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Showing posts with label 10000 maniacs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 10000 maniacs. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

A Few Favorite Albums: Blind Man's Zoo - 10,000 Maniacs (1989)

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Blind Man's Zoo - 10,000 Maniacs
Elektra
Produced by Peter Asher
Released 16th May 1989
US Chart #13
UK Chart #18

Watch and Listen to
Blind Man's Zoo Here:

Track listing
The links here are for Live or TV Performances of songs from the album.

Side One
1 "Eat for Two" (Natalie Merchant) – 3:26
2 "Please Forgive Us" (Robert Buck, Merchant) – 3:22
3 "The Big Parade" (Jerome Augustyniak, Merchant) – 4:00
4 "Trouble Me" (Dennis Drew, Merchant) – 3:08
5 "You Happy Puppet" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:35
6 "Headstrong" (Natalie Merchant) – 4:13

Side Two
1"Poison in the Well" (Drew, Merchant) – 3:05
2 "Dust Bowl" (Buck, Merchant) – 4:11
3 "The Lion's Share" (Drew, Merchant) – 3:00
4 "Hateful Hate" (Natalie Merchant) – 4:28
5 "Jubilee" (Natalie Merchant) – 6:07

 
Singles from Blind Man's Zoo
UK 7"
A-Side: 
Trouble Me 
B-Side: 
The Lion's Share

UK 12"
A-Side: 
1. Trouble Me
B-Side:
1. The Lion's Share
Released in USA April 1989 
US Hot 100 #44
Released in UK June 1989
UK Chart #77

 7" UK EP
A-Side: 
1. Eat For Two

B-Side:

Limited Edition UK 10" EP
A-Side:
1. Eat For Two
2. What's The Matter Here (Acoustic)

B-Side:
1. Eat For Two (Acoustic)
2. From The Time You Said Goodbye

Limited Edition UK 12"
A-Side:
1. Eat For Two

B-Side:
1. Wildwood Flower

Released in UK November 1989
UK Chart #93
 
European and US 7"
A-Side:
Eat For Two
B-Side:
The Big Parade
 Released in USA July 1989
US Alternative Chart #12

 
US CD Release
1. You Happy Puppet
2. Gun Shy (Acoustic)
3. Wildwood Flower
4. Hello In There
Released in USA October 1989
Did Not Chart

Personnel
10,000 Maniacs

    Jerome Augustyniak – drums
    Robert Buck – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
    Dennis Drew – organ, piano
    Steve Gustafson – bass guitar
    Natalie Merchant – vocals, piano, pipe organ


Additional musicians
    Jevetta Steele – backing vocals
    Jason Osborn – arrangement, orchestral direction
    Krista Bennion Feeney – first violin
    Mitsuru Tsubota – second violin
    Louise Schulman – viola
    Myron Lutzke – cello
    Dennis Godburn – bassoon
    Robert Wolinsky – harpsichord
    Scott Kuney – classical guitar
    Frank Luther – double bass

******************
Two years after their breakthrough album In My Tribe, 10,000 Maniacs released their fourth LP which further cemented their place on the musical map.

Natalie Merchant said about most of the album:

    'The theme that I keep returning to with every song is betrayal. "Eat for Two" is self-betrayal. "The Big Parade" is a nation betraying its citizens. "Please Forgive Us" is a nation betraying another nation. "Hateful Hate" is a race betraying another race. "Jubilee" is, first, a man who's betrayed by nature or God..."Poison in the Well" is the question of corporate culpability when there's a toxic-waste dump that suddenly is seeping into the main water supply of a neighborhood. That corporation has betrayed those people.'

Some of those same themes are still around today in various guises and shows that all these years on it still speaks into the current situation in the USA and in other places also.
 

My personal view on the album is that it was a real step forward (though some of those dreaded critics saw differently) musically and lyrically. I thought it would be hard to top In My Tribe but I think they did with Blind Man's Zoo.

