musicinsight's Full Review: Our Time in Eden by 10,000 Maniacs
I've been a fan of 10,000 Maniacs since the release of In My Tribe in 1987. That album's rich blend of top-notch songwriting, varied instrumentation and musical styles and the breathtaking voice of Natalie Merchant made it a favorite with college radio and jump-started their commercial success. Two years later, they released Blind Man's Zoo which was a bit of a disappointment. It looked like the Maniacs' days were numbered.
Then came Our Time In Eden. I didn't rush out to buy it because I figured it just couldn't match the magic of In My Tribe. After I eventually bought it, I realized that it didn't match the quality of the earlier release. It exceeded it, handily.
Our Time In Eden is about... our time in Eden. How we can live in joyous days, and how time steals those days away. It's about remembering carefree childhood days, and growing into a not-so-carefree adulthood. I think this is an album that can tug the heartstrings of anyone who is old enough to occasionally look back over their life, and not just ahead to the future.
The paradise of today is found in These Are Days, which has an utterly addictive melody, with a wealth of tastefully unique ornamentation. I have listened to the music to this song again and again and continually find wonderful new things hidden within. The lyrics and vocal delivery are equally joyous:
"when May is rushing over you with desire
to be part of the miracles you see in every hour
You'll know it's true that you
are blessed and lucky"
The next song is about how time guarantees an end to good days. Eden features another impeccable melody that begins quietly and unobtrusively. The vocals are restrained, but as the song progresses, musical and vocal tension increases until Natalie Merchant delivers the song's pivotal lines:
"All in time...
But the clock is another demon
that devours our time in Eden
In our paradise"
Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think. Stockton Gala Days is the story of a person looking back at carefree days, and savouring the contrast between the carefree summers of their youth with the noose of constraint that adult life offers. The song is for a youthful playmate whose memories are a distant comfort:
"How I've learned to please
To doubt myself in need.
You'll never know ...
How I've learned to hide
How I've locked inside
You'd be surprised if shown
But you'll never, you'll never know"
I could go on and on. This release documents a band at the top of their form as performers, composers and lyricists. It covers a wide range of musical styles from the faux-Motown of Few And Far Between to the pure pop confection of Candy Everybody Wants. If you're a fan of 10,000 Maniacs, or of Natalie Merchant's solo work, you must get this album.
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