People shallow, self-absorbed
See the push and shove for their rewards
I, me, my is on their minds
You can read about it in their eyes
People ruthless, people cruel
See the damage that some people do
Full of hatred, full of pride
It’s enough to make you lose your mind
I have loved Natalie Merchant for years now. As we all know, she was the lead singer for the highly successful 80’s alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs before she began her solo career in 1993. In a few weeks, Natalie is set to release her fifth solo studio album so for that and her career’s work, we are naming her our Artist of the Week.
As a child Natalie wasn’t allowed to watch TV, so she grew up on a fast diet of rock and classical music. Her first true love was for the band Styx, poor girl! At the tender age of 17, Natalie joined the 10,000 Maniacs, who were a college garage band at the time. They performed around the New York area, but it wasn’t until they caught the eye of John Peel that they got some critical attention. They were signed to Elecktra Records, where they released their remaining albums. During the filming of their MTV Unplugged performance, Natalie announced that she was leaving the band to pursue a solo career.
Her first album Tigerlily (and truth be told, her best) was a critical success. Her most popular song to date, “Carnival,” appeared on this album. On VH1’s Storytellers, she proclaimed this to be her “New York Tribute” song. She opened herself up to her fans, even writing about an encounter with a kid with Down Syndrome on the song “Wonder.” Another notable song paid tribute to River Phoenix’s early death. The song “River” tells about the struggles of the young actor, and is a very telling insight into the world of entertainment.
Ophelia was released three years later and featured the track “Kind & Generous.” She rolled out the red carpet on this one, having such notable artists on the album as: The Brand New Heavies, Chris Botti and N’Dea Davenport. Ophelia was an attempt at a less conventional concept album. The song “Break Your Heart” talks about the growing number of suicides amongst teens.
When Motherland was finishing up recording, the attacks on New York took place on September 11th. The album was dedicated to the families and proceeds from the album sales were also donated to help support the families struck by that tragic day.  Natalie is involved in many social causes and strongly supports the Democratic Party, even playing at Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Ball.
What’s next for this talented singer/songwriter? I am expecting another great album from Natalie. An album that gives me more of a sneak peak into her life and her ups and downs. Isn’t that why we love music to begin with? We get a glimpse into the lives of the people who we look to in tough times; a voice that leads us through darkness and Natalie is one of those voices for me!
Top 5 Songs
1. Wonder
2. Carnival
4. Jealousy
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