who here was a 10,000 maniacs fan in high school?

[Tellafriend]

dating myself here, but stumbled upon this and was brought back in time.

[desertrunner]

Not me.

[hutmaster]

Always liked this song better

[Texter]

My buddy had a huge crush on Natalie Merchant for some reason.

He ended up fucking a girl that sorta looked like her and she dumped him so he smashed the tape…haha.

[BCR]

I really liked her. Saw them multiple times back then. Thought she was a truly excellent songwriter in addition to having a world class voice.

Kind of a weird band in that she was clearly the star who wrote everything, was attractive, and had that voice. Her band looked like some dudes from the bowling alley, yet they must have contributed something, even if it was just reining her in a bit. I found each of her successive solo albums worse than the last.

I mean she was always a liberal girl, but she’s been living up in tine country in the Hudson valley for decades now, and I just caught her in Cleveland on 5/13(had to check phone videos for date), and while her voice was still perfect and I enjoyed it, it like if felt like I was out of place at some feminist gathering.

Sang like 2 songs from her early solo career that I was familiar with, and then song after song about women’s issues. Very weird in that she was as talented vocally as ever, but I only found it enjoyable in a nostalgic sense. She used to write really good songs. Now she writes songs about feminist fairies. I kid you not. She was explaining her process in writing the song and I was like wtf is this?

My girlfriend is young enough where she missed that whole era of 10000 maniacs, doubt she would have liked it anyway being a country girl and it catered to a particular brand of college student of that era. She came away saying wow she can really sing, but kind of shocked I liked her so much at one time. I guess you had to be there .

This era of Natalie was something. I remember seeing her and Stipe do this Prine song and feeling bad for him trying to sing with her with that voice. I recall having a conversation about her I think with bottomset like 15 years ago iirc. I think he liked 10000 maniacs also, or I’m confusing who it was.

[The Boz]

2000 Maniacs was better.

[Tellafriend]

I really liked her. Saw them multiple times back then. Thought she was a truly excellent songwriter in addition to having a world class voice.

Kind of a weird band in that she was clearly the star who wrote everything, was attractive, and had that voice. Her band looked like some dudes from the bowling alley, yet they must have contributed something, even if it was just reining her in a bit. I found each of her successive solo albums worse than the last.

I mean she was always a liberal girl, but she’s been living up in tine country in the Hudson valley for decades now, and I just caught her in Cleveland on 5/13(had to check phone videos for date), and while her voice was still perfect and I enjoyed it, it like if felt like I was out of place at some feminist gathering.

Sang like 2 songs from her early solo career that I was familiar with, and then song after song about women’s issues. Very weird in that she was as talented vocally as ever, but I only found it enjoyable in a nostalgic sense. She used to write really good songs. Now she writes songs about feminist fairies. I kid you not. She was explaining her process in writing the song and I was like wtf is this?

My girlfriend is young enough where she missed that whole era of 10000 maniacs, doubt she would have liked it anyway being a country girl and it catered to a particular brand of college student of that era. She came away saying wow she can really sing, but kind of shocked I liked her so much at one time. I guess you had to be there .

This era of Natalie was something. I remember seeing her and Stipe do this Prine song and feeling bad for him trying to sing with her with that voice. I recall having a conversation about her I think with bottomset like 15 years ago iirc. I think he liked 10000 maniacs also, or I’m confusing who it was.

cool. you are spot on here with your evaluation. well said. my younger wife doesn't understand either. her voice is truly remarkable and that is enough. the last album i paid for was tigerlilly if that tells you anything. i am enjoying finding these old concerts on yt, they really bring me back to that time in my life. i used to fall asleep to our time in eden for years. god what a voice...

[Sidewinder]

I really liked her. Saw them multiple times back then. Thought she was a truly excellent songwriter in addition to having a world class voice.

Kind of a weird band in that she was clearly the star who wrote everything, was attractive, and had that voice. Her band looked like some dudes from the bowling alley, yet they must have contributed something, even if it was just reining her in a bit. I found each of her successive solo albums worse than the last.

I mean she was always a liberal girl, but she’s been living up in tine country in the Hudson valley for decades now, and I just caught her in Cleveland on 5/13(had to check phone videos for date), and while her voice was still perfect and I enjoyed it, it like if felt like I was out of place at some feminist gathering.

Sang like 2 songs from her early solo career that I was familiar with, and then song after song about women’s issues. Very weird in that she was as talented vocally as ever, but I only found it enjoyable in a nostalgic sense. She used to write really good songs. Now she writes songs about feminist fairies. I kid you not. She was explaining her process in writing the song and I was like wtf is this?

My girlfriend is young enough where she missed that whole era of 10000 maniacs, doubt she would have liked it anyway being a country girl and it catered to a particular brand of college student of that era. She came away saying wow she can really sing, but kind of shocked I liked her so much at one time. I guess you had to be there .

This era of Natalie was something. I remember seeing her and Stipe do this Prine song and feeling bad for him trying to sing with her with that voice. I recall having a conversation about her I think with bottomset like 15 years ago iirc. I think he liked 10000 maniacs also, or I’m confusing who it was.

Word around Atlanta in the 80's was they were an item (before Stipe realized he was gay).

Natalie Merchant, REM are god-tier 80s music that wasn't hair metal.

She is a unique talent, but so institutionalized by her television we will never get any more good songs from her.

Check out Beloved Wife, San Andreas Fault and that song amount about River Phoenix to see how elevated she was as a singer song writer.