10,000 Maniacs

place of origin:

Jamestown, New York. U.S.A.

styles:

highly original folkish, haunting, shimmering sophisticated progressive alternative pop

influences:

Fairport Convention, Bob Marley, R.E.M., Patti Smith, Small Faces, The Byrds, The Beatles, Gang of Four

records:

Human Conflict Number Five (1982)

Secrets of the I Ching (1983)

The Wishing Chair (1985)

In My Tribe (1987)

Blind Man's Zoo (1989)

Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings, 1982-83 (1990)

Our Time in Eden (1992)

MTV Unplugged (1994)

Love Among the Ruins (1997)

The Earth Pressed Flat (1999)

personal quotes:

"None of us saw the movie and we thought the title was 10,000 Maniacs."

-Steven Gustafson
on the film "2,000 Maniacs"

"Our name really helped seperate us from the lot of local bands we were competing with in those days"

-Natalie Merchant

"I think anytime you're up on stage, there's a mystique to it. Especially if you don't say anything about yourself. What Natalie created was with the band, not on her own. I'm a different human being. I bring my own spirit. If somebody's looking for cosmic stuff, maybe they should go get some crystals."

-Mary Ramsey

"A thinking person is going to be more naturally attracted to music composed by people that have intellectual pursuits in their lives. There's more to life than hating your parents."

-John Lombardo

"I listened to the Beatles and used my baby-sitting money to buy their albums," Ramsey said. "But I heard a lot of Bessie Smith, Simon & Grafunkel, the Weavers as well as Debussey and Tchaikovsky."

-Mary Ramsey

"Making an album is great, but there's nothing like those first magical moments when a song is born"

-Dennis Drew

Over the years 10,000 Maniacs have remained one of the strongest and most original presences in the music world. With roots it post-punk D.I.Y., they steadilly evolved from a leading college rock band to a pioneering progressive pop unit, flaunting shimmering, hauting melodies, enchanting arrangements and literate, well-read, often politically-minded lyrics. Often times they tend to outshine their contemporaries, as they are more melodic than Talking Heads, more focused that R.E.M. and more innovative than Tori Amos. Their sound is gleaming, bearing strong influences from both late-70's punk, early 60's rock/pop and late 60's British Celtic folk rock, defined by Robert Buck's highly original, beautifully soaring guitar trademark, Dennis Drew's warm hammond organ, Natalie Merchant's hauting, distinctive vocals (later by Mary Ramsey's elegant, inviting voice and rich viola) and often times John Lombardo's glistening 12-string acoustic. Without question this is one of the most powerful bands of all time.

10,000 Maniacs originated when school-friends Steven Gustafson (bass) and Dennis Drew (keyboards) began operating the Jamestown, New York campus radio station, mixing their ecclectic musical tastes, which covered everything from Gang of Four, to Bob Marley, to The Beatles, much to their fellow students' surprise. They met another passionate music fan, sixteen-year-old Natalie Merchant (vocals) in 1980, who brought her R.E.M. and Roxy Music records to the station in hopes that the two college men would play them. Steven encouraged Natalie to hang out at the local clubs and art studios, where he and Dennis were performing with a band called Still Life. Natalie eventually joined that group, as did archeology student Robert Buck (lead guitar). Eventually the band was spotted by local veteran musician John Lombardo (rhythm guitar), who enjoyed their shows and eventually joined as well. Changing their name to 10,000 Maniacs, Lombardo began writing most all of the material and they performed in and around the Jamestown area with a number of short-lived drummers.

In 1982 the band created their own independant label, Christian Burial (this would become their publishing company for years to come) and entered a small studio in Fredonia where they cut the ep Human Conflict Number Five. The diversity of styles, from reggae to folk to punk, was the result of varied and enormous record collections. With most of the songs penned by Lombardo, and most of the lyrics by Merchant, the band's distinctive sound was already well evident and the song "Planned Obsolescence", with its eccentric guitar effects and pulsating rhythm, became a local college hit. In 1983 the band finally acquired a full-time drummer, the Sloan-native Jerome Augustyniak. They were a fantastic bunch, all diverse, highly creative and extremely ambitious. Their full-length debut, Secrets of the I Ching, was again recorded in Fredonia and became an underground hit in the U.K. on the strength of the single "My Mother the War". Again, the record was a youthful and diverse collection, Lombardo remaining the guiding light and musical leader of the group. Following a number of U.K. gigs the band signed to Elektra Records in 1984.

