Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure & Unknown Recordings

Disc 1
1	Planned Obsolescence 4:28
2	My Mother the War 3:32
3	Tension 3:30
4	Scorpio Rising 3:14
5	Like the Weather 3:58
6	Don't Talk 5:05
7	What's the Matter Here? 4:52
8	Hey Jack Kerouac 3:27
9	Verdi Cries 4:24
10	Trouble Me 3:14
11	Poison in the Well 3:09
12	You Happy Puppet 3:39
13	Eat for Two 3:32
14	Stockton Gala Days 4:22
15	Candy Everybody Wants 3:07
16	These Are Days 3:42
17	Because the Night 3:43
Disc 2
1	Poppy Selling Man previously unreleased 3:34
2	Can't Ignore the Train previously unreleased / Demo Version 2:52
3	Peace Train 3:28
4	Wildwood Flower 1:53
5	Hello in There 4:26
6	To Sir With Love 4:16
7	Everyday Is Like Sunday 3:15
8	These Days 3:28
9	I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You 3:39
10	Starman 4:14
11	Let the Mystery Be 3:10
12	Noah's Dove previously unreleased / Demo Version 4:12
13	Circle Dream previously unreleased / Alternate Lyrics Demo 3:25
14	Eden previously unreleased / Alternate Lyrics Demo 3:33

Barnes & Noble

The product of a sleepy industrial town perched in New York State's western corner, 10,000 Maniacs were an unlikely commercial breakthrough. But break through they did in the late '80s with their second album of ebullient folk-pop, In My Tribe. The Maniacs married chiming melodies to topical themes given voice by the alluring Natalie Merchant. Aptly described by its subtitle, this 31-song survey assembles the group's biggest hits alongside a tasteful selection of rarities and cover versions. In keeping with Merchant's pointed pen, the former group includes thoughtful ruminations on child abuse ("What's the Matter Here?") and the poetry of everyday life ("These Are Days") as well as a stirring live rendition of the impassioned Bruce Springsteen–Patti Smith song "Because the Night." Fans will delight in early tracks such as "My Mother the War," which reinforces the Maniacs' initial left-of-the-dial status, which placed them in sonic company with then contemporaries such as R.E.M. and the Cure. An added bonus is Merchant and company's simmering version of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" -- which was removed from later versions of In My Tribe as a protest against the singer-songwriter's support of a fatwah against author Salman Rushdie. The many other cover versions that fill the set's second disc attest to the band's broad-ranging influences, from a tear-stained take on Tom Waits's "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" (a rare single) to a folksy version of Iris DeMent's gorgeous "Let the Mystery Be" (from MTV's Rock N' Roll Inaugural Ball), a duet with David Byrne. With rich rewards for both casual and maniacal fans, Campfire Songs offers a thumbnail portrait of a fascinating and influential band, with enough extras to warrant a closer look. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

Spanning 31 songs and two discs, one covering "The Most Popular Recordings" (aka "The Hits") and one covering "The Obscure & Unknown Recordings" (aka "The B-Sides and Cover Versions"), Rhino/Elektra's 2004 compilation Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure & Unknown Recordings of 10,000 Maniacs is as good a career overview as could be assembled. The hits disc may miss a minor charting single like "Few and Far Between," but it has all the songs of note, from the hits to album tracks. Meanwhile, the rarities are devoted pretty much to B-side covers in addition to four previously unreleased demos, the early outtake "Poppy Selling Man," plus their cover of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train," which was removed from latter-day editions of In My Tribe. There's enjoyable stuff on both discs -- the singles "Like the Weather," "What's the Matter Here?," "Trouble Me," "Candy Everybody Wants," and "These Are Days" are very good indeed, laying the groundwork for adult alternative pop/rock, while the early demos on the second disc are livelier than most Maniacs material and the Michael Stipe duet on "To Sir With Love" is a priceless artifact from the height of Clinton optimism (which faded quite quickly). But even these moments have the Achilles' heel of a production that is far too big for the group's gentle simple songs. Overall this expertly assembled collection -- which is as good as a 10,000 Maniacs anthology could be -- is best as a time capsule, capturing the earnest, precious optimism and PC nature of American college rock before grunge came along and dirtied everything up. Stephen Thomas Erlewine