by: Martin Renzhofer
Mary Ramsey knew comparisons were inevitable when she took over as lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs.
She was stepping in for the wildly popular vocalist and songwriter Natalie Merchant, who broke from the band in 1993 for a solo career.
The move placed Ramsey smack on the bull's-eye for critics and fans, but the reconstituted Maniacs have stayed on target. It wasn't an easy trick -- they were counting on the magic of Ramsey's soft vocals and introspective songwriting.
"I didn't think about it as seriously as I should have," said Ramsey, who is singer and violist. "People say it took courage. It stems from an ignorant love of music.
"It was not until this year that I knew what getting hit by a two-by-four entails. When you're in the process of making an album, you're in an isolated world. I was just focused on doing what I liked."
So far, the critics have been in her corner. The Chicago Tribune said, "The new incarnation of 10,000 Maniacs may eclipse the old."
Glowing reports followed from Boston and Cleveland as the group tried out the new look on a 1995 "Unscathed Tour."
But it wasn't as if Ramsey was in unfamiliar surroundings. She and former Maniac guitarist John Lombardo, who left the group in 1986, opened several shows as John & Mary. She also had sung backgrounds with the Maniacs when her friend Merchant was still around.
"I have heard from her," said Ramsey of Merchant. "She's supported me. She has always loved my voice and playing."
In June, 10,000 Maniacs released Love Among the Ruins, which featured Ramsey and the return of Lombardo to a lineup that includes guitarist Robert Buck, keyboardist Dennis Drew, bassist Steven Gustafson and drummer Jerome Augustyniak.
Musically, the album continues the Maniacs' penchant for crisp, smart pop tunes. Only the vocal tone has changed. The new Maniacs play this afternoon at Club DV8 in Salt Lake City.
"When I joined up, the guys were looking for someone to write songs with," Ramsey said. "[John and I] were at a crossroads with the duo thing; we got together and clicked. I wasn't really thinking of the 'Natalie saga' thing."
The band began in rural Jamestown, N.Y., in 1981 as Still Life. A year later, the group, by then known as 10,000 Maniacs, released an extended-play single, Human Conflict Number Five. [webmaster's note: Human Conflict Number Five was not a single but a 5-song EP]
The first full-length album, Secrets of I Ching, was released in 1983. Thanks to extensive play in England, the Maniacs developed a European following. That build-up continued after The Wishing Chair, the group's first major-label work, was issued.
In My Tribe, recorded in 1985, proved to be the Maniacs' breakthrough album. It sold more than a million copies, and singles What's the Matter Here and Like the Weather were Top 40 hits. [webmaster's note: In My Tribe was recorded in 1987]
The albums Blind Man's Zoo, Hope Chest and Our Time in Eden increased the band's popularity and visibility. But there was also discontent growing between Merchant and the rest of the band.
Merchant's swan song with 10,000 Maniacs was MTV Unplugged.
"The weird thing about it, I was always friends with both parties," Ramsey said. "They did reach of point of monetary success that was quite fulfilling. It's a different scenario now."
Love Among the Ruins, an ironic title that plays with the supposed destruction of the band without Merchant, has sold a respectable 200,000 copies.
"We've started to reach new heights musically," said Drew. "Touring is going to be very exciting because this band is going to grow even more."
Ramsey says she feels a magic onstage as well as the pressure to help the Maniacs succeed.
"We love making music," she said. "As far as making money, that's the rub. Hopefully, we won't be cast into obscurity. You never know, but I know we've made our mark on this planet."