Entering a London studio with renowed indie producer Joe Boyd (Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson/R.E.M.), 10,000 Maniacs set to work on their major label debut, the stunning The Wishing Chair. The band's sound had now come into focus, embracing a folkish, shimmering feel based around Lombardo's breezy melodies. Buck's vibrant guitar playing had matured, becoming nothing less than astounding, and Merchant's vocals and sophisticated lyrics were more powerful than ever. The record included three cuts from its predecessor, the dreamy "Grey Victory", "Tension (Makes a Tangle)" and "My Mother the War", the only song on the album that wasn't folkish in some way, but rather brash, driven by eerie guitar shards and a punk beat. Receiving unanimous praise from writers abroad, The Wishing Chair was nothing short of a masterpiece, showcasing some of 10,000 Maniacs' finest work. Yet its sales were limited to the band's ever-growing cult following, as it was far beyond the thinking levels of the pop music of those days. Disagreements arose between Lombardo and his bandmates over future directions, and he departed the band following its 1986 tour. He would later form John & Mary with the brilliant singer/violist Mary Ramsey.

Without their guiding light, 10,000 Maniacs' future seemed a bit on the shakey side. Natalie Merchant even considered departing, yet she decided to stick it out. She, and the remaining members (most notably, Buck) took to composing new music for their upcoming record. In Feb. of 1987 they entered the studio with Peter Asher, and two months later the album In My Tribe appeared along with the single "Peace Train" (a Cat Stevens cover). A slightly more pop oriented record (yet still highly original and true to the band's distinctiveness), it featured mostly music by Robert Buck with Merchant tackling less wandering, more political subject matter (child abuse, alcoholism, war). The album would bring the band before a mainstream audience on the strength of the hit singles "What's the Matter Here" and "Like the Weather" and a tour supporting R.E.M.

In November, 1988, 10,000 Maniacs again took to recording with Asher, yet the result was darker, less spright than its predecessors. Blind Man's Zoo flaunted ringing, jazzy guitar style from Buck and bolder, haunting organ playing from Drew. Merchant's lyrics continued growing more solomn, as she wove tales of sorrow over the loss of a son to the Vietnam War ("The Big Parade"), colonization of Africa ("The Lion's Share") and poverty ("Dustbowl"). Fans loved it, yet critics weren't as unanimous in their praise. They were, no doubt, wrong, as this was most likely the best non-Lombardo 10,000 Maniacs album released. It was followed in 1990 by a re-issuing of the band's first two Christian Burial records as Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings, 1982-83 as well as the release of a video compilation, Time Capsule. A tour commenced, with John & Mary as the opening act.

As the tour came to a close in 1991 10,000 Maniacs took a much needed vacation, as they'd spent most of their career, like most leading college rock bands, on the road. During this time the members occupied themselves with side projects; Buck and Augustyniak participated in the recording of John & Mary's debut album, Natalie Merchant appeared on stage alone with a piano at a number of festivals and Dennis Drew worked on solo material.

Rumors of a possible breakup even began to spread, but they were quickly silenced with the release of Our Time in Eden (1992). Produced by Paul Fox, this album displayed the band loosening up from the tight five-piece to a more atmospheric ensemble, incorporating additional musicians including James Brown horn players Charlie Parker and Alfred Ellis on Drew's "Candy Everybody Wants" and Merchant's "Few and Far Between" as well as John Lombardo's musical partner Mary Ramsey, who added her gorgeous violas to "Stockton Gala Days" and "How You've Grown". Augustyniak's drumming became bolder and more powerful, while Buck added mandolin and pedal steel for the first time since In My Tribe. The album was both a comercial and artistic success, with the band appearing on the Halloween episode of 'Saturday Night Live' and commencing a lucrative tour (which was interupted briefly after Augustyniak suffered from an automobile accident). It was a brilliant album, but quite obviously the last time Merchant could remain combatible with Buck, Drew, Gustafson and Augustyniak. The band was continuously heading in a brighter, more subtley-haunting-energetic direction while Merchant was hoping to pursue a more personal, darker sound.

