EDIT: yes, I know this is Wednesday, but I started this post on Tuesday, so Tunes You Need Tuesday it is. And it was only an hour into Wednesday when I finished it, so there. Thank you, Captains Obvious for emailing me and making me think I lost a day somewhere. xxxooo, Kerry
Have I been slacking on Tunes You Need Tuesday or what? No Tunes Tuesday since March 10th? And not one of my faithful readers called me on it either. You think you know people. Oh well. Maybe that has something to do with the comments on this blog not working (Kerry shakes angry fist at the Typepad gods), although Typepad has assured me the blog is fine and the comments should work. Alas, they do not, as many of you have emailed to tell me to tell me that very thing. I hear you, dear readers, I hear you. On with the post!
Last night, after talking to a friend about music and Natalie Merchant, it occurred to me that I had not written about my favorite woman in music (next to Aretha, that is). I honestly thought I had written a Tunes Tuesday post about Natalie, but after reviewing the blog, there was none — not even a 10,000 Maniacs edition. Either this is an unfortunate oversight or subconsciously I feared I wouldn't do her justice, I'm not sure. So, I've been listening to 10,000 Maniacs and Natalie's solo stuff all day while working at the computer (great music to work to, by the way) and I think it's high time we explored the fantabulous Natalie Merchant. Don't you agree? Oh good.
We can't discuss Natalie without first having a little background on her 12 years with 10,000 Maniacs. The Maniacs were formed in New York back in 1981 and didn't hit the mainstream Billboard charts until 1987's In My Tribe debuted and went to #37 in '88. They were an alternative folk-rock group in a sea of hair bands, Madonna, George Michael, and Michael Jackson, so this was unusual to say the least.
The song that made me a fan was "Like The Weather." Natalie Merchant unlike anyone on MTV at that time and her band was a breath of fresh air to me. I had discovered REM and a few other alternative bands a year or two before , but 10,000 Maniacs was different with their girl singer and her funky dresses, mary jane shoes, and quirky beauty. She was the main songwriter of the group and her voice was interesting and her lyrics were purposeful (again, unlike much of the music going on in 1987). Let's go back to '87 for a look, here's "Like The Weather."
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:46180
So, that was my introduction to Natalie Merchant. I'm sure many of my old friends will recognize the influence her style had on my fashion sense back in the day and why I've never met a mary jane I didn't like. 10,000 Maniacs went onto moderate success with Blind Man's Zoo and Our Time in Eden, then Natalie left to start her solo career in 1993. In 2004 the Maniacs released Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings, a wonderful compilation album every fan should own. You'll fall in love with the band all over again with the covers and alternate lyric demos of some of their songs on disc 2. Here's "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" from the second disc, it's simply lovely.
http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/2-09-i-hope-that-i-dont-fall-in-lov.m4a
1995's Tigerlily was Natalie's solo debut that gave her 3 hits, "Jealousy," "Wonder," and "Carnival." "Jealousy" is one of my favorite songs, but I thought I'd share a song you may not be familiar with, "Cowboy Romance." It has a little country flavor, hence the Cowboy part , I suppose. I think you just might love it.
http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/2-02-cowboy-romance.m4a
Natalie's next album, Ophelia, was release in 1998 to somewhat mixed reviews. The album is somewhat melancholy and elegantly dark with piano and strings, bust as a longtime fan, on a whole, it harkened back to less ambitious 10,000 Maniacs songs like "Verdi Cries" and "My How You've Grown." One can't deny Ophelia is decidely un-pop. "Kind and Generous" is the only song pop song on the album and if you're the type who doesn't listen to albums in their entirety, Ophelia may not be your cup of tea, but it's definitely worth a listen. I think it's pretty brilliant, but I'm a fan. Who else but Natalie would put a hymn from the 1880's on their album and make it beautiful? "When They Ring Them Golden Bells" is the hymn, and I hate that it wouldn't upload, so you'll have to get it on iTunes and have a listen for yourself.
Motherland was Natalie's third solo album and was more folky and eclectic musically than Ophelia. Some of the material is a bit heavy, lyrically. Natalie tends to write with a focus on political and social issues, always has — songs from the Maniacs days "Eat For Two" and "What's the Matter Here" come to mind from her earlier writing. This album was no different; what made it different was that the recording was finished two days before Sepetember 11tth, and that changed people's perceptions of her lyrics in post-9/11 America. Still, the album reached #30 on Billboard and the mother of folk rock, Joan Baez, covered the title track, which is a pretty neat thing. My favorite track on Motherland is "Not in This Life," a song Natalie has said she only put on the album because the rest of the songs were a little heavy, but I thought the song was rather introspective. Anyway, the best songs off Motherland (including my pick) can be found on Retrospective.
If you're a Natalie Merchant fan, do yourself a favor and get the Deluxe Edition of Retrospective: 1995-2000 and you'll love it. It includes "Cowboy Romance" as well as duets with Billy Bragg and Michael Stipe among other covers like The Smiths "Sally Ann." It's fantastic. Finally, what's Natalie Merchant up to now? She's recording, and that can only be good news for fans like me. I'm looking forward to an album due out this year. It's been eight years since her last album and I can't wait to hear what she's come up with for 2009. I'll let you know what I think of the yet un-named album when it comes out (there is no "drop" date yet, but I'm hopeful). 'til then, here's "Stockton Gala Days" which you can find on 10,000 Maniacs, Campfire Songs. It's one of my favorites to sing along to. The last lyrics get me every time I hear it.
http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/05-stockton-gala-days.m4a
You'll never, you'll never know.
You'll never know.
That summer fields grow high.
We had wildflower fever.
We had to lay down where they grow.
How I've learned to hide, how I've locked inside, you'd be surprised if shown.
But you'll never, you'll never know
And Just for fun, here's "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" from Retrospective. Hope y'all enjoyed this Tunes Tuesday, I sure did.
http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/2-03-children-go-where-i-send-thee.m4a
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