Customer Reviews

Our Time in Eden

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Our Time in Eden" was such an apt name for this 10,000 Maniacs album, their last with lead singer Natalie Merchant. They parted ways in the summer of 1993, a few short months after I graduated college. This band helped me get through college, and really defined my musical choices during those years. So it was only fitting that my college days ended at the same time my favorite band broke up. Our Time in Eden is limited, and all good things must end. The end of an era in my life and in the history of college-radio music.

At least they went out strong. This album is a tremendous final work, in many ways surpassing their classic album "In My Tribe" in terms of musical & lyrical maturity and complexity. Not as light or folksy or pop-influenced as their earlier albums, this album really showcased Robert Buck's guitars and Natalie Merchant's vocals were powerful enough to (unfortunately) warrant a solo career.

The album isn't really dominated by one song (with the exception of 'These Are Days') but rather gets its strength from the overall style of the album and the equally strong pull of each song on the album.

I'll always remember the last time I saw the band, with Natalie perched on the edge of the stage, passionately singing the closing lines of "Gold Rush Brides." That memory and this album will always be some of my strongest from my last year of college. One of the best records of the early 90's alternative rock movement.

If Eden is to be symbolic of beauty and peace, then this CD is aptly titled. Next to "In My Tribe," this is 10,000 Maniacs at their very best. Maturity in lyrics and music are clearly evident here. From the beauty and ache of the piano driven "Noah's Dove," to the intensity of "Tolerance," there is room for thought in all these songs. Certainly "These are Days" suggests that life is worth living, while "Jezebel" questions but at what cost. Natalie Merchant's voice is an instrument that is capable of conveying the intensity of the lyrics present in all these tracks. This is one of those recordings that seems to get better and grow richer with each passing year. 10, 000 Maniacs were a thinking person's band; they perpetually questioned the state of the world and gave us insights about ourselves. This album belongs in any collection of seminal 90's music. It is a true testament to what music beyond the mainstream could be. I recommend it to anyone who is willing to accept the challenge of truly inspiring, creative music.

This first thing I noticed about this music is its sincerity. The music is from the heart and seems to me to have been intended to please the group rather than some commercial esthetic. The result is interesting and enjoyable music where the performers are allowing us, the listeners, to share in their inner vision of who they are as artists. You can readily hear the emotion in each and every song, and I wondered whether part of that emotion was the realization that this was to be the last album from that incarnation of 10,000 Maniacs as Natalie Merchant was preparing to depart for a solo career.

The first thing I noticed when opening the fold-out for the CD is that the lyrics are written in a narrative form instead of verse form. The style of the music matches the narrative form. Many artists think and write in verse form, and to create music in narrative form is more difficult because of the difficulty and complexity of matching the syllables and pacing of the narrative to the music. The narrative form is usually the style of story tellers, and each of these songs comes across as a vignette.

The first vignette is "Noah's Dove," which comes across several ways. Noah's dove was the bird he sent out to find dry land. When at last the dove did not return, Noah knew that the dove had found dry land. Thus, the story is about someone seeking something, perhaps the something they will not find because it does not exist, but that person will continue to search, never realizing what they have in the here and now.

The second song, "These Are the Days," relates to the first song because the emphasis of this song is the here and now. The lyrics advise the listener that now is the golden time, the time that in later years the listener will look back on with fondness as one of the best times of their lives. One has to wonder whether this song was a lament at the imminent breakup of 10,000 Maniacs.

Each of these songs is full of allegory. "Eden" seems to have several allegories. The first is the allusion to the beauty on the surface of those you see, but the thorns are the reality. The song contrasts the illusions we create, even to ourselves, to our desire and willingness to be something else. How much is illusion and how much is reality is anyone's guess, because we choose, consciously or unconsciously. "Few and Far Between" continues the train of thought started in "Eden," this time from the viewpoint of accumulating the baggage of the past and regret, and not having enough room for the future.

"Stockton Gala Days," given that the singer is female, sounds a lot like a lesbian experience, particularly the line "There was no girl as warm as you." The song explains that the person she is singing about will never know how the singer felt about that experience and what it meant to the singer. "Jezebel" may fall into the same category as this song as the singer laments that she has allowed her marriage vows to cover the truth of her life and who she is.

"Gold Rush Brides" wonders where the strong women who overcame the legal limitations of the day to help win the west are documented. Most stories are of men, but women were integral to keeping everything together and often were the reason things happened. "Coming of Age" is song about how we change as we grow older. We always remember someone as the way we saw them last.

"Candy Everybody Wants" has a moral to it. Many of us consider blood, lust, hate and love of a sexual kind to be bad, yet those things are readily available in movies, books, and even song. If those things are truly wrong, the song questions who is to blame given how popular those things are. We hide behind others, blaming, but not wishing to be blamed. "Tolerance" also addresses avoidance. This time the issue is as stated in the title. When we hear of violence and intolerance, what do we do? We had away from it hoping that it will go another direction from us because we fear to take a stand.

