tunes you need Tuesday: 10,000 Maniacs edition

First of all, let me tell you what a special kind of moron your favorite redheaded blogger is — I've been working on this post for two days and have saved it as a draft many, many times — I was writing a couple of hours ago, made sure the links work, proofread the post and thought I published it.  Nope, I saved as draft again!  For crying out loud, I cannot have a Tunes You Need Tuesday published on a freakin' Tuesday to save my life.  I wouldn't blame you if you started reading The Bloggess instead.  At least you'd get to laugh about Clown Porn.  And nothing has made me laugh harder than the thought of that the past couple of days.  No, I haven't been watching porn, it's just a column I read that's laugh out loud funny and when I told Megs I'd send it to her she said no, because she's afraid she'd get a virus.  She probably thinks she'll get an iSTD from the computer.  I'm afraid most of you are reading this going "what the hell?  Clown Porn? Call the prayer chain, call the psych ward, somebody, she's finally lost it."  I assure you I'm alright and probably better than I've been in a few weeks, so it's about time for some serious fun.  And serious fun for me is good music, what else?  Did you think I was going to say Clown Porn?

Okay, I know we covered Natalie Merchant two weeks ago, but the Maniacs deserve their own post, dammit.  I can't write a Natalie post and just hope that you'll go out on your own and listen to the Maniacs or watch a couple of YouTube videos, I have to deliver.  This is how dedicated to your Tuesday tunes edumacation I am.  What?  That's a word.  Look it up in your dictionkerry. 

The brief history of 10,000 Maniacs I gave you in the Natalie Merchant post won't suffice for today, so welcome to Maniacs 101.  There will not be a quiz, so relax. 

If I were to sum up 10,000 Maniacs, a couple words would come to mind,
but one of the most prevalent would be artsy. The band's sound and feel
is defined by Rob Buck's distinctive lead guitar, folksy
melodies, historical/political poetic lyricism, and just an all around unique and lovely sound. Many of their songs are about unsavory things and some are just reflections on various little aspects of everyday life, but the Maniacs never try to hide what they're doing.  The songs speak for themselves.  There isn't a song you'd hear and say, "wow, wonder what that could be about."  It's all there. 

There are basically three distinct periods in the band's timeline.
The first lasted from their formation in 1981 until 1986. At this point
the lineup was Steve Gustafson (bass), Robert Buck (lead guitar),
Dennis Drew (keyboards), Natalie Merchant
(vocals) and John Lombardo (guitar/vocals). They would find a permanent
drummer in 1983 in  Jerome Augustyniak. The band started
out as being very eclectic, incorporating a multitude styles that
varied from reggae to punk to folk, but by the time of their major
label debut The Wishing Chair, they had become more of a concise artsy folk unit. This was powerful and original stuff. Natalie's
voice was youthful but soared with a vitality and energy that was unlike anything I've heard since those early albums. Rob's chiming guitar leads were just as up
front as Natalie's
vocals, and the combination still holds up as beautiful and invigorating. This
was John Lomabrdo's musical vision really coming together for the first
time, and The Wishing Chair is often referred to as "his baby."

In 1986, due to financial concerns and Elektra's pressuring the
band to go in a more commercial direction, Lombardo left 10,000 Maniacs.
He would later carry on The Wishing Chair sound in his duo with Mary Ramsey,
but 10,000 Maniacs continued on as a five-piece and their sound
shifted to an extent. This is what I would consider phase two. They acquired a more
pop-oriented feel, with Natalie's lyrics focusing on distinctive, often political topics. The albums In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), Our Time In Eden (1992), and Unplugged (1994) were released during this stage while Natalie was lead singer.

