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20 Mothers

by Julian Cope

Released: August 28, 1995

Indie rock, folk, electropop

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Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

20 Mothers revisits many of Cope's familiar lyrical themes while also delving into more personal and reflective material about his family. Cope described the album as comprising "love songs and devotional songs," with a diverse range of styles including "pagan rock 'n' roll," "sci-fi pop," and "bubblegum trance music." The main collaborators on the album include keyboard player and string arranger Thighpaulsandra, drummer Rooster Cosby, and guitarist Michael "Moon-Eye" Watts, who replaced multi-instrumentalist Donald Ross Skinner. "20 Mothers" is the twelfth solo album by Julian Cope, released in August 1995 by Echo.

Inside the Recording

The album also features contributions from bassist James Eller and producer Ed Stasium.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

Skinner contributed omnichord on a few tracks but…

Skinner contributed omnichord on a few tracks but was not as involved in the album’s production.

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Essential Tracks

1995

"20 Mothers" is the twelfth solo album by Julian Cope, released in August 1995 by Echo.

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Explore the Album

Julian Cope - 20 Mothers

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Then

Reception

The album’s subtitle is "Better to Light a Candle Than to Curse the Darkness." Critics generally received the album positively, and it reached number 20 on the UK Albums Chart. The single "Try, Try, Try," which preceded the album, reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"20 Mothers" is the twelfth solo album by Julian Cope, released in August 1995 by Echo. The album’s subtitle is "Better to Light a Candle Than to Curse the Darkness."

Critics generally received the album positively, and it reached number 20 on the UK Albums Chart. 20 Mothers revisits many of Cope's familiar lyrical themes while also delving into more personal and reflective material about his family. Cope described the album as comprising "love songs and devotional songs," with a diverse range of styles including "pagan rock 'n' roll," "sci-fi pop," and "bubblegum trance music."

The main collaborators on the album include keyboard player and string arranger Thighpaulsandra, drummer Rooster Cosby, and guitarist Michael "Moon-Eye" Watts, who replaced multi-instrumentalist Donald Ross Skinner. Skinner contributed omnichord on a few tracks but was not as involved in the album’s production. The album also features contributions from bassist James Eller and producer Ed Stasium. The single "Try, Try, Try," which preceded the album, reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.