Monday, August 5, 2019

The 1985 Listening Post - 10,000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair

10,000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair


#352/988
September 23 1985
10,000 Maniacs
The Wishing Chair
Genre: Alternative/Folk
3 out of 5


Highlights:
Scorpio Rising
Back O’ the Moon


Did you know Robert Buck died? 19 years ago. I didn’t. 
I always thought it was strange that there were two guys surnamed “Buck” who were in seminal Jangle Rock bands of the 80s. And, yet, it seems that they were not related. How is that possible?

I was sitting in the back of a pickup truck with an actress and her husband. She was a relative of a famous director but, more importantly, she was involved with the Tiffany Theater, where I was working. She helped me get a stage managing gig around the time and her husband was a musician. He played Keytar in a local band. 
They were an awesome and earthy couple.

They played 10,000 Maniacs for me for the first time in 1988. “Her voice is like a musical instrument”. Well, of course, right? But I got what she meant. Natalie Merchant’s voice was something special. I wouldn’t call it “beautiful” but it’s lovely, know what I mean? 

No?

Ok. I never heard this record. It’s kind of lovely and points out, once again, that the SynthPop 80s of Thompson Twins were over and we were heading into a more Americana (folk inspired) musical landscape. But it meanders so much and is so unfocused that it’s hard to believe they will amount to much after it. 



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