Led by vocalist Natalie Merchant, 10,000 Maniacs combined danceable rhythms, jangly guitars, catchy melodies, and liberal politics to create a super-accessible version of 1980s college rock. The band broke into the mainstream with a cover of Cat Stevens's classic "Peace Train," and followed up with a string of successful, well-crafted albums. In 1993 the act scored a massive pop hit with a live cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Because the Night," off their MTV UNPLUGGED album. After Merchant left the band for a successful solo career, 10,000 Maniacs soldiered on with former member Mary Ramsey at the helm, never quite achieving the same level of success, but scoring a top 40 hit in 1997 with another cover (Roxy Music's "More Than This").
Three great studio albums from some of music''s biggest-ever stars, all packaged together in a beautiful slipcase for the price of one album!. Rocket.2006
Product Notes
In My Tribe was 10,000 Maniacs'' second (and best) album and the record that made the band collegiate favorites and singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant a star. Producer Peter Asher''s rich balance of acoustic and electric instruments gave muscle to the group''s folk-rock. "Hey Jack Kerouac" found Merchant musing on the literary beats of the 1950s, but the song''s musical hook was the rich bed of rhythm guitars laid atop the solid drums. "Don''t Talk" offered a similarly propulsive rock sound, with lyrics that advised troubled lovers to keep it to themselves. R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe offered hipster credibility by guesting on "A Campfire Song," while a cover of Cat Stevens''s "Peace Train" offered listeners a familiar port of entry. However, when Muslim convert Stevens announced his support of Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini''s call for the execution of Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie, the band rereleased the album without "Peace Train." --John Milward
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