I saw them in Glasgow when they toured the album and thought they were outstanding. It's still an album that I have a lot of affection for 29 years on from its release. It's also a reminder to me that the particular show at The Pavillion was one of the first for me since moving to the City of Glasgow from London that same year.

This is the first of series that I hope to do at various times called A Few Favourite Albums. They will be my choices and maybe not necessarily huge hit albums, or ones loved by the critics. They will be albums that still hold some meaning for me years on after their initial release.




Wednesday, 26 October 2016

Natalie Merchant - Happy Birthday


 
(Photo by Dan Winters)

Happy Birthday to Natalie Merchant who was born on this day in 1963.


Hard Rock Live
6th March 1993

10,000 Maniacs & Natalie Merchant Playlist

Where I Go
Live on The Andrew Marr Show
(BBC TV)

Friday, 23 September 2016

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 267 - 10,000 Maniacs

The Wishing Chair - 10,000 Maniacs
Elektra
Produced by Joe Boyd
Released 23rd September 1985
Did Not Chart

The Wishing Chair (with Two Bonus Tracks)


 Video Above is actually the CD Version of the Album that included two bonus tracks

 CD Track Listing
1  Can't Ignore The Train
2  Scorpio Rising
3  Just As The Tide Was A Flowing    
4  Lilydale    
5  Back O' The Moon    
6  Maddox Table
7  The Colonial Wing*    
8  Grey Victory*    
9  Among The Americans    
10 Everyone A Puzzle Lover
11 Cotton Alley
12 Daktari*    
13 My Mother The War    
14 Tension Makes A Tangle    
15 Arbor Day

*Not on the original Release

Singles on The Wishing Chair
(though some versions were re-recorded from the Original Single Versions)










*****************************


The Wishing Chair was the Major Label Debut from 10,000 Maniacs on Elektra Records. They had released their Debut EP Human Conflict Number Five in 1982 and Debut Album Secrets of the I Ching in 1983 on their own label Christian Burial Music.
Prior to the release of the album the band had recorded a Session for John Peel (like many bands at the time Peel was quite taken with them and had played My Mother The War a number of times on his show that led it to becoming a bit of an Indie Chart hit). It was recorded 23rd June 1985 and first broadcast 1st July 1985. The Session included Just As The Tide Was A' Flowin', Lily Dale, Maddox Table, and Back O' The Moon.

Now, whilst I was sort of aware of the band, I didn't really jump on board until the release of In My Tribe after a good friend had sent me a cassette from the States that included a few tracks from the album and I was instantly hooked by the voice of Natalie Merchant.

That meant then going on a search for the earlier material and was happy to have tracked down a few things and only in the past decade have managed to complete the collection of early material.

The Wishing Chair did not sell bucket loads, and didn't make the chart but it did put them on the map to wider audience and pave the way for a number of fairly successful albums that followed.

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Monday, 16 May 2016

Rewind: Blind Man's Zoo - 10,000 Maniacs (1989)

Blind Man's Zoo is the fourth Studio Album from 10,000 Maniacs.

Two years prior to this 10,000 Maniacs had released In My Tribe, my friend Michelle from Denver, Colorado had sent me a cassette that included a couple of songs from that album (Hey Jack Kerouac, City of Angels and though I can't totally remember - it was a long time ago now - I think maybe Verdi Cries was also on it), and thus began my lifelong affection for 10,000 Maniacs and the voice of Natalie Merchant.

Blind Man's Zoo is probably my favourite album from 10,000 Maniacs and that mainly has to do with the fact that it was an album that was helpful to me during a personal crisis. It was the soothing sound of Natalie's voice and the gentleness of some of the songs on this album that gave a lot relief as I was struggling with getting off of alcohol and then moving to Scotland without much except a few changes of clothes and a few albums in a bag and a Walkman. Man, thinking back to that I'm amazed at just how far I have come in the past 27 years!

