10,000 Maniacs - Love Among the Ruins - Released Year 1997
Tracklist front / back album covers
All songs written by 10,000 Maniacs, except where noted
1. "Rainy Day" 4:46
2. "Love Among the Ruins" 10,000 Maniacs, Jules Shear 4:01
3. "Even with My Eyes Closed" 3:56
4. "Girl on a Train" 4:11
5. "Green Children" 4:14
6. "A Room for Everything" 3:56
7. "More Than This" Bryan Ferry 4:06
8. "Big Star" 3:07
9. "You Won't Find Me There" 10,000 Maniacs, Jules Shear 4:09
10. "All That Never Happens" 4:59
11. "Shining Light" 10,000 Maniacs, Jules Shear 4:06
12. "Across the Fields" 3:53
On an earlier acetate version of this album, "Smallest Step", "Beyond The Blue" and "Time Turns" were also included. "Beyond The Blue" and "Time Turns" were made available on US and European versions of the "More Than This" single. All three were re-recorded, "Smallest Step" for inclusion on The Earth Pressed Flat album. When all three were omitted, the following tracks were added: "More Than This", "Rainy Day" and "All That Never Happens".
That album sold around 200,000 copies, 30,000 of them within three months – excellent sales by indie standards, but not enough for Geffen. They dropped us after the first three months, said the band's keyboardist, Dennis Drew.
Love Among the Ruins (1997) was the first album released by 10,000 Maniacs with their new lead singer, Mary Ramsey, after Natalie Merchant left in 1993. The two singles from the album, a cover of Roxy Music's "More Than This" and "Rainy Day", were not originally intended to be included on the album. John Lombardo had just written "Rainy Day", which was deemed more radio friendly than the other songs, and the record company insisted that the band record a cover song for inclusion. The band chose to credit the songs as group collaborations so that all members would receive equal royalties. Ramsey and Lombardo shared the lyric writing. Ramsey wrote the music to "All That Never Happens". Lombardo wrote "Rainy Day", "Even with My Eyes Closed", "Big Star", "Shining Light" and "Across the Fields". Lombardo shared a writing credit with Jerry Augustyniak on "Girl on a Train". Rob Buck wrote "Love Among the Ruins", and Dennis Drew wrote "A Room For Everything". A live version was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites.
The album title is adapted from Robert Browning's poem of the same name.