"Circle Dream" is another wonderfully complex song. On the one hand the circle could be the world in which we live. The maze in the circle is the difficulty of living and finding our way. The face in the circle represents love and understanding, perhaps a lover. While the song has implications of an alternative lifestyle, it also implies the life we all live.

"If You Intend" is a song for lovers and loved ones, regardless of lifestyle. The song addresses commitment and love, and how the first step in realizing that love is to reach for the love, to express your intentions. Once again, the lament of the singer is for the listener to overcome their fears because the result otherwise is dreams unfulfilled.

The last song, "I'm Not the Man," caps off the running theme of intolerance and prejudice to those who are different from the "norm." In this case the victim is someone accused of the crime because of race or some similar reason. However, the singer was elsewhere, yet no one came forward. The evidence was thin, but the conviction assured. We know this scene, but it takes someone to have the power to step forward and stop it.

These songs are powerful and dramatically scrape open many of the problems of society. It is amazing that a group as well known as 10,000 Maniacs would address social issues unabashedly and ultimately create a beautiful work. Music like this dates back centuries to the days of bards. Music like this that appeals to a large audience happens all too rarely in this day of statistics and sales and station play.

10,000 Maniacs were poineers of alternative music along with REM & Pixies and this album Our time in Eden proves it, such a unique and creative sound. Natalie Merchants voice is melodic and soothing to the ear. Noahs Dove, Few and Far Between, and These are Days stand out tracks. But every song is good. This band was original and alternative before it was hip one of my fave bands and albums of early 90's and still today. This album is an essential to those who like true indie college alt. rock. Noahs Dove I play over & over again. These are days 1 of catchiest songs of all time. This is one of those albums you can never really get sick of. It stands the test of time today. PIck up this truly original album.

As a contrarian who remembers the '60's firsthand, albeit as a teenager (I'm 48), I am skeptical about the most of the folk-rock style singer/songwriters of today; their glib commercialism is so transparent. Not 10,000 Maniacs, definitely not this CD. This is a confirmed classic from youngish/mature artists blissfully lacking in cynicism and that tedious irony.

I've listened to Our Time in Eden since it was new, and it is definitely passing the test of time (almost 7 years now).This CD still makes me cry. I can't explain it to my sometimes bitter peers, but if this were vinyl, I would have worn out three copies already. Beautiful, albeit simple, lyrics and melodies. Not deep, but haunting. Like the best folk-rock is supposed to be. Other reviewers have given the highlights, hit them well. Buy it or borrow it. Melts this often contrary heart.

This band broke up too soon, and Natalie solo is just too self-indulgent. But they left this stunning, mature work. In My Tribe is also fine,rocks plenty, but a much younger work.

Yes, to the very few of you have realized, I borrowed the title for this review from the title of a (completely fabulous by the way) album by Over The Rhine. That said Films For Radio describes perfectly, the music contained on Our Time in Eden.

Each song, both musically and lyrically is extremely emotive, Our Time In Eden is probably the Maniacs album where the disparity between the light pop-folk melodies and Natalie Merchant's dark, moody lyrics was at it's least, in part due to a slight lightening up of Merchant's subject matter, allowing for a more streamlined sound here than on previous efforts.

The album hasn't aged a day in the 13 years since it's relaese, Natalie's vocals are confident and clear and the music perhaps more experimental than previous works by the band is just beautiful

The standouts here are the lovely single These Are Days, Stockton Gala Days, Noah's Dove and Tolerence.

Sit back, close your eyes and let these songs, the melodies and the words from images in your mind.

Everything came together wiht this one - songwriting, instrumentation, production, and just that groove of a great record. You don't really tire of listening to this one. It's a pity it was their last.

I remember an old joke I heard on Growing Pains (I think) once about the 10,000 Maniacs. It had Mike Seaver upset at his dad because he couldn't go to the 10,000 Maniacs concert. He says something to the effect of "Does this mean I can't go to the 10,000 Maniacs concert tonight?" And his dad replies, "Let me put it this way...now there will only be 9,999 maniacs at the concert tonight." This joke happened before I was introduced to the angelic voice of Natalie Merchant and thought 10,000 Maniacs was a heavy metal band. Boy was I wrong!! The 10,000 Maniacs are anything but a heavy metal band. My first introduction to this wonderful, yet now without Merchant, band was with These Are Days. I LOVE this song. I know some people think the maniacs "sold out" with the release of this radio-friendly ditty, but I disagree. It is an excellent CD that is well worth the money. Other great songs on this CD are: Candy Everybody Wants, Circle Dream and I'm Not the Man.

Though pop princesses and angsty guitar riffs may catch your fancy, do not stray from your Time in Eden...The serpant of fad frenzy is constantly trying to get you to let go of greatness, but hold on tight to this CD...It will never go out of style, and you will always feel good hearing it.

I've had "Our Time In Eden" in my collection since it was released and it still holds up. An outstanding work!!!!!!

Ranks with Nirvana's "Nevermind", R.E.M.'s "Automatic For The People", Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dreams", and Pearl Jam's "Ten" as one of the best CDs of the early 90s!! This is absolutely in my Top 10 must haves!