Well, it's time to start - let's say hi to Natalie and 10,000 Maniacs

The journey continues...

MTV Unplugged (1993)

This is an odd one because it's a completely unnecessary cash-in, but it's a completely unnecessary cash-in with the knowledge of everyone involved so that's fine, right? Weirdly, I think it might well be, because I was certainly happy with it.

1. These Are Days
A perfectly fine version, but not really adding anything to the album version.

2. Eat For Two
Whereas this is slowed down, has added cello and I think I prefer Natalie's slightly more trained/restrained voice on this version than on the original version.

3. Candy Everybody Wants
Nothing wrong with this version, but it's hardly essential.

4. I'm Not The Man
This is such a depressing song - I guess it acts as a change of pace, but I'd have been fine without it.

5. Don't Talk
This is a much better change of pace, slowed down compared with the initial version - I liked it.

6. Hey Jack Kerouac
Not massively different from the original version, but I think her voice suits it more now.

7. What's the Matter Here?
This is another slowed down version, which is interesting because it changes the tone from anger/indignation to contemplation. Seriously, what is the matter here?

8. Gold Rush Brides
This isn't a massive different version, but has a nice spoken word introduction making it nicely intimate.

9. Like the Weather
It's always nice to hear this and it's a decent version, with Natalie's voice suiting it better now.

10. Trouble Me
Another slightly slowed down version which works well. 

11. Jezebel
We're not far from the original version here, but it's done well. 

12. Because the Night
The only cover on the original album, they do a good job with this Patti Smith/Bruce Springsteen track - interestingly, this was released as a single and did better in the US than Patti Smith's version (and it's also charted for CO.RO and Cascada as well).

13. Stockton Gala Days
This is another Our Time In Eden track which they've not messed about with it much.

14. Noah's Dove
Whereas this is an OTIE track that they have changed, slowing it down and stripping it back to mostly piano backing and it works really well - I'm not sure I've heard it that often because I just don't make it to the end of the album, so I'm glad I stuck with it this time.

That's it for the original version of the album but Wikipedia tells me that the CD was reissued with some bonus tracks, which I'd generally ignore but these are all covers and duets with David Byrne so I felt had to check them out (and had to go to YouTube to do so - David & Natalie just look so young!)

15. Let The Mystery Be
I really like this track - both musically and in meaning, with it basically saying that everyone's busy trying to understand everything but the singer's happy to "just let the mystery be". This is originally an Iris Dement track, who wasn't a name I was aware of, so I checked her version - unfortunately, I don't like her voice at all. 

16. Jolene
I like this one too - I obviously like Dolly's version, but I do find she ramps up the vibrato a bit too much for my liking and Natalie doesn't go for such nonsense.

17. Dallas
They go full country on this - it's something different I guess. This is originally a Jimmie Dale Gilmore, so I thought I'd check that out as well - and he goes uber-country on his version!

This is a perfectly decent album, but also a perfectly unnecessary one - some of the older tracks arguably sound a bit better because Natalie's voice is better, but the newer ones have hardly been touched. The only original track that might stand a chance of making the playlist would be "Noah's Dove", but the original version made it there and we don't need two versions. I am going to include "Because The Night" and "Let The Mystery Be" but more because they're interesting curios than essential tracks.

Wikipedia doesn't have loads on the album - the biggest section is on tracks they played for the MTV session but didn't include on the album, including the three bonus tracks. Critically, the reviews were mixed but it did well commercially in the US, getting to #13 and spending 45 weeks in the charts - it only got to #40 over here though.

And with that, we come to the end of our time with 10,000 Maniacs - the band continued with Mary Ramsey on vocals and are still going, having released four more albums over the years. And I've checked one or two of them out and there's plenty of skill on display, but they don't hook me in the way that their early albums did. Natalie has stated that she owes the band so much and looks back on that time with a great deal of fondness, but she's moved on now and after the death of Rob Buck in 2000, she couldn't contemplate going back there.

I like this album and it's probably not a bad place to start if you want an overview of Natalie's time in the band, but it's been more fun to walk through the albums - they certainly developed more polish as time progressed but there are still some absolute gems to be found amongst the early days. And with that, we move on to her solo stuff... 

Our Time In Eden - Natalie's last studio album with the band