Welcome to 10.000 Maniacs discography . If you're looking for some information about the band's albums, right below you will have a brief description of each album and a link to the lyrics. 10,000 Maniacs music , although is simply labeled as folk rock, is very rich in styles and influences and can be classified in periods, at first with everybody's collaboration, then with John Lombardo taking the musical direction, later on with Rob Buck and Natalie in the command (after John's leaving in 1986) , Natalie almost assuming the musical direction of the band , and after Natalie Merchant's departure in 1993 , the association between the band and John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey's folk duo John&Mary , .

Although this is a 10,000 Maniacs discography , we also added directly related albums , like John&Mary 's and Natalie Merchant's solo albums.

Except the first two records , remastered and joined later on the cd "Hope Chest" , and "John&Mary and their band Live" ( released only in cassette ), all the others can be found on cd.

'Human Conflict Number Five '. The first record of the band , an EP , was recorded from February to March in 1982 at Fredonia State College studios. Five songs were recorded, four of them with lyrics adapted from Natalie Merchant's poems , "Tension" ( Natalie lyric/ John Lombardo music )and "Planned Obsolescence" ( Natalie lyric/ Dennis Drew music ) in side 1 and "Orange" ( Natalie lyric/ John Lombardo music ), "Groove Dub" ( Natalie lyric/ John Lombardo music ) and "Anthem for Doomed Youth" ( John Lombardo music and adaptation of a Wilfred Owen's poem ) in side 2. Jim Foti was the studio drummer. The album was released in vinyl in june 1982 by the independent label Mark Records, with an initial circulation of 1000 copies. The band used to sell it at their concerts in bars and clubs .
Later in 1984 , in the UK version , sleeve folds open to display photographs of "One Week's Dead in Vietnam, May 28 to June 3 1969".
Best tracks being "Planned Obsolescence", "Orange" and "Tension", an amazing song which stands out for the melody and lyric , that in the beginning seems to be a simple collage of words and soon reveals to be a beautiful tapestry of poetry and musical sensibility .
It is the first effort of the band in recording their own material (since in their concerts they were mostly doing covers of songs they liked ) and in it there already is the spark that differentiates the bands made for shining from the other ones .

Lyrics

'Secrets Of The I Ching'.The second record has ten songs, all of them recorded at the studios of Fredonia State College between March and July of 1983. It was still released in vinyl in 1983 by the independent label Mark Records, but now with 2000 initial copies. The band is now harmonious and improved by the tours. Natalie begins to write better and better and John Lombardo, Rob Buck , Dennis Drew and Steve Gustafson along with the definitive drummer Jerome "Jerry" Augustyniak finish the setting of the band's characteristic sound, more eclectic than ever: a mixture of folk, pop, some reggae, rock, cabaret, calypso with a bit of the sound of the beginning of the 80's, the new wave. Highlights are Grey Victory, My Mother the War, Pit Viper, Poor De Chirico and Katrina's Fair.The name of the album came from the spine of a book in Robert Buck's bookshelf.

Lyrics

'The Wishing Chair' , is the third album and the first one for Elektra. It was recorded in London-UK in the beginning of 85 , in only a month.John Lombardo coordinates the musical direction of the band and along with Natalie Merchant, amazing in the lyrics, writes most of the songs. Joe Boyd , famous for his works with Fairport Convention was the producer . John Lombardo leaves the band after the tour to promote the album . TWC is considered the best album of the first period and one of the best of the band . It stands out with the perfect balance between folk and rock music . "Can't Ignore the Train", "Scorpio Rising", "Just as the Tide was a Flowing", "Lilydale", "Back O'the Moon", "Among The Americans" , Maddox Table" and "Everyone a Puzzle Lover" among other good songs. Extraordinary.

Some singles were released with songs from the album , but one of them "Can't Ignore The Train" , had "Grey Victory" , Secret of The I Ching's "Daktari" and an unreleased song called "Colonial Wing" . Both songs were added as a bonus in the cd version .

Lyrics

'In My Tribe', 1987's fourth record, and the one that made them famous. A great album with 12 perfect songs, most of them forever hits , has Natalie Merchant unmatched in the lyrics along with band friends unmatched on writing the music on most of them . Robert Buck on What's The Matter Here", "Hey Jack Kerouac" , "Cherry Tree" and "City of Angels" , Jerome Augustyniak on "The Painted Desert" and "My sister Rose" and Dennis Drew on "Don't Talk". Natalie also wrote the music of three of them , Like The Weather, Gun Shy and Verdi Cries , this one closes the album in a extraordinary way . There was also the cover of a Cat Stevens´s song "Peace Train" . More , Peter Asher's impeccable production, the perfect arrangements of the songs and the unmistakeable voice of Natalie would become then a distinctive characteristic. The album became a complete success: acclaimed by the critics (Rolling Stone magazine placed it among the 100 records of the decade) and public, going platinum later on. All songs are remarkable, being the most known: What's the Matter Here?, Hey Jack Kerouac, Like The Weather, Don't Talk , Cherry Tree , A Campfire Song (sung in duo with REM's Michael Stipe), Peace Train ( later in 89 , left out from the CD editions only in the USA ) and Verdi Cries. A classic.
Some singles were released along with the album , "Peace Train" , "Like The Weather" , "What's The Matter Here" , some of them with live versions of another songs of the album as b-sides and one of the "Don't Talk" singles , with an unreleased song , a cover of Paul McCartney's song done for singer Mary Hopkins , "Goodbye".

