The Earth Pressed Flat

10,000 Maniacs

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 18, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bar/None Records
• ASIN: B00000IIRX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,758 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #55 in

  Music > Indie Music > Folk > Folk Rock

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

10,000 Maniacs without Natalie Merchant just doesn't seem viable. Yet the band has been rebuilt with violist-violinist Mary Ramsey signing on as a replacement. Meanwhile, they've continued to mine the delicate folk-rock they brought back to the public eye in the 1980s. Covers of Mimi Farina's "In the Quiet Morning" and Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" are given the majestic treatment, while Ramsey's clear, clean diction gives even the poppier likes of "On and On" and "Beyond the Blue" an adult-contemporary feel. "Smallest Step" builds on a swell of Hammond organ and solid rhythms while incorporating Ramsey's strings and multilayered harmonies. Their audience may have changed following Merchant's departure, but 10,000 Maniacs are still be doing what they do best. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 10KM's best album ever, January 23, 2000

By	Mark A. Wilson (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

I purchased 10,000 Maniacs newest album, The Earth Pressed Flat before it was released, and am truly excited to say that it is one of the most sincere and poignant musical recordings you will find. I had the chance to listen to some of the songs in concert before the CD was released, and I admit I was a little leary about the chances for the album, being that their last release Love Among the Ruins wasn't exactly a classic. (LATR was pleasant, but it just wasn't vintage Maniacs) However, TEPF is an outstanding album full of emotion and social awareness- despite what some people who just can't let go of the idea that 10KM is nothing without Natalie Merchant might say. Mary Ramsey proves that the only shoes she needs to fill our her own. The album opens with the title track which, despite a far too loud organ opening by Dennis Drew, is a fun and energetic romp through several years of Maniacs touring. The first track that caught my ear, and has kept it since though, was "Once a City" a powerful, emotional, and somewhat troubling song that seems to tackle the Bosnian-Serbian war, as well as the recent rash of school shootings (which might be my personal opinion- I don't know that Ramsey and John Lombardo wrote the song with that in mind) The night that the horrible, horrible tragedy happened at Columbine, two songs truly reflected how I felt. One was "What's the Matter Here?" And the other was "Once a City" "Little children hiding/bullets never meant for them/must there be such bloodshed in our hearts, our homes, our heads? " The power of music to impact us emotionally is important, indeed. The Earth Pressed Flat has that power.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May be the best 10KM release to date, May 22, 1999

By A Customer

10,000 Maniacs have come back with a roar on the release "The Earth Pressed Flat". It combines the feel of previous albums like "In My Tribe" and "Our Time in Eden", yet adds in distinction all its own. The first single from the album, which is the title track "The Earth Pressed Flat", is a catchy pop song that will surely be a hit. A unique aspect of this album is the use of short "fillers" between each song. They range from quick musical snippits to rap. It's a little odd, but somehow it works. You have to listen to this album from beginning to end, over and over, because you feel like you are taking a musical journey. As much I liked "Love Among the Ruins", I like this even more. "The Earth Pressed Flat" will have fans asking "Natalie who?", as Mary Ramsey has solidly taken the band forward.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A confident step forward, June 22, 1999

By A Customer

It is difficult for a band to move forward after the departure of its lead sing. Such is even trickier when the departed lead singer had, in the eyes of many, eclipsed the rest of the band in terms of visibility.

So it was no surprise when the Maniacs first step out from under Natalie Merchant's shadow with "Love Among the Ruins" that things seemed a bit awkward.

Well, with their second post Merchant release the band takes a great confident step forward. The songs are better, and the album is more cohesive. The music flows with more ease, and Mary Ramsey's vocals (which actually aren't radically different from Merchant's) come through with a self assurance that sometimes seemed lacking on LATR (but was present on her two pre Maniac albums with John Lombardo under the moniker John & Mary).

So if you were a 10KM fan when Natalie was on board, and disappointed a bit with "Love Among The Ruins" be sure to give "The Earth Pressed Flat" a try. You are in for a real treat!