Doing a 180: 10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe / Our Time in Eden
Rhino has made it a point to reissue classic albums on 180-gram vinyl on a regular basis. These are the latest to get that treatment. You're welcome.
In the late ‘80s, college rock darlings didn’t get any more darling than 10,000 Maniacs, who – thanks in no small part to the swirling skirts and soulful vocals of lead singer Natalie Merchant – were all over the CMJ charts and eventually worked their way into the mainstream. We’ve reissued two of the band’s key albums from the Merchant era of the band (that’s a casual way of reminding you that they’re still going strong, just with Mary Ramsey in Natalie’s spot), and although you’ll probably remember them simply from their titles, we’ll throw you a bone and offer a few facts about each of them, just in case.
In My Tribe: Otherwise known as the big breakthrough for 10,000 Maniacs, with the band building on the cult success of their previous album, The Wishing Chair, and scoring two hits on the Hot 100: “Like the Weather” and “What’s the Matter Here?” Meanwhile, the latter track took them into the top 10 of Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, and the album itself cracked the top 40 of the magazine’s Top 200 Albums chart. Mind you, there was a little bit of controversy in 1989 when the decision was made to remove the band’s cover of Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train,” a reaction to his seemingly-supportive remarks about a fatwa that had been issued on Salma Rushdie. Alas, that disappearing act continues on this reissue, but the 11 tracks that are here are just as top-notch now as they ever were.
“Like the Weather” – Listen here
Our Time in Eden: Although it didn’t chart as high as Blind Man’s Zoo, the album which preceded it, Our Time in Eden – otherwise known as Merchant’s final studio album with the band – ultimately sold about as well as In My Tribe, which is to say that it went double platinum by the time all was said and done. It also provided 10,000 Maniacs with the biggest alt-rock hit of their career with “These Are Days,” which topped Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1992, and it must be said that “the follow up single, “Candy Everybody Wants,” didn’t do half bad either, making it to #5 on that particular chart.
“These Are Days” – Listen here