It was released on this day in 1989 and I was really happy to have got the chance to see them on the tour for the album in Glasgow on a magical Saturday night after avoiding the chaos of Saturday afternoon in the city when England fans were going crazy and fighting Scottish fans in main streets and back streets!

So nice sitting and listening to it again and it brings forth great feelings of gratitude to many who aided me and gave me a helping hand when trying to get a grip on my life in a new setting. The folks are too many to name but they know who they are.

Blind Man's Zoo - 10,000 Maniacs
Elektra
Produced by Peter Asher
Released 16th May 1989
US Chart #13
UK Chart #18


Singles From Blind Man's Zoo

UK Chart #77

UK Chart #93


Personnel
10,000 Maniacs

    Jerome Augustyniak – drums
    Robert Buck – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
    Dennis Drew – organ, piano
    Steve Gustafson – bass guitar
    Natalie Merchant – vocals, piano, pipe organ

Additional musicians
    Jevetta Steele – backing vocals
    Jason Osborn – arrangement, orchestral direction
    Krista Bennion Feeney – first violin
    Mitsuru Tsubota – second violin
    Louise Schulman – viola
    Myron Lutzke – cello
    Dennis Godburn – bassoon
    Robert Wolinsky – harpsichord
    Scott Kuney – classical guitar
    Frank Luther – double bass

Tuesday, 17 November 2015

Music is the Doctor #28 Natalie Merchant & 10,000 Maniacs


The 28th Edition of Music is the Doctor celebrates the music of Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs.

A Brief Telling of the History of 10,000 Maniacs 1981-1993 and the Solo Career of Natalie Merchant.
1. 10,000 Maniacs
In 1981 Natalie Merchant joined a band called Still Life in her hometown of Jamestown, New York.  The band consisted of Dennis Drew (keyboards), Steven Gustafson (bass), Chet Cardinale (drums), Robert Buck (guitar), and Teri Newhouse (vocalist and Buck's ex-wife). Gustafson invited Natalie Merchant, who was 17 at the time, to do some vocals. John Lombardo, who was in a band called The Mills (along with brother guitarist/vocalists Mark Liuzzo and Paul Liuzzo and drummer Mike Young) and used to play occasionally with Still Life, was invited to join permanently on guitar and vocals.  Cardindale and Newhouse left the band in July 1981 and thus opened the door to Natalie to become the lead vocalist. The band changed its name to Burn Victims and then to 10,000 Maniacs after the low-budget horror movie Two Thousand Maniacs!

The band played its first show as 10,000 Maniacs on 7th September 1981. Fed up with playing cover versions they began writing their own material, Natalie providing the lyrics and often Steve Gustafson the music. By 1982 the band had moved to Athens, Georgia and in March released their Debut EP Human Conflict Number Five on their own label Christian Burial Music. The stay in Athens didn't last long as promised gigs dried up and by November they were back in their hometown of Jamestown, New York.

In 1983 Jerry Augustyniak became the new drummer for the band, he had met the group on Buffalo where he had been playing in a Punk band called The Stains. Between March and July of that year the Maniacs began recording their Debut album. Secrets of The I Ching was well received by critics and even caught the attention of John Peel (he gets everywhere does our John!). My Mother the War became a minor Indie Chart hit and even got them a TV spot on Channel 4 music show The Tube (video of My Mother The War is included on the Playlist).

In November 1984 the band signed to Elektra Records and in the spring of 1985 recorded their second album and their major label Debut The Wishing Chair. Robert Buck had begun to contribute a lot more musically to the band on this album. Whilst not a chartbuster it did receive a lot of praise from critics.

Lombardo left the band in 1986 and the remaining members carried on and between March-April of 1987 with Peter Asher producing they recorded what would become their first breakout album - In My Tribe - that peaked at #37 in the Billboard Chart. Buck, Drew and Augustynaik all made big contributions to the album. The album was released on 7th July and stayed on the chart for 77 weeks.

