2000 Great Songs #1491: Scorpio Rising

I've always been a little tentative on 10,000 Maniacs. Natalie Merchant's vocal style never completely won me over; but they were part of the initial wave of post-R.E.M. Southern jangle pop bands, so I couldn't help but enjoy some of their music from an aesthetic standpoint (particularly on earlier records, when they still had a slight edge). 1985's The Wishing Chair is the one that's stuck with me, particularly "Scorpio Rising." It's one of their most upbeat, rocking tracks (within the narrow band of what one might consider "rocking" for 80s jangle pop). Though as one of those songs I'll always associate with a magical time in my life, a young college student becoming enmeshed in the college radio scene, it's hard to separate out the personal nostalgia from the track itself.

Live 1987 (about 36:15 into the clip):

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