biography

Sounding anything but maniacal, 10,000 Maniacs emerged from tiny Jamestown, NY, with an approach that was complex and distinctive -- and, at first, not entirely focused. Human Conflict Number Five, the sextet's debut EP, offers an awkward mix of folk-tinged new wave ("Orange") and odd, reggae-flavored rock ("Planned Obsolescence") that emphasizes guitarist Robert Buck at the expense of singer Natalie Merchant. Fortunately, things improve considerably with Secrets of the I Ching, as the Maniacs rein in their excesses while honing their material. (Both Human Conflict Number Five and Secrets of the I Ching are combined on Hope Chest).

With The Wishing Chair, the group makes its move to the majors. Although the album repeats three songs from Secrets of the I Ching, the band's sound exudes a confident eclecticism that at its best recalls the Band. Still, that wasn't enough to give the group the mass audience it deserved, and so the Maniacs moved from folkie auteur Joe Boyd, who produced The Wishing Chair, to James Taylor/Linda Ronstadt producer Peter Asher, who handled In My Tribe. Although decried at the time as an obvious move for mass acceptance, the album's success didn't quite come as expected, as an ill-advised cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" flopped, while idiosyncratic originals such as "What's the Matter Here" and "Like the Weather" found an audience. And no wonder, as the band's arrangements were leaner (as was its lineup, after the departure of guitarist John Lombardo) and its sound more melody-intense. But best of all was the writing, which made the most of Merchant's luscious melodies and subtle narrative cadences.

Blind Man's Zoo isn't quite as cheerful, but despite its issue-oriented focus, Merchant and her band-mates never turn the songs into a social-commentary bully pulpit. Our Time in Eden broadened the band's sound with horns and the like, but kept enough of the original flavor to ensure the success of "These Are Days." Much the same held true for the strin