Blind Man's Zoo followed in 1989 and became their first album to chart in the UK, reaching #18. In the States it stalled at #13. Lombardo was back helping the band in 1990 when he was involved in the remastering of their Debut EP and Album that was relased as Hope Chest (the full title being Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983). John Lombardo was now playing alongside Mary Ramsey as John and Mary and on the Hope Chest Tour of 1990 they supported 10,000 Maniacs.

After a breakaway from the band in 1990 to the summer of 1991(Natalie had been working as a volunteer , as recording for a new album, their fifth, got under way Natalie dropped the bomb on them saying that she would be leaving the band in two year's time. This knowledge the band managed to keep secret until it was announced on MTV in 1993! In the mean time Our Time in Eden would be recorded and released in September 1992, it did okay on the charts I guess but not as well as Blind Man's Zoo. In the UK it peaked at #33 and in the US at #28. The last album that Natalie would appear on with 10,000 Maniacs would MTV Unplugged which gave the band their biggest Chart Single in the USA - a cover of Because the Night (#11).

After Natalie's departure John and Mary were invited to join the band, and despite a few line up changes down through the years and the death of Robert Buck in 2000 the band have continued playing live and releasing new music (since 1997 they have released four albums, an EP, a live album and a few singles).

2. Natalie Merchant
Since leaving 10,000 Maniacs Natalie has released a total of 9 albums between 1995-2015, had a few hit singles, has toured and been active in social concerns, in particular alongside Shelter (for whom she directed a short documentary entitled Shelter: A Concert Film To Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence) and One Billion Rising - a global campaign calling for end to violence against Women. She was also one of many artists involved in Give Us Your Poor, a national Public Education Campaign addressing Homelessness, her song on the album was There is No Reason. She has also collaborated with Billy Bragg on Mermaid Avenue - songs of Woody Guthrie and also with R.E.M.

Apologies for writing so much, I hadn't intended to when I began! Briefly let me run through her albums: Tigerlily (1995), Ophelia (1998), Live in Concert (1999), Motherland (2001), The House Carpenter's Daughter (2003)*, Retrospective:1995-2005 (2005), Leave Your Sleep (2010)*, Natalie Merchant (2013) and Paradise is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings (2015)*.
*Incomplete

10,000 Maniacs and Natalie Merchant
The Music is the Doctor Playlist


On the Playlist
10,000 Maniacs
These Are The Days.
Don't Talk.
What's The Matter Here?
Like The Weather.
My Mother The War (Live on The Tube).
Candy Everybody Wants.
Stockton Gala Days (MTV Unplugged).
Dust Bowl.
City of Angels (Live).
Few and Far Between (US TV).
Headstrong (Live).
Hey Jack Kerouac/Eat For Two (UK TV).

Natalie Merchant
Verdi Cries (UK TV).
Carnival.
Motherland (Celtic Connections UK TV).
Beloved Wife (Live).
Jealousy (Letterman).
Break Your Heart (VH1 Storytellers).
Because the Night (Letterman).
Build A Levee (Letterman).
Sally Ann (Letterman).

Collaborations
Red Rain - with Peter Gabriel and R.E.M.
Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key - with Billy Bragg and Wilco.
Party of God - with Billy Bragg.
To Sir With Love - with Michael Stipe.
Photograph - with R.E.M.
To Love Is To Bury - with Cowboy Junkies.

Natalie Merchant
Cowboy Romance.
Ophelia.
Tell Yourself.
Giving Up Everything.
Ladybird (Live).
Life is Sweet (VH1 Storytellers).
San Andreas Fault (Live).
Kind and Generous (Live at TED 2010).
Wonder (VH1 Storytellers). 

For More Information on Natalie Merchant and Tour Dates for 2016 check out her WEBSITE.

