i may like the unplugged disc best of all actually, for that version of "jezebel"
― xuxa pitts (donna rouge), Friday, 4 September 2009 05:07 (fourteen years ago) link
the kerouac song makes me wretch though. okay i'm done.
stroke music for burgeoning liberals
Um, sanctimonious or not, that's about five. And that's off the top of your head. And that's too many (cuz, yeah, sanctimonious)
― anagram, Friday, 4 September 2009 07:37 (fourteen years ago) link
that's "child beating"
What about the one called "Hateful Hate"?
― post-contrarian meta-challop 2009 (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 September 2009 14:34 (fourteen years ago) link
The idea that "Cherry Tree" (the adult literacy one) is sanctimonius is laughable on its face, unless any song that's, like, ABOUT something, maaaaaaaan, is sanctimonius.
Plus y'all are leaving out the one about an alcoholic spouse, "Don't Talk," which is megaultrafucking classic.
Also, Our Time in Eden is really a great album, and still sounds good today. The two songs with the Memphis horns area aces, "Gold Rush Brides" is one of her best melodies, etc.
― Mario Brosephs (Pancakes Hackman), Friday, 4 September 2009 14:45 (fourteen years ago) link
I hardly think it's unreasonable for a song about human slavery to use a word like "hateful". Next up, "Why it's sanctimonious to condemn the Holocaust." xp
― anagram, Friday, 4 September 2009 14:50 (fourteen years ago) link
pancakes otm
― anagram, Friday, 4 September 2009 14:52 (fourteen years ago) link
"'Boy, it sure would be great if this lady could teach me to read?' Get off your high fucking horse, Merchant."
― Mario Brosephs (Pancakes Hackman), Friday, 4 September 2009 14:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Now that we're on the subject, I appreciate Merchant's novel take on child abuse in "What's The Matter Here?" Her geographic and psychological distance from the situation dovetails with the song's choice of point of view; she doesn't pretend to be an expert, she's just tired of excuses and that boy and his father making noise in the apartment next door.
― post-contrarian meta-challop 2009 (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 September 2009 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Luka Pt. II
― Squash weather (Eazy), Friday, 4 September 2009 15:04 (fourteen years ago) link
so otm
This is the ultimate "I used to listen to them in high school (junior high?) but then got over it" band.
― Mr. Que, Friday, 4 September 2009 15:07 (fourteen years ago) link
I don't know how I missed this poll -- would probably have put in for Hope Chest.
(There's already some long Natalie Merchant thread where I go on and on about what I think is great and valuable in her lyric-writing and general style, so I guess I won't repeat too much...)
― nabisco, Friday, 4 September 2009 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link
You were pretty eloquent about HC once.
― post-contrarian meta-challop 2009 (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 4 September 2009 16:03 (fourteen years ago) link
natalie merchant had a secret huge rack
― velko, Friday, 4 September 2009 16:15 (fourteen years ago) link
uhrrm...okay then.
anyway, thread revive to say that the John and Mary album from '91 fits really nicely between The Wishing Chair and In My Tribe.
― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Friday, 22 May 2020 17:36 (three years ago) link
All these albums are good, but In My Tribe is best overall IMO.
― Inadequate grass (morrisp), Friday, 22 May 2020 17:45 (three years ago) link
Where does Jesus fit in
― making splashes at Dan Flashes (Neanderthal), Monday, 26 July 2021 05:34 (two years ago) link
xp Don’t know why I said that—it’s totally Eden!
― ghost runner on first (morrisp), Monday, 26 July 2021 05:43 (two years ago) link
(I think I’ve gone on about it in another thread, but Eden sounds astonishingly good to me now… I realize that I actually under-appreciated it back in the day, and I liked it plenty then! Their early stuff still sounds great too. If anything, it’s Tribe and Zoo that maybe haven’t aged so well.)
― ghost runner on first (morrisp), Monday, 26 July 2021 05:51 (two years ago) link
from a natalie merchant thread-
Listening to Hope Chest I keep thinking that if Rob Buck were in some sort of critically-credible band he'd be considered one of the great guitar players of the 80s.― nabiscothingy, Sunday, August 7, 2005 1:06 PM
― nabiscothingy, Sunday, August 7, 2005 1:06 PM
i don't need the extra snark, but this post from the other day is on to something.
― "another slice of death, please." (Austin), Sunday, 26 November 2023 07:03 (four months ago) link
anagram has some quality posts ITT. Anyway, it’s all about Wishing Chair and Eden for me (how many other bands’ first* and final** albums are also their best?)* not counting Secrets of the I Ching** in their “classic lineup”
― This field is required (morrisp), Sunday, 26 November 2023 07:12 (four months ago) link
Btw, I recently learned that the surviving Maniacs have essentially merged with Sixpence None the Richer(!):https://www.post-journal.com/news/top-stories/2023/09/10000-maniacs-add-new-singer-guitarist-to-perform-at-jcc/
― This field is required (morrisp), Sunday, 26 November 2023 07:13 (four months ago) link