Search - 10,000 Maniacs :: Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure & Unknown Recordings

Judith B. (butchpoodle) from EL SOBRANTE, CA
Reviewed on 2/10/2007...

This CD has it all ...

Sing Around The Campfire

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 02/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, to be young and alternative again. I used to love 10,000 Maniacs, having seen them 5 or 6 times in concert and having met Natalie Merchant at a couple of shows. (My heart about stopped when she came up to me and remembered my name...) While I still have a serious soft spot for their music, this was a group that made great albums that held together as wholes. So a "Best Of" is probably more for the uninitiated than a long time fan. It sure is nice to have a disc loaded with the best known songs all culled to one CD, with the however obvious title "The Most Popular Recordings." I'm most heartened that "Verdi Cries" is included on disc one, because it was long a fan favorite at 10,000 Maniacs' shows. Natalie would usually perform this as an encore on solo piano. The first time I saw her play this one as the show closer, I was absolutely mesmerized by its grace. I've never tired of hearing it since. And since "Wishing Chair" and "Hope Chest" are pretty much devout fan recordings only, having selections on both of "Campfire Songs" double discs is a bonus.So if you're a die hard, then having disc two is what you're really buying this for. I'm glad to have the covers of Bowie and Morrissy, since they are of spiritual kin to 10,000 Maniacs' sound and general demeanor, but "Wildwood Flower" and "Hello There" really aren't a match. Having R.E.M. pal Michael Stipe chime in on "To Sir With Love" works as novelty, but he and Natalie would have been better represented by their duets on "Candy Everybody Wants" or "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville." I'm also glad "Peace Train" made the cut, even if my CD of "In My Tribe" was picked up early on enough to not have lost it after the Cat Stevens brouhaha.If you're not a die hard? Natalie Merchant was a vocalist that found a certain strength in herself that other mid-eighties women didn't. Much like today, where radio is blanded down by Teen (American) Idols and cookie cutter girl-toys, the radio then was ruled by Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and hundreds of Madonna wannabes. The late Robert Buck also had a truly unique guitar style. He was otherworldly and folkish both at once, and by the time he really found his voice ("In My Tribe"), so had Natalie. They were political in a vague but obvious way ("What's The Matter Here?," "Poison In The Well") while also introspective and personal ("Verdi Cries" and "These Are Days"). Not many bands forge this kind of soundscape that makes others leap to catch up; 10,000 Maniacs are one of the few.I'll give this 4 stars for the same reason I would give the new R.E.M. "Best Of" set an equivalent rating. There are plenty of good songs here, and there are an even greater amount of classic material to be found on the individual albums. "Campfire Songs" is worth having if time has whittled down your CD collection, otherwise, you likely own most of it already."

Good Job Collecting the Essentials and More

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 02/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At last here is the long promised "best of" 10,000 Maniacs collection. Apparently all (surviving) band members were involved in one way or another in the process of putting this compilation.CD1 (17 tracks, 65 min.) collects "the Most Popular Songs" (meaning: the greatest hits, yea!). Thankfully, the songs are compiled chronologically, which, among others, show the amazing musical leap the band took from the early stuff to the first full-fledged album "In My Tribe". It remains the band's best album after all these years, and is rightfully represented by 5 tracks, including the delicious "About the Weather" (Natalie's best moment ever?). "Blind Man's Zoo" gets 4 tracks, including the seminole "Trouble Me". "Our Time in Eden" (the band's biggest commercial succes) gets 3 tracks, including of course "Candy Everybody Wants". "Because the Night" (from the "MTV Unplugged" album) concludes CD1.CD2 (14 tracks, 49 min.) covers "The Obscure & Unknown Recordings" and is more of a mixed bag. There are some real nuggets here, including the cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" and David Bowie's "Starman" (Natalie continued covering Bowie tracks in her solo career). Lacking unfortunately in the liner notes are details about the dates of these "obscure" recordings.Overall, this is a very satisfaying compilation, much better than, say, the recent REM "best of" compilation. In case you haven't kept up with Natalie's most recent work, check out last year's independently released "The House Carpenter's Daughter", truly a mesmorising album."