In My Tribe

In My Tribe is an album by the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Released on July 27, 1987, it was their second major-label album and their first to achieve large-scale success. John Lombardo, Natalie Merchant's songwriting partner on previous albums, left the band in 1986. Merchant began collaborating with the other members of the band, most notably with Rob Buck.

In My Tribe
Standard CD artwork
Studio album by 10,000 Maniacs
Released	July 27, 1987
Recorded	March–April 1987
Studio	The Complex, Los Angeles
Genre	Alternative rock folk rock soft rock
Length	46:51
Label	Elektra
Producer	Peter Asher
10,000 Maniacs chronology
The Wishing Chair (1985) In My Tribe (1987) Blind Man's Zoo (1989)
Singles from In My Tribe
"Don't Talk" Released: 1987 "Peace Train" Released: 1987 "Like the Weather" Released: January 1988 "What's the Matter Here" Released: 1988

In 1989, the recording of Cat Stevens' "Peace Train" was removed from the U.S. CD version after comments made by Stevens (by then a Muslim convert and known as Yusuf Islam) that were perceived to be supportive of the fatwa on Salman Rushdie. The song remains on LP record copies and CDs released outside the United States. The song was later included in a 2-CD compilation, Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings, released on January 24, 2004, by Elektra/Asylum/Rhino Records.

Artwork

The front cover of the CD edition is a black-and-white photograph of children with bows and arrows in an archery class,[1][2] a theme used by record[3] and cassette editions[4] with different covers.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Los Angeles Times	[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[8]
The Village Voice	B−[9]

In a contemporary review, Rolling Stone's J. D. Considine wrote that "with In My Tribe, the group has finally come into maturity. It isn't simply that the songs are richer and more resonant this time around; the band itself seems to have grown."[10] Rolling Stone later ranked the album number sixty-five on their list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s, summing it up as "a poetic, heartfelt message about social concerns such as alcoholism, child abuse and illiteracy."[11] AllMusic reviewer Chris Woodstra wrote that "the album proves powerful not for the ideas [...] but rather for the graceful execution and pure listenability."[5]

Track listing

All songs written by Natalie Merchant, except where noted.

1. "What's the Matter Here?" (Robert Buck, Natalie Merchant) – 4:51
2. "Hey Jack Kerouac" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:26
3. "Like the Weather" – 3:56
4. "Cherry Tree" (Buck, Merchant) – 3:13
5. "The Painted Desert" (Jerome Augustyniak, Merchant) – 3:39
6. "Don't Talk" (Dennis Drew, Merchant) – 5:04
7. "Peace Train" (Cat Stevens) – 3:26

   Omitted from later U.S. releases

8. "Gun Shy" – 4:11
9. "My Sister Rose" (Augustyniak, Merchant) – 3:12
10. "A Campfire Song" – 3:15
11. "City of Angels" (Buck, Merchant) – 4:17
12. "Verdi Cries" – 4:27

Personnel

10,000 Maniacs

• Natalie Merchant – vocals
• Robert Buck – guitars, mandolin, pedal steel guitar
• Steve Gustafson – bass guitar
• Jerome Augustyniak – drums, percussion
• Dennis Drew – keyboards

Additional musicians

• Michael Stipe – vocals on 10
• Don Grolnick – piano on 12
• David Campbell – string arrangements on 12
• Dennis Karmazyn – cello on 12
• Bob Magnusson – acoustic bass guitar on 12
• Novi Novog – viola on 12

Other Personnel[12]

• Sharon Rice – engineer (additional)
• Duane Seykora, Shep Lonsdale – engineer (assistant)
• Doug Sax, Mike Reese – mastered
• Frank Wolf, George Massenburg – mixed
• Peter Asher – producer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1987–88) Peak position US Billboard 200[13] 37

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position US Billboard 200[14] 48

Singles

[15]

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1988	"Like the Weather"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	37
1988	"Like the Weather"	Billboard Hot 100	68
1988	"What's the Matter Here?"	Billboard Hot 100	80
1988	"What's the Matter Here?"	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	9

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – U.S.	Gold	7 July 1988
RIAA – U.S.	Platinum	10 August 1989
RIAA – U.S.	Double Platinum	10 February 1998

References

1. Bechtelon, Craig (September 28, 2011). "Returning to In My Tribe: 10,000 Maniacs' Best Record". Popstache. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
2. http://stardem.newspapers.com/newspage/115810858/
3. https://www.amazon.com/My-Tribe-Vinyl-Lp-Record/dp/B0091MODGA/ref=tmm_vnl_title_4?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
4. https://www.etsy.com/listing/197144885/10000-maniacs-cassette-1987-in-my-tribe
5. Woodstra, Chris. "In My Tribe – 10,000 Maniacs". AllMusic. Retrieved April 15, 2006.
6. Hilburn, Robert (July 26, 1987). "10,000 Maniacs = One Inspired Band". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
7. Considine, J. D. (2004). "10,000 Maniacs". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 807. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
8. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
9. Christgau, Robert (September 29, 1987). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
10. Considine, J. D. (October 22, 1987). "10,000 Maniacs: In My Tribe". Rolling Stone (511). Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2004.
11. "100 Best Albums of the Eighties — 65. 10,000 Maniacs, 'In My Tribe'". Rolling Stone. November 16, 1989. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
12. "In My Tribe". Discogs.
13. "10000 Maniacs Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
14. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
15. In My Tribe – 10,000 Maniacs > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved November 30, 2004.