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Rewind: 1992 Our Time In Eden - 10,000 Maniacs

Our Time In Eden - 10,000 Maniacs
Elektra
Produced by Paul Fox
Released 29th September 1992
US Chart #28
UK Chart #33

Personnel
10,000 Maniacs
    Jerome Augustyniak - drums, percussion
    Robert Buck - electric and acoustic guitars, electric sitar, banjo, pedal and lap steel guitars, mandocello
    Dennis Drew - Hammond organ, piano, keyboards, accordion
    Steven Gustafson - bass guitar
    Natalie Merchant - vocals, piano

Additional musicians
    Larry Corbett - cello
    Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
    Bruce Dukov - violin
    Charles Fleischer - harmonica
    Pamela Goldsmith - viola
    Kim Laskowski - bassoon
    Ralph Morrison - viola
    Mary Ramsey - violin, viola
    Atsuko Sato - bassoon
    James Brown - horns
    Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis - tenor saxophone
    Maceo Parker - alto saxophone
    Fred Wesley - trombone
    Paul Buckmaster - string quartet arranger/conductor



Our Time in Eden is a 1992 album by 10,000 Maniacs. It is their fifth studio album, and their last studio album with the original lead singer, Natalie Merchant. The album included her future replacement Mary Ramsey on viola on such tracks as "Stockton Gala Days", "Jezebel" and "How You've Grown".

Singles From Our Time In Eden


Monday, 27 July 2015

Rewind: 1987 - 10,000 Maniacs Release In My Tribe

In My Tribe - 10,000 Maniacs
Elektra
Released 27th July 1987
Produced by Peter Asher
US Chart #37



All songs written by Natalie Merchant, except where noted.
  1. "What's the Matter Here?" (Robert Buck, Natalie Merchant) – 4:51
  2. "Hey Jack Kerouac" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:26
  3. "Like the Weather" – 3:56
  4. "Cherry Tree" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:13
  5. "The Painted Desert" (Jerome Augustyniak, Merchant) – 3:39
  6. "Don't Talk" (Dennis Drew, Merchant) – 5:04
  7. "Peace Train" (Cat Stevens) – 3:26
  8. "Gun Shy" – 4:11
  9. "My Sister Rose" (Augustyniak, Merchant) – 3:12
  10. "A Campfire Song" – 3:15
  11. "City of Angels" (Buck, Merchant) – 4:17
  12. "Verdi Cries" – 4:27
Personnel
10,000 Maniacs
    Natalie Merchant – vocals
    Robert Buck – guitars, mandolin, pedal steel guitar
    Steve Gustafson – bass guitar
    Jerome Augustyniak – drums, percussion
    Dennis Drew – keyboards


Additional musicians
    Michael Stipe – vocals on 10
    Don Grolnick – piano
    David Campbell – string arrangements on 12
    Dennis Karmazyn – cello on 12
    Bob Magnusson – acoustic bass guitar on 12
    Novi Novog – viola on 12

Back in the 1980's I had a pen friend  in the USA, Michelle from Denver, Colorado (yikes do you remember when we actually used to write letters? Can't think of the last time that I did!) . One time she sent me a cassette featuring some of the music she had been listening to and one of the tracks on it was 'City of Angels' by 10,000 Maniacs and thus began a lifetime love with the music of the Maniacs and in particular Natalie Merchant. If I didn't say it before I'll say it now, thanks Michelle.

They had released their first full album independantly in 1983 (The Secrets of the I Ching) and it caught the attention of John Peel, DJ at BBC Radio One in the UK. My Mother the War was a bit of a hit on the Indie Charts in the UK. In November 1984 they signed to Elektra Records and a year later they released their 2nd album The Wishing Chair to critical acclaim.  In 1986 co-founder of the band John Lombardo left, he had been the songwriting partner to Natalie Merchant on previous recordings and so now the band had to step up and they collaborated on a number of tracks for In My Tribe, but the writing partnership of Merchant and Robert Buck really began to flourish here with four tracks (What's the Matter Here, Hey Jack Kerouac, Cherry Tree and City of Angels). Jerome Augustyniak co wrote The Painted Desert and My Sister Rose, Keyboardist Dennis Drew co-wrote Don't Talk and apart from the Cat Stevens cover Peace Train the rest was solely written by Natalie Merchant (Like the Weather, Gun Shy, A Campfire Song and Verdi Cries).

