I don't think they've disowned them. I know Every Hour Here
(Umbrella) still gets played every now and then. And Beginning the
World and Evensong were also played up until a few years ago.

As for the debut album, I think they've just moved away from that
style of music and probably see it as early work. Perhaps not their
best writing and most reflective of their preferred style.

But I love their first two albums and they do have some connection
to Natalie Merchant, but not the Maniacs. They may have opened once
for the Maniacs but don't quote me on that. They did open for
Natalie Merchant though during the Glow tour.

Keith

--- In birdsofmyneighborhood@yahoogroups.com, "robertjchao"
<robertjchao@y...> wrote:
> I got the first IM album in 1989 and didn't think much of it and
> forgot about them until just now. I bought Glow and I really
liked
> it. It's more like Mazzy Star than the Maniacs. I like almost
> every song on it. I also got Befriended and like most of it
> especially Sweep Down Early. Which are the best cds?
> I wonder if they are old friends of the Maniacs. As far as
official
> projects, Don and Karen appeared on Ophelia.
>
> In the official site, nothing happens if you click on the first
two
> albums. Did they disown these albums??