10,000 Maniacs Albums (9)
'The Earth Pressed Flat'
Release Date 4/20/1999
Tracks 14
Label Bar/None
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What The Critics Say
1999's The Earth Pressed Flat finds 10,000 Maniacs exploring similar musical terrain as their previous album, Love Among the Ruins, on which singer Mary Ramsey debuted. Ramsey sounds less like a stand-in and more like a frontwoman on The Earth Pressed Flat, which was released on the indie label Bar None. Fittingly, the album sounds more folky and down to earth than some of their previous albums. The album was recorded over the course of four years at the group's home studio, on the road, and in traditional studios; it also incorporates recordings of found sounds and rehearsals for a dreamlike, fluid continuity. Ramsey's vocals sound at home in The Earth Pressed Flat's rustic, stripped-down settings, particularly on the Sandy Denny cover "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" The title track and "On and On" also allow her vocals to breathe, with understated accompaniment from her fellow Maniacs on guitars and keyboards; Ramsey's own viola playing completes the picture. The Earth Pressed Flat blends old and new, ethereal and folky sounds into a style that is distinctively, yet differently, 10,000 Maniacs. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Most observers considered 10,000 Maniacs dead in the water following the departure of vocalist Natalie Merchant. Instead of calling it quits, the remaining members hired the jangle-folk duo John & Mary, whose guitarist, John Lombardo, played in one of the original incarnations of the Maniacs. The revamped group's first album, Love Among the Ruins, illustrated that the band could replicate their signature, gently jangly sound without too much effort, but it also illustrated that the group lacked focus without Merchant. Love Among the Ruins is a pleasant listen, but Mary Ramsey's thin voice occasionally grates, the songs are uniformly slight, and the cover of Roxy Music's "More Than This" is an outright embarrassment. Even with those flaws, the album isn't a disaster, and the surviving 10,000 Maniacs have demonstrated that they can continue with dignity, even if their inspiration is somewhat lacking. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When it was recorded, nobody knew that MTV Unplugged would be 10,000 Maniacs' last album with Natalie Merchant. As it stands, it's a quiet, gentle way for her to bow out, offering no new revelations but several solid versions of the group's signature songs (mainly concentrating on Our Time in Eden) and a cover of Patti Smith's "Because the Night." It's nothing new, but for fans it's a graceful way to say goodbye. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
10,000 Maniacs's breakthrough album and creative high point, In My Tribe offers a survey of social concerns, including child abuse ("What's the Matter Here"), illiteracy ("Cherry Tree"), war ("Gun Shy"), and the environment ("Campfire Song") -- all tackled subtly and tastefully without too much preaching or pretension and in believable, real-life situations. Producer Peter Asher, whose credits include James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, provides the perfect sheen -- the group's pleasant folk-pop lends itself nicely to the '70s-styled singer/songwriter production. In the end, the album proves powerful not for the ideas (they've been covered before) but rather for the graceful execution and pure listenability. In My Tribe has served as one of the soundtracks for P.C. living and was required listening on college campuses in the late '80s. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Pushing through the sophomore jinx that gave Blind Man's Zoo its preachy feel, 10,000 Maniacs offer up a baker's dozen of wonderful folk-pop songs with hard-hitting messages, nearly matching the brilliance of their debut. Natalie Merchant is a few years older here, a few tribulations wiser, and a few shakes looser, although that's not to say she doesn't have a point (or 13) to make. Whether with old-school R&B horns ablaze or the simple elegance of a piano and strings, she glorifies, condemns, and cherishes the world she witnesses, not excusing herself or anyone else from the part they play. The rest of the band, Rob Buck, Dennis Drew, Steve Gustafson, and Jerome Augustyniak, gives her the superb musical roots and wings from which to grow and soar. The subject matter of the songs is sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, but always graceful. For instance, "These Are Days" is left open to interpretation, though the upbeat tone is unmistakable, while "I'm Not the Man" is a very pointed and poignant story of a jailed man falsely accused and awaiting his death. Merchant's poetry shimmers and tugs at your heart and head. The prophetically titled Our Time in Eden spawned modest hits with "These Are Days" and "Candy Everybody Wants," but turned out to be the final chapter for this maniacal five-some, as Merchant departed the band shortly after touring in support of the album. A finer swan song has seldom been heard. ~ Kelly McCartney, All Music Guide
'Secrets of the I Ching'
Release Date 1/1/1983
Tracks 10
Label Christian Burial
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What The Critics Say
Natalie Merchant's lyrics have a subtle urgency on such tracks as "Eat for Two" and "Trouble Me," while the band contrives textured folk/rock backing and producer Peter Asher creates a well-articulated rock sound. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Natalie Merchant's elastic vocal cords are the obvious centerpiece of 10,000 Maniacs' lilting folk-pop, what becomes apparent early on in The Wishing Chair is that the band would likely dry up and drift away like a dandelion if it weren't for the inventive, wiry guitar playing of Robert Buck. It's Buck's instrument that acts as a constant (tin) foil for the spicy mustard goodness of Merchant's vocal cords, whether he's laying down the Johnny Marr-style spider riffs of "Grey Victory" and "Scorpio Rising," or inspiring a thousand private college-based cover bands with "Maddox Table"'s chorus pedal dynamics. While The Wishing Chair ends up being a little too long, it is nevertheless a sparkling major-label debut, and even bares its incisors a bit alongside more pastoral fare like "Cotton Alley." The shining "My Mother the War" bounces along on a tensile, new wave-inspired groove that even includes what can only be described as a mirthful whoop from the normally opaque Merchant. The majority of The Wishing Chair underpins the sound that came to define the Maniacs and Merchant's later solo flight. But when its hackles are raised, it's like finding out that the teacher's pet smokes cigarettes behind the school bus. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
