Tag Archives: Our Time in Eden

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Song of the Day #5,042: ‘How You’ve Grown’ – 10,000 Maniacs

‘How You’ve Grown’ is a standout track from 10,000 Maniacs’ gorgeous 1992 album Our Time in Eden. Between the ongoing 1994 “Decades” posts and this weekend’s random selections, the early 90s is really getting a workout lately.

This is a song about the fleeting nature of childhood, the way we see our children morph into adults before our eyes. Merchant was a decade away from motherhood herself when she wrote it, and the line “I’ll never be more to you than a stranger” suggests it was written about the child of a friend or relative.

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Song of the Day #2,611: ‘Eden’ – 10,000 Maniacs

our_time_in_edenOur Time in Eden was the last 10,000 Maniacs album to feature Natalie Merchant on lead vocals, and therefore the last 10,000 Maniacs album worth hearing.

I am familiar with only two of the five albums that do feature Merchant — this one and their 1987 breakthrough In My Tribe — but I love both of those records whole-heartedly.

I was actually surprised to discover that Our Time in Eden came out in 1992, because I don’t really associate it with that summer. I believe that’s because I listened to it briefly and dismissed it as an inferior follow-up to Tribe. Only later did I pull it back out and come to truly appreciate it.

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Song of the Day #2,502: ‘Candy Everybody Wants’ – 10,000 Maniacs

our_time_in_edenIt’s been far too long since I’ve revisited 10,000 Maniacs’ 1992 album Our Time in Eden.

Of course, I can say that about hundreds of albums in my music collection. Which is one of the reasons I like these Random iTunes Weekends so much — at their best, they reintroduce me to something I haven’t listened to in years, rekindle memories and allow for a new appreciation of something long forgotten.

Other times I end up with Raffi in Concert.

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Song of the Day #642: ‘These Are Days’ – 10,000 Maniacs

As this turned into an unofficial theme week about expectations, second impressions and the like, I figured I’d close with an example of a second impression album. That’s a case where you’re already a fan of an artist but you don’t immediately warm to a new release at first, only to return to it down the road and discover that it’s actually quite good.

This is closely related to the situation where you like one album by an artist so much that you can’t bring yourself to make time for a new one. My wife does this all the time. Over the years, when presented with a new album by Josh Rouse, Fiona Apple, John Mayer, Tim McGraw or some other favorite, she might give it a cursory listen but her basic response is “I already have the [artist name here] album I like, why do I need a new one?”

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Song of the Day #124: ‘Noah’s Dove’ – 10,000 Maniacs

10000maniacs10,000 Maniacs is one of those bands that really defines the sound of my teen years. R.E.M. is another, and I’ve always connected the two because of the distinctive voices of lead singers Natalie Merchant and Michael Stipe.

In My Tribe is a stellar album that throws me right back into a very specific time and place… in this case, 1988 in Fairfax County, Virginia, when my sister was introduced to this band by a co-worker and played it that whole summer.

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