10,000 Maniacs

So, because of significant line-up changes this is actually two completely different bands. The first band has Natalie Merchant as the lead singer. She's great - a star. Her voice is impressive and full of great vibrancy. They put out 4 albums in the late 1980s and early 90s, with good songs with like "Trouble Me," "Like the Weather," and  "Eat for Two" and "What's the Matter Here," which both particularly speak to me as a parent. "My Sister Rose" should be on everyone's Wedding Playlist. Their well-crafted songs have a certain timeless value to them. They peaked with Our Time of Eden (with well-deserved hits "Candy Everybody Wants" and "These Are Days"). Being 16 when "These Are Days" came out probably helped lodge it in a special place in my memory. Their MTV Unplugged  is a great snapshot of a band playing at their very best, although I'm disappointed that the album version excludes the duet with David Bryne covering The Flatlander's "Dallas"; I had it on my cassette dub of the the VHS recording from TV(!).  And then she walked away for a successful solo album that everybody had in college, but then...not much else (that I ever heard). The band, however, unfortunately regrouped with the lady who had previously done a great job as backing vocalist and violin player taking on the lead vocals duties. The backup singer should not sing lead vocals! It is sooo bland. The production values are amazingly bad. They put out several albums in 90s, but they sound like they were made in the 80s - or in Garage Band. Awful stuff. A friend has dubbed them 9,999 Maniacs, and the bastards continue to tour mercilessly. It's tragic.

I can't find that David Bryne duet anywhere (I hope it's not a Mandela Effect false memory), but here's another great cover from Unplugged. Love the strings arrangement here.