used in the score of the American television film Shot Through the Heart (1998); "Once You Had Gold" was used in the score of the American romantic comedy film Knocked Up (2007); and "Pax Deorum" was used in the score of the American documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) and also as an unreleased track on the 1986 BBC documentary 'The Celts'. On 24 July 2011, Yamagata Broadcasting Company of Japan used "China Roses" in its sign-off on the occasion of its final analogue television broadcast.[citation needed] An instrumental version of the song "Athair Ar Neamh" was played when Sofia Hellqvist walked down the aisle during her wedding to Sweden's Prince Carl Philip.

Charts

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