by: Craig Rosen; page 13,15

LOS ANGELES - With the June 17 release of Love Among The Ruins, their first new studio album since 1992's Our Time In Eden, 10,000 Maniacs will return to record store shelves with new singer Mary Ramsey, founding member John Lombardo back in the fold, and a new label, Geffen.

But don't expect any Van Halen-like mudslinging from the Maniacs. After all, this is the band that once covered Cat Stevens' Peace Train. Keyboardist Dennis Drew has nothing but kind things to say about former Maniacs front woman Natalie Merchant and former label Elektra.

It was only months after Merchant left the band in September 1993 that the remaining Maniacs - Drew, guitarist Robert Buck, bassist Steven Gustafson, and drummer Jerome Augustyniak - joined forces with Lombardo and Ramsey, a one-time backup singer for the group. Lombardo, who left the Maniacs following the release of 1985's The Wishing Chair, had gone on to form John & Mary with Ramsey, who herself had toured and performed on such Maniacs albums as Our Time In Eden and MTV Unplugged. In the early '90s, the duo recorded two albums for Rykodisc, featuring contributions from Buck and Augustyniak.

"We didn't make it official until the summer of 1994, but we actually got together with (Ramsey and Lombardo) in December of 1993," says Drew.

In the spring of 1994, the band did some shows as John & Mary, Rob, Dennis, Steve & Jerry. Eventually the band reclaimed the name 10,000 Maniacs. "There were never any real doubts," says Drew. "If we changed our name, we would have been a band that sounded like 10,000 Maniacs, so why not just be 10,000 Maniacs, because that's who we are."

As for the addition of Ramsey, Drew points out that it was actually Merchant who invited the singer, who also plays viola, to join the band as a touring member in 1989.

Ramsey's vocals are compatible with the band's previous work, and her instrumental prowess brings a new dimension to the Maniacs. For the singer, joining the band was a natural move, given her history with the group and Lombardo.

"I never have thought of myself as replacing [Merchant] per se, because she is kind of irreplaceable," Ramsey says. "It's more a transition with 10,000 Maniacs continuing on."

Although Drew says he hasn't spoken to Merchant in a long time, he says that there isn't any bad blood between the group and the singer. "Her departure wasn't sudden or surprising," he says. "It was known by the band before we made the last record and before we went on tour. We had known for three years. It wasn't a big deal by the time it happened. We were just anxious to move on to the next phase of our musical career."

However, Drew says, the band is proud of Merchant's solo work. "I really respect the way she went after that record, Tigerlily, and did it just the way she wanted to . . . and the fans responded." As for the reviews that attacked the album, Drew calls them "outrageous and ridiculously mean-spirited . . . They were cruel and unusual reviews."

Even if the band harbors no ill will toward Merchant, the remaining Maniacs asked to be released from Elektra following the singer's departure. "We thought it would be awkward or uncomfortable to be on the same label," Drew says. "But we loved everyone at Elektra, and we had a great run there."

Although the band hadn't released a new record in years, the Maniacs continued to record and play live dates while preparing new material.

At one point, the band even toyed with putting out an album by itself, a throwback to its early days when it released the Human Conflic Number Five EP and the Secrets of the I Ching album on its own Christian Burial Music label in 1982 and 1983, respectively.

That all changed when the band's manager, Peter Leak, had a discussion about the Maniacs with Geffen A&R executive and Minty Fresh label head Jim Powers. Powers who had recently brought the Leak-repped Cowboy Junkies to Geffen, expressed interest in the Maniacs and signed the group after catching a live performance in Chicago. The band, which publishes its songs through Giddy Swells, also landed a new publishing contract with BMG Songs/ASCAP.

The Maniacs recorded Love Among The Ruins with producer John Keane (known for his work with R.E.M., Cowboy Junkies, and Indigo Girls) at Keane's studio in Athens, Ga., and at Bearsville Studios in upstate New York.

Guests include Keane, who added some guitar work; Jules Shear, who provided backing vocals and co-wrote three tracks with the band; and Fred Maher, who added percussion and produced two tracks.

Aside from the original material, the Maniacs - who scored a No. 11 Hot 100 hit with its cover of the Patti Smith/Bruce Springsteen song Because The Night - once again dipped into the cover well on Love Among The Ruins. The album includes the Maniacs' version of Roxy Music's More Than This, one of the most memorable tracks from that band's landmark 1982 album Avalon.

Although Drew isn't a particularly big fan, Ramsey is fond of Roxy Music. "I always loved the music to that song," she says. "At first, I didn't even listen to the words, I just liked the mood it put me into."

Geffen is optimistic that the song will also strike a chord with 10,000 Maniacs fans. Robert Smith, the label's head of marketing, says the song will "dispel any questions" about the band's ability to carry on without Merchant. "It's a great song," he says. "They've captured it and have given it a new life."

The track will impact triple-A and modern AC stations May 20 before winging its way to top 40 June 10. "We want to take a few weeks for the airplay to set in," Smith says. "We don't want to rush it. We want airplay to build across the board at triple-A and modern AC, and then top40.

The band, which is booked by Monterey Peninsula Artists, is expected to perform a few showcase gigs around the album's release at small clubs in New York and Los Angeles, before launching a full-scale tour later in the summer.

Smith adds that the new lineup should go over well with longtime fans of the band. "It was done in a very consistent organic process," he says. "It's not like they held auditions for Natalie Merchant sound-alikes."