Phase three began when Natalie Merchant left in 1993, and John Lombardo returned in 1994 bringing along Mary Ramsey to replace Natalie.
With John again the prime creative force in the Maniacs he of course
took up where he left off back in 1985. The band's sound became more
folkish again.  There have been other personnel changes since with the death of Buck, Lombardo leaving once again, and Ramsey in and "on again, off again" state as of now.  Oskar Saville sang with the Maniacs from 2002-07, but it looks like Ramsey is back — at least that what seems to be the case.  Their website hasn't been updated in some time and I could find no news of their status lately. 
So far two albums have been created with Ramsey, Love Among The Ruins and the independently released The Earth Pressed Flat. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I am a Maniacs purist and a song without Natalie singing is just not a 10,000 Maniacs song.  I remember driving my Corolla in Alpharetta, GA in 1997 when I first heard "More Than This," the first Natalieless Maniacs song on the radio and I yelled "that's not 10,000 Maniacs!"  With all due respect to Ms. Ramsey, no one could replace Natalie's voice.  And dear my mother the war — Oskar Saville singing the old songs — it's like nails on a chalkboard.  I say that with love.  And criticism and intollerance, mainly love.  

Onto the songs.  Let's have a little loveliness from each album, that seems the thing to do. 

From The Wishing Chair, this is "My Mother the War," which is what I've always considered a very raw Maniacs song.  It doesn't sound like what you're used to from the band and Natalie's voice is a young instrument. 

http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/1-02-my-mother-the-war.m4a

From what is most of America's first 10,000 Maniacs experience, In My Tribe, I thought you might like "City of Angels," for its folksy sound, but as well as a song that's a good example of Natalie finding her voice.  I love the song.  In my Natalie Merchant post, you saw the video of the big single from this album, "Like the Weather," but there are other great songs on this album.  Notably, the Cat Stephens cover of "Peace Train" and "What's the Matter Here" about child abuse.  In My Tribe is full of socially aware songs, nearly each track has a message.  And did I mention how much I heart the cover art?  It's always been one of my faves.  http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/10-city-of-angels.m4a

Blind Man's Zoo is the middle-ground of 10,000 Maniacs albums.  It falls somewhere outside the folk band they started out as and the more pop sound of their last studio album.  It's the only album I would consider "alternative" whatever that means, but nevertheless is what genre the band is called.  I knew the video to "Happy Puppet" was one of the only videos that showed the whole band and thought it would be fun to see the rest of them, since they weren't Natalie's backing band, as you would think from all the other videos from that era.  Plus, it's a damn good song. 

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:58361

Another song I love from that album is "Headstrong," which could SO be one of my theme songs.  If you've know me for very long, you would probably agree.  I hate that when they made the compilation album, Campf
ire Songs they left this gem off.  It would really fit to shake it up a little.  And I like a little angry song for a mood once in a while, don't you? 

http://kerryfaler.typepad.com/files/06-headstrong.m4a

The last 10,000 Maniacs studio album with Natalie Merchant as lead singer and writing partner to Rob Buck was Our Time in Eden, and it is simply a gorgeous work.  The instrumentation on it is just fabulous, with Buck using banjo, steel guitar, and sitar (which he hadn't used since In My Tribe), as well as the James Brown Horns, and Mary Ramsey on backing vocals.  This album is fantastic.  Everyone remembers "These Are Days" which ended up as a graduation theme song all over the country, but I loved "Candy Everybody Wants," a pop song about the crap in our media and how we eat it up!  Man, it's genius.  And the video features a stunning Natalie, so no wonder no one ever got it.  I was sucked in, too.  After seeing Natalie in her green off-the-shoulder dress, I had to have a green off-the-shoulder dress for prom.  Here's the video.

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:58362

I mentioned the MTV Unplugged album, but it's worth a listen.  Really, you should get it.  It shows what a talented band 10,000 Maniacs were back in '93.  Rob Buck was a great musician, probably never getting the accolades he deserved and he delivers on this album.  Also, we're treated to some great songs on Unplugged.  I really like this version of "Noah's Dove" and the duet with David Byrne, "Let the Mystery Be" is just great.  This album is full of little surprises and is a nice send off, being that it was the last album with Natalie.  Enjoy.