"KIND & GENEROUS" NATALIE MERCHANT (1998)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

It’s hard to imagine my listening experience without mentioning the importance 10,000 Maniacs played in expanding my musical tastes. They were a band that got their exposure on alt rock radio though they sounded nothing like the other acts. But it’s the band’s catalog — and In My Tribe, in particular — that kicked off my interest in folk rock. Songs like “Don’t Talk”, “Hey Jack Kerouac” and “Verdi Cries” drew my attention to Natalie Merchant’s lyrics. While I’m not as big a fan of her solo work from an instrumental perspective, the lyrics were always strong, including the simple and sincere “Kind & Generous”.

The song is timeless, but even more than that, it has seen periods of resurgence, taking on new significance with various world events. This is the power of “Kind & Generous”. It’s message of gratitude continues to resonate and find new meaning, most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic. The song was featured in a commercial last year thanking healthcare workers on the frontline. As universal as the song’s theme is, I can’t think of a track that uttered the words “thank you” better than this one. And with that, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for allowing me to share my love for music with you.

“For your kindness I'm in debt to you. And I never could have come this far without you.”

"JEALOUSY" NATALIE MERCHANT (1995)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

I’ll choose 10,000 Maniacs over Natalie Merchant’s solo catalog any day of the week. Her musical leanings changed quite significantly with Tigerlily. But “Jealousy” was a parting gift to the 10,000 Maniacs’ faithful.

When I heard songs like “Wonder” and “Carnival” on the radio, I thought, there she goes, another one bites the dust. But “Jealousy” gave me more of what I was looking for. It was an outlier track that felt more like an unfinished 10,000 Maniacs demo. The song structure, playful temperament and Merchant’s unique storytelling style were reminiscent of the fruitful In My Tribe / Blind Man’s Zoo era.

“Is she smart, so well-read, are there books, are there novels by her bed?”