December 21, 2000
12:53 PM   Subscribe

10,000 Maniacs guitarist and founder Robert Buck died of liver failure last Tuesday.
posted by scottandrew (9 comments total)
 
The Maniacs were my first taste of what would eventually become alternative music. I think I was in 10th grade when I first caught a video for "You Happy Puppet," buried waaaay at the end of a 3 a.m. broadcast of Friday Night Videos. I remember thinking, "what is this? They don't look like rock stars." Later on, I discovered the Alarm, REM, Husker Du, etc. But the Maniacs were the first. I'm sad.
posted by scottandrew at 12:59 PM on December 21, 2000


It sure was a rotten day for musicians. Poor Kirsty MacColl got hit by a bloody speedboat and was killed, too. Sigh.
posted by Skot at 1:02 PM on December 21, 2000


Oftentimes I would find myself driving through Jamestown NY, and 10,000 Maniacs would be the soundtrack going through my head (and my car). In concerts, they would always strike me as "regular folks" who just happened to create beautiful, socially conscious music. Whenever I mourn the current state of "popular music", I can always turn to them. R.I.P. Robert.
posted by Avogadro at 1:22 PM on December 21, 2000


Add Milt Hinton and Pops Staples, too. A tight lil' combo for Club Afterlife, IMHO.
posted by allaboutgeorge at 1:22 PM on December 21, 2000


I'm in the same boat with scottandrew. The Maniacs were the first taste of non-mainstream music I had (again, along with REM, the Alarm, and Husker Du --- what strange syncronicity!). In fact, Buck (and the non-related Peter Buck of REM) was one of the reasons I started playing guitar in the first place. I really enjoyed his playing and his songwriting. RIP, Rob.
posted by sjarvis at 1:53 PM on December 21, 2000


I was never really into the Maniacs, probably because I just knew too many people I didn't like in high school who dug them. (Yes, I know that's stupid. I have long since come around.)

Kirsty MacColl's death, on the other hand, floored me. She was an amazing songwriter, with one of the clearest voices I ever heard. I am so going to miss her.
posted by chicobangs at 2:15 PM on December 21, 2000


Oh man. Seriously...listening to Kirsty MacColl right now....hadn't heard that. *damn*
posted by th3ph17 at 5:33 PM on December 21, 2000


These are days you'll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it
You'll know it's true, that you are blessed and lucky
It's true that you are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you.
posted by wiremommy at 5:41 PM on December 21, 2000


this actually made me tear up at work. I've been listening to them since just before In My Tribe was released.

their music was so important to me. I wanted to grab whomever I could and sit them down and have them listen to it too. . .

and then on top of that, Kirsty MacColl as well?

as devastated as I was when Bill Berry left R.E.M., I'm even more so now. . .
posted by SentientAI at 6:35 AM on December 22, 2000


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