Review of 10,000 Maniacs: Time Capsule

Introduction

Punk meets folk in this retrospective for the Jamestown alt-rockers, fronted by the soaring pipes of Natalie Merchant. `Time Capsule` comprises live footage of the band performing material from throughout their career, spanning from the early `80s to 1990, when Merchant left the band to go solo. The performances, filmed from locations throughout the world during that period are interspersed with archive vignettes and atmospheric footage that emphasises the band`s home-town roots and political activism.

Video

A sticking point, the disc looks truly terrible. The grainy footage can perhaps be forgiven (although it varies, depending on age, from bad to worse,) but compression signs are significant and the materials` weird aspect-ratio seems to have squished the entire image, leaving the unpleasant trace of a horizontal white line at the top of the screen. Not nice.

Audio

Choice of a serviceable stereo and a good but not great 5.1 track.

Features

Three bonus tracks (including a strings-heavy cover of `Because The Night`) with accompanying videos.

Conclusion

Okay, so Ms. Merchant went on to better things, and you`re more likely to hear the likes of this in a Bohemian bar or franchise coffee-house than on the radio, but the material presented here reflects a formidable body of work. Whilst linking the tracks with corralled "mood" footage sounds like a recipe for disaster, it actually makes for a cohesive stream of sound and image, the archive footage and quirky editorial touches reflecting the band`s melting-pot mix of influences.

If some of the material feels like filler, there are plenty of highlights: the punky charge of `Scorpio Rising`, the tough and tender classic `Dust Bowl` and Natalie getting very animated in Newcastle for the fiery `My Mother the War`. The group`s political convictions are placed front and centre with the two most impressive pieces in the set, the tender and powerful child-abuse lament `What`s the Matter Here?` and the haunted delirium of anti-colonialism ode `Hateful Hate`. Elsewhere, songs like `Don`t Talk` allude to the unrivalled pitch-perfect vocals that Merchant would later achieve in her solo work, and there`s a very special performance of `Hello in There` with special guests Michael Stipe and Billy Bragg. All in all, a quirky delight for fans.