On release the album hit the charts peaking at #37 and then stayed on the charts for a total of 77 weeks. In 1989 Peace Train was removed from the album in the US following comments from Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens) that seemed to indicate his support for Fatwa against author Salman Rushdie.

The two singles released from the album (Like the Weather and What's the Matter Here) dented the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100.

In My Tribe Live
What's the Matter Here (Milano 1987)
Hey Jack Kerouac (New Haven 1989)
Like the Weather (The White Room Channel 4) 
Cherry Tree (New Haven 1989)
The Painted Desert (New Haven 1989)
Don't Talk (The White Room Channel 4)
Peace Train (Unknown TV Show)
Gun Shy (New Haven 1989)
My Sister Rose (New Haven 1989)
A Campfire Song (Milano 1987)
City of Angels (New Haven 1989)
Verdi Cries (Natalie Solo on Jonathan Ross Show 199?)
Oh, and just in case you are wondering I'm still in touch with Michelle via the wonder of Facebook.

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Rewind: 1993 Natalie Merchant Announces She is Leaving 10,000 Maniacs to pursue a Solo Career


August 5th 1993 Natalie Merchant told MTV that she was leaving She had been with the band since 1981, firstly as a vocalist alongside Rob Buck's ex-wife Terri Newhouse. Newhouse left the band in July that year and Merchant took over the lead vocals and songwriting duties at the tender age of 17.


Their first release was the March 1982 EP 'Human Conflict Number 5'.
In 1983 they released their debut album, 'Secrets of the I Ching'. The album was very well received among critics and even the legendary John Peel took a shine to the band. 'My Mother the War' (first UK TV performance) had some success on the Indie Chart as a result of airplay and touring in the UK.
The band got a real break in 1984 when they signed to Elektra Records and released 'The Wishing Chair'. The album included the most excellent 'Scorpio Rising'.


But it would be the follow-up, 'In My Tribe' that would gain for them the success they richly deserved.

The album, produced by Peter Asher, would contain many songs that would become fan favourites. My own choices from this album would be 'What's the Matter Here', 'Hey Jack Kerouac', 'Like the Weather', 'Don't Talk', 'City of Angels' and 'Verdi Cries'.


'Blind Man's Zoo' would follow in 1989 and became their most successful album chartwise reaching #13 in the USA and #18 in the UK. The album is loaded with so many great songs that it's hard to spotlight anyone of them. It's still one of my favourite albums of theirs.



The final studio album that Natalie Merchant appeared on with 10,000 Maniacs is the brilliant 'Our Time In Eden'.
'These Are Days', 'Candy Everybody Wants', and 'Few and Far Between' were the single releases. The other standout tracks for me are 'Stockton Gala Days', 'Jezebel', and 'Tolerance'.
One of the strange things about this album is that playing viola and providing backing vocals was Natalie's replacement Mary Ramsey. Merchant had already indicated to fellow band members in 1991 that she would be departing once she had completed recording on the 'Our Time in Eden' album, but it didn't become public knowledge until 1993.

One of the final acts to perform before leaving the band would the the MTV Unplugged show in April 1993 and the album would be released in October 1993 and it's a fine testament to just how good live they were.



Friday, 26 October 2012

Happy Birthday Natalie Merchant


Born on this day in 1963, Natalie Anne Merchant in Jamestown, New York.

Natalie is of course famous for her role in 10,000 Maniacs and has enjoyed a fruitful solo career since leaving the band back in 1993.

CLICK ON THE LINKS TO ENJOY SOME GREAT MUSIC

10,000 Maniacs








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