Natalie stuck around for another year, long enough for 10,000 Maniacs' second performance on MTV's 'Unplugged' series in 1993, for which the band enlisted a number of their musician friends including Mary Ramsey on viola and backing vocals. It was a breathtaking performance, particularly the re-workings of In My Tribe material, such as "Hey Jack Kerouac" and "Like the Weather", which received bold, atmospheric arrangements. One new song was included, a cover of Patti Smith's "Because the Night" which remains their highest charting single to this day. The concert became an album, MTV Unplugged which also sold well and pleased the band's avid cult following. A tour followed, and in 1994, Natalie Merchant bowed out of 10,000 Maniacs. She has since moved toward and ever slower, darker, more personal sound, releasing the fabulous record Tigerlily in 1995, with brilliant young guitarist Jennifer Turner, and former Wallflowers rhythm section Barrie McGuirre (bass) and Peter Yanowitz (drums). Since then her output has become somewhat stagnant, as is evident in the bland Ophelia (1998) and Natalie Merchant Live in Concert (1999) and her live performances have become uninspiring, and a far cry from her Maniacal days of genius.

It was not surprising when 10,000 Maniacs were rejoined by John Lombardo in 1994, who brought along with him Mary Ramsey (vocals, viola, violin) to replace Merchant. Signing to Geffen in 1995, the band would embark on a year-long tour before recording a new album with John Keane, Love Among the Ruins. Its atmospheric gleam recalled Our Time in Eden, yet it was an obvious Lombardo-led record, as his shining melodies and folkish arrangements were once again present in 10,000 Maniacs. Lyrically is also displayed Lombardo's wandering, contemplative style, from a tale of fairy children ("Green Children"), to reflections on passing time ("Even With My Eyes Closed"), to a tale of a painter and his long dead love ("Girl on a Train"). Despite Keane's glossy production it was a superb album. Ramsey's voice was no less distinct and haunting than Merchant's, although their styles are completely unique. All in all she was perfect for the band, and her sensuous sorprano and achingly gorgeous viols fit right in with Buck's soaring guitar and Drew's warm keyboards. The reaction was one of vast acceptance, from both the press and the band's ever loyal fanbase, as the beautiful single "More Than This" (a Roxy Music cover) became the band's second highest charting single yet.

1998 would be a strange year for 10,000 Maniacs, as they found themselves dissatisfied with Geffen's rediculously overbearing approach (a new trend for major labels) and eventually, breaking their contract with the company in favour of prestigious independant label Bar/None. But strangest was the departure of Robert Buck, who, seemingly out of the blue, packed up and relocated to Dallas where he formed The League of Blind Women with Mike Scaccia of Ministry and Case Orr of GWAR. Replacing him with an old friend of Lombardo's, Michael Lee Jackson, the band continued playing dates and prepared to realse their next album (on which Buck played).

The Earth Pressed Flat, produced by Armand John Petri (who'd worked on the John & Mary albums), apeared in 1999. This was the record 10,000 Maniacs had intended to make for some time, an ecclectic, folkish collection similar to The Wishing Chair in many ways. It was diverse indeed, with upbeat, energetic folk tunes like "On & On (Mersey Song)" and "Cabaret", the gritsy, politicaly-minded "Once a City" and the pulsating "Somebody's Heaven", the eerie guitars of which were reminiscant of "My Mother the War". Also included were excellent covers of Mimi Farina's "In the Quiet Morning" and Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?". This was arguably 10,000 Maniacs' greatest achievment, the perfect post-punk Celtic folk rock album. It wasn't long after the album's release that Buck disbanded his Dallas project and returned to the band, and they began performing some of their most energetic, creatively charged concerts in all their days. 10,000 Maniacs are clearly a band with nothing but a fantastic flourish of brilliance ahead of them, as opposed to the predictability that has become Natalie Merchant's solo career.

10,000 Maniacs have an excellent web presence. Official 10,000 Maniacs Site, Amaze Me Now and The Smallest Step.

10,000 Maniacs in 1983

The Impryan Emporium