Title: Good addition to collection for diehard 10KM fans.
Product review: Hope Chest (1990) is really a collection of songs originally released much earlier. Hope Chest combines the tracks from the 10,000 Maniacs' first two EP's, Human Conflict Number Five (1982) and Secrets of the I Ching (1983). These two EP's, no longer available, were released by the bands' imaginary record label "Christian Burial Music".The songs themselves are pretty good, with the best tracks probably being "Pit Viper" and "My Mother the War". "My Mother the War" became the group's first song to get some airplay. Some of the best songs later appeared on the band's first full length album, The Wishing Chair (1985).Although this is probably the weakest album yet released by 10,000 Maniacs, it does make a nice addition to a 10KM fan's record collection. Being able to hear Natalie Merchant in her earliest days as an artist is a treat, and John Lombardo's guitar playing and writing are keenly missed in some of 10KM's later releases.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
