Throwing Muses: C-o-D

Yay in the studio! Let's see which Muses are in there.

Kristin, David and Bernard... very good.

according to kh's twitter, they finished recording today: "loose ends tied up in the studio, everybody's going home...sad but, a year and a half in the making, the record sounds exactly as it should"

yea i just saw that! lovin it hard

So what is essential listening in your expert opinions?

real ramona was my intro to them, which i think is a good midway point betw. the early/late stuff.

1st album, Chains Changed EP, The Fat Skier are all great

other people might rep for House Tornado or the later stuff, but for me it's all about those first three (and "Fish" of course, a comp track).

The first, self-titled album is essential.

Real Ramona is the only Throwing Muses album I know. I rep hard for her solo album "The Grotto" and everything she's done with 50 Foot Wave. 50 Foot Wave is fucking massive.

would recommend House Tornado, one of my favourite albums of all time. as powerful as the debut, but in a more contained way - they took off the razor sharp edge. the debut IS essential listening though, and the EPs already suggested are similarly high quality.

Real Ramona is a good entry point for some, cause it's as about as big and colourful as they get without being dull. Late period albums (University, Limbo, second s/t) all solid but less remarkable than the early stuff. Avoid the awkward middle years (Hunkpapa, Red Heaven) until you get to know them better

ST first album is one of my all time favourite records.

e - I know that for a while, she would have a good selection of free/tipjar mp3s on her website. I dont know if she's still doing that, but it would be worth checking out.

I have to say start with the first album. It is them at their rawest core. Perhaps I'm biased because I've been into them since they began and hearing the debut and the Chains Changed ep just did my head in completely at the time.

He
Won't ride in cars any more
It reminds him of
Blow jobs
That he's a queer

...such a strange song.

skip Hunkpapa, but dl 'Dizzy' - it is a jam

seconding s/t, rr & esp. the Chains Changed EP

I still need to hear Fat Skier

Ugh I hate "Dizzy"!

Well no not hate. But I dont like it.

i don't mind dizzy but it seems like time has been unkind to it

will agree with everyone saying real ramona and the debut

ST first album is one of my all time favourite records.

― Bonnie Tyler The Creator (Doran), Thursday, February 10, 2011 1:48 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

not too soon >> everything else tanya donelly ever did

Nar I prefer her on "Reel"!

"Fat Skier" is a really good ep btw. Especially "Soap and Water", which is a delightfully schizy scattershot jam.

"This is my house, roll out the red carpet/hogs head on a ragdoll/never was a little girl"

Wait thats Garoux des Larmes. Anyway.

"Low Red Moon" was the best song Tanya ever recorded, you pack of trolls!

The order you first hear these things makes a big difference; I heard House Tornado before the debut and the latter always seemed kinda grey in comparison, like its muted cover. I sort of forgot about it for years. HT still sounds perfect and powerful but the debut I only really rediscovered thanks to reading Rat Girl last year, and it's incredible.

The received wisdom on Hunkpapa is that it's stymied by airless, flat production cos there are certainly some great songs in there, kinda writhing to get out (kinda hanging on his sleeve).

The Real Ramona has dated a fair bit to these ears. Red Heaven better than I thought it was on release. The subsequent records all have their moments, but nothing to touch the thrill of S/T-Chains-Fat Skier-HT.

I will happily listen to/read anything Kristin puts her hand to.

I was surprised to learn lately that "The Letter" (from Hips & Makers) was originally a Throwing Muses song written in 1984-5. so it's not so much a recollection/reliving of her past as it is an immediate expression of anguish. the recording I heard (from a 1985 radio session) is a 7-minute-long VU drone, but the sound quality is awful.

does anyone know if the bootleg of early ('83-'84) Muses demos is any good?

Wow thanks guys. I don't know how I never got into them earlier but this is sort of a newish discovery for me even though based on stuff I've listened to and loved throughout the years I should have been a fan for a long time by this point. Thanks for all the input. Will check it all out.

never heard those early demos, would be interesting. there are some live recordings spanning 1989-2009 at archive.org - http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=(collection:ThrowingMuses%20OR%20mediatype:ThrowingMuses)%20AND%20-mediatype:collection&sort=date
think there's 50 foot wave and hersh solo stuff too.

Oh I've heard some of (all of?) the early demos when they had that other member who played keyboards. Some of it was utter cheese! Like, nothing at all like what was to come - just clumsy 80s home pop band.

you also definitely want to listen to both Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly's solo work. at the very least, Crooked and Sunny Border Blue for Kristin, and Lovesongs for Underdogs for Tanya

thanks, tyler (xxp)! that's a lot to take in. there are some early Muses recordings here, including the early demos (which I haven't heard), a live set from 1986, and some early acoustic versions of tracks from their s/t.

in terms of recommendations I second their first two albums and The Real Ramona (I really like the way the guitars sound on that one). Kristin's solo album Hips & Makers and Belly's Star are also essential.

oh cool thanks right back atcha.
real ramona has a real early 1990s college rock sound, but in a good way imo.

"Dirt is on the Floor" is the one I'm thinking of. It wasnt even K singing I dont think?

Yeah see that's the thing I am a fan of their solo work and loved Belly too. For some reason I just never really went as far back as TM. shrug. Changing that now.

unregistered - I love Star and King.

not too soon >> everything else tanya donelly ever did

it's amazing!

The production of University is a real hindrance to an otherwise excellent, harrowing collection of songs.

what's wrong with the production on that record? too guitar heavy? i liked it the last time i played it.

I dunno, I love it an' that ("Not Too Soon"), but I recall seeing TD play "Green" on that first Belly UK tour and, I swear, there were grown men with tears in their eyes. And the song was only six years old at that point, you'd have thought it some half-a-lifetime-away nostalgic rush or something.

Real Ramona is 20 years old this month. Good grief.

tylerw, it's too...dry? Monotonous?

"Fat Skier" is a really good ep btw. Especially "Soap and Water", which is a delightfully schizy scattershot jam.

― Senor DingDong (Trayce), Thursday, 10 February 2011 23:14 (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Soap & Water is alltime for me also

I quite like how ~thick~ University is but it is so so different to anything they did from say 88 or before, I'm not surprised ppl were prickly about it

yeah, it seemed to be their "we're a ROCK band" record to some extent, but i dig it. Narcizo sounds great on it. And Hersh's vocal on "Shimmer" is scary good.

Oh I've heard some of (all of?) the early demos when they had that other member who played keyboards. Some of it was utter cheese! Like, nothing at all like what was to come - just clumsy 80s home pop band.

― Senor DingDong (Trayce), Thursday, February 10, 2011 3:28 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

Wow I never knew that their 1st 7" EP was a legit release! Why has this not been put out on CD?!?! yeah the one keyboard-based song is awful but it has The Party, which is total spine-tingling amazement.

Ah yes thats the one! Thats right, I remember being staggered that "Santa Claus" was so old. It sounds really creepy on that ep, very cracked and raw.

sorry to videobomb, and the sound's not the best, but I've watched this a million times
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1exb_Uk-i-M

intense yo

I love seeing them live. I've seen them about 4 times now I think. Earlier on they were riveting - she'd look so posessed. These days she's a lot more laid back but still kicks ass hard. I took my ex to their last show here (posted above) and afterwards he would not shut up about how hot Kristin was.

Man I need to listen to the Bob Mould duet now.

Aaaargh I havent ripped half my TMs albums, what is the matter with me! *grump*.