- About "Peace Train" : Later on 02/89, when Cat Stevens ( a popstar that left everything to become a muslim , his name now is Yusuf Islam ) , according to the newspapers , supported Ayatollah Khomeini on a religious verdict (fatwa) against writer Salman Rushdie , 10,000 Maniacs, who got more social awareness than ever asked Elektra to withdraw the track from the copies of "In My Tribe". Elektra withdrawed the track from the cd copies manufactered only in the USA . The track remained when the album was manufactered in other countries like England or Germany till these days. And a very important thing , all " In My Tribe" vinyl albums released have " Peace Train", so the vinyl album (till now) it´s not such a raritie.

Lyrics

'Blindman's Zoo'. Released in 1988, it is musically blend of dark and light . It has a tireless Natalie Merchant more concerned about social and political matters than as usual , writing all the lyrics and the music for "Eat For Two" , "Headstrong" , "Hatefull Hate", "Jubilee" and part of "The Lion's Share" with Dennis Drew . Rob Buck wrote the music for "Please Forgive Us" , "You Happy Puppet" and "Dust Bowl" , Dennis Drew wrote the music for "Poison In The Well" , "Trouble Me" and Jerry Augustyniak wrote the music for "The Big Parade" . It has good songs and lyrics, perfect Peter Asher's production and it went platinum (more than two million copies) for the sales. The best known songs are "Eat For Two", "Please Forgive Us", "Trouble Me", "You Happy Puppet ", "Poison In The Well" and "Dust Bowl".

A great album with a lot of precious singles , "Happy Puppet" with unreleased covers of A. P. Carter 's "Wildwood Flower" and John Prine's "Hello In There" plus a acoustic version of "Gun Shy". The "Eat For Two" single with unreleased covers of "Don't Call Us" and "From the Time You Say Goodbye" . The "Trouble Me " single with the cover of "Party Of God" with Billy Bragg not to mention some great live versions added to anothers.

Lyrics

'Hope Chest -The Fredonia Years 1982-1983 ' . Once solved the problems of copyrights about the Fredonia old vinyl records, Human Conflict Number Five and Secrets of the I Ching , Elektra bought the copyrights and the band rearranged and remastered the songs on May 1990 ( John Lombardo was called to give a hand ) and released them in one welcome cd in the same year . The old songs keep being great , the blend of lots of reggae , folk , rock and something that can be called pure Maniacs style stands out in "Planned Obsolescence" , "Katrina's Fair"( don't worry if you don't understand what Natalie is singing cause the song is great for this too) "Tension" (a slower , more sad ,different version ,became definitive ), "Orange , My Mother The War", "The Latin One" , "Poor de Chirico" , "Grey Victory" , "National Education Week" , "Pit Viper" , "Daktari" , oh well , through the whole album . A great combo , play it loud and do your own spinning dance ....

Also in 1990 there was the "Poison in the Well promo single ,which was released on April 22, 1990 in celebration of EARTH DAY , On the front cover are the complete lyrics to POISON IN THE WELL, and on the back is a state-by-state listing of telephone numbers that can be used to obtain information about all Earth Day Events.

Lyrics

Victory Gardens was recorded in June-July/1990 and released in 1991. It has John Lombardo (rhythm guitar ) and Mary Ramsey (vocals, viola, piano and violin) writing the lyrics and music of the songs. In some tracks they're joined by well known guests like Small Faces' Ronnie Lane, Badfinger's Joey Molland and 10,000 Maniacs' Jerry Augustyniak on drums and Rob Buck on guitar. The folk atmosphere of their music stands out, as well as Mary's voice , the viola accompaniment and good songs, some of them,   Red Wooden Beads,  The Azalea festival,  We Have nothing, The Open Window   are really great. "Red Wooden Beads" was released as a single and also had a video clip broadcasted on television . An extraordinary album .
The name of the album came from what happened in England during the World War II ,where the lack of food did not depress the english people.In many cities they replaced the flower gardens in the backyards and squares by vegetables , later called "Victory Gardens".