10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged

I'll probably get crucified for it but I think it's the best Unplugged album. Natalie had just announced before the taping she was leaving the band and the band put all their emotion into it. It's been in my regular rotation since its release. I could listen to the Hey Jack Kerouac and Stockton Gala Days all day.

What sucks about the album is it doesn't have the 2 or 3 songs from the taping with David Byrne. They covered Dolly Parton's Jolene and the old Jimmie Dale Gilmore song Have You Ever Seen Dallas From a DC9 At Night, and they nailed both. I want to say they did a 3rd song with Byrne but drawing a blank on what song it was. It's on the VHS/DVD they made for it and they used to be on YouTube but I think they got removed.


Here's the Jolene. So damn good. LINK

She was definitely the first female singer that could give me wood just listening to her voice.

Got to see them twice. First time I had never heard of them and my brother and his girlfriend dragged me. Fell in love with Natalie that night. 2nd time Michael Stipe played a few songs with them.

I've seen Natalie Merchant solo a handful of times since then, and her shows are somewhat hit or miss. I still love her, but she has gotten a bit moody as she's aged. She was in a really bad mood one night and was just going through the motions. Another night she seemed down, and cried during several songs, almost uncontrollable tears during Motherland. It was really odd. She usually has a fair amount of banter with the audience but barely said anything that night except thank you after each song. Last 2 times I saw her though she was in a great mood so maybe she's gotten through her sad times.

I've heard that before, including from someone that toured with her. He got the impression she was just really socially awkward. His band opened a few shows for her, and he said she never said one word to them at any of the stops though he also said that wasn't all that unusual. He did say her road crew were the biggest assholes he'd ever encountered.

Saw them at McAllister Auditorium back in the day, and they killed it. So good. Hated like hell that Natalie split, but it did bring John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey into the fold. Vocalists have been kinda hit and miss, unfortunately. Also sucked to lose guitarist Rob Buck way too soon.

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She has always been a bitch... or so I've been told. I knew people that knew her personally, and they told me she was very difficult to deal with.

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I could totally see that. Love her music though.

I first saw them in 1988, when they opened for Squeeze. I liked the band but I almost got motion sickness from all of that damned spinning that Natalie was doing.

The Unplugged version of Like the Weather was killer, especially the guitar work. The volume is low, turn up the sound

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Glad to see so many fellas in touch with their inner feminine.....

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Can't appreciate good shite because a woman sang it? Terrible.

I remember it. Listening to it makes me feel 21 again. Never knew about the Jolene cover. That was awesome. I remember David Byrne being there and a guy I knew had the "bootleg CD" with him on it.

She was hipster chick hot in her prime (Rolling Stone Cover) comes to mind. But that was before hipster was a word. Women were basically Cure Fan Girls and Hippy Chicks. Merchant represented the ones in between.

Here is what she looks like now:



Tigerlily contains one of my favorite songs of all-time:

Natalie Merchant - Carnival

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Tigerlily contains one of my favorite songs of all-time:

Natalie Merchant - Carnival

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That song is so much fun to play on the guitar.