Mania . . . "rat, rat, rat, rat" Interesting lyrics. I think The Real Ramona and Limbo were better albums. And the song Limbo has a fantastic guitar solo on it. One of my fav. bands from back in the day.
Not only one of my favourite albums of the 80s, but indeed all-time... extraordinary song-writing and harmonic construction and progression all under-pinning these genuinely poetic lyrics... any album that starts ‘I have two heads’ is clearly trying something very different! I think it holds up incredibly well, with production that as contemporary as anything released recently... I had the privilege to see Muses support REM in the UK. What a night that was!! I’ve seen KH a few times since & she’s one of my own Muses 😊
One of my all-time favorite albums! It is still, and will always be in my rotation! It absolutely holds up!
I first saw the video for Juno on MTVs 120 Minutes. I fell in love and immediately went and bought House Tornado! I was completely obsessed. That was in 1988, just as I was graduating high school. That summer, I had a chance meeting with someone at a convenience store that had a Throwing Muses sticker on his car!! I couldn't not talk to him! We ended up dating for a few months - we had a lot of the same friends. We have reconnected over the last couple of years, and he is still a good friend.
House Tornado, Hunkpapa, and The Real Ramona will always be among my top favorite albums and in my rotation. As well as Kristin Hersh's Hips and Makers, which incidentally is 30 years old today!!
Of course I followed Hersh's solo career (have bought some of her books as well), and Donelly in Breeders and Belly.
I bought it last year, and haven’t started it yet! But, so funny because I was talking to my best music buddy yesterday about your newsletter and Throwing Muses, and he asked the same thing! He read it many years ago and was telling me a bit about it, so it’s on my “to be read asap” list now! So, I will totally let you know.
Side note: if your best music buddy asks you to come low key hang and listen to music or watch shows while he cleans and you grade papers… nobody gets any actual work done 🤣 We watched a documentary about the Elephant 6 recording studio.
BUT - he told me a great story about how he saw MGMT when they first started. He ