Disco de 10,000 Maniacs: “Blind Man's Zoo”

Often lambasted for its over-political nature and pretentiousness, Blind Man's Zoo is tied with Hope Chest as being the most underrated record in the Maniacs' catalogue. The band's form here is astounding, and this album has remarkable music with much more drive and force than its poppy predecessor, In My Tribe. Songs like "Headstrong" and "Hateful Hate" will blow one out of the water with their forceful nature, the former the most rocking since The Wishing Chair's version of "My Mother the War." The song "Trouble Me," although extremely out of place, is very beautiful by itself. And although the lyrics might be a bit over-bearing at times, "Please Forgive Us" is really one of the Maniacs' best songs, despite Natalie Merchant's vocal displeasure with the song. The recording and production of this album is hands down much better than In My Tribe, and every song sounds lush, wonderful, and powerful. Jerry Augustyniak's drumming has never sounded better in numbers such as "The Big Parade" and, again, "Headstrong." Also, Natalie Merchant's vocals are hovering in-between the youthful essence of the earlier music and the torpor of her later music, producing quite possibly the best (in a technical sense) vocals she has ever done. Many will dismiss this album as preachy or pretentious - maybe it is. But I do not see that upon listening to this album. I simply see the Maniacs in their best form as a band, churning out some amazing music. A solid five stars.

This is definitely a record to grow on you. I imagine people who enjoy 10,000 Maniacs' other releases hear this and immediately cast it out. 'Blind Man's Zoo' is nowhere near the immediate accessibility of their more popular records, but this is their best work.

'Blind Man's Zoo' has a reputation for being overly political, depressing, and difficult, and I would agree with all three, for the most part. As you listen to these songs, you need to be reading along with the lyrics in the booklet, as I feel what she's saying definitely strengthens the songs. When I first heard this record, I didn't care for too many of the songs until I really examined them; reading and analyzing the lyrics furthered my appreciation for these songs.

"Eat for Two" sounds off - upbeat but starting in a minor key, but I wouldn't change it. This is probably the most instantly appealing song here, but it's just as dark as any of the others, a "nightmare born in a borrowed bed...."

The best part of the album, however, is the last two songs: "Hateful Hate" and "Jubilee", which to me are the most depressing (both musically and lyrically) on the record, and the latter is essentially the most disturbing song I've ever heard. "Hateful Hate" has Natalie condemning Manifest Destiny, slavery, and hunting, backed by her very powerful pipe organ playing. As "Hateful Hate" climaxes, "Jubilee" starts as a seemingly comfortable mellow ballad, telling the story of a religious zealot who becomes infuriated when he witnesses an interracial (school?) dance, the "Jubilee". "He's God's mad disciple," and he feels the need to destroy what he believes to be evil and wrong. "Through the tall blades of grass, he heads for the Jubilee with a bucket in his right hand, full of rags soaked in gasoline," and the song crescendos into a sonic frenzy of a frantic string orchestra and Natalie's painful wailing.

This is not a record for a casual music listener, but if you're someone who enjoys music that makes you think and feel, then I would highly recommed "Blind Man's Zoo".

10,000 Maniacs and Natalie Merchant have always been known for voicing social concerns through their music, so this shouldn't be a surprise. I think that people who aren't familiar with the maniacs or Natalie find this album especially preachy because it tackles social issues in a more direct light. As an Album, it's not as good in my opinion as In My Tribe, but it is good nonetheless. Blind Man's Zoo has some catchy tracks: Eat for Two, Trouble Me, and Lion's Share. It also has some quite heavy tracks like: Dust Bowl which discusses poverty; and Hateful Hate which talks about racism. If you are a 10,000 Maniacs or a Natalie Merchant fan, this album is a must-have.

Before Natalie Merchant became a solo artist she was the leader of 10,000 Maniacs a band that is still around today albeit with a different vocalist. This is the only Maniacs album that I own, but every time I pull it out I remember what a great little band this was. Merchant has a unique voice that is up front throughout this album, but what really make this special is her lyrics. Lyrically this is one of the best written albums in my entire collection. Often depressing and heavy handed Merchant's lyrical portraits of characters and situations are like a fine painting. Songs like "The Big Parade", "Jubilee", Hatful Hate" "Dust Bowl", and "Eat For Two" are all small masterpieces that come across like mini-short stories. The music on this album is all good with fine accomniemtn to Merchant's vox. This album seems to get very mixed reviews from fans of the band many sighting it as too depressing. To me, that is the album's strength. The hit single from the album was "Trouble Me" which is an upbeat number, but in my opinion the weakest track on the disc and not very representative of what the rest of the album is all about. This disc is a nice little gem from the late 80's and is well worth checking out.

Even though "In My Tribe" and "Our Time In Eden" seem to be the popular favorites, I think this album is just as good, and it's actually my favorite of the three. Lyrically it does get a little heavy, but I don't mind thinking once in awhile, and musically it's very pleasing and catchy, as a fan would expect. The only "hits" I'm aware of were "Eat For Two" and "Trouble Me", but the rest is just as enjoyable. I like it enough to own on cd, cassette, and vinyl. They do have a new "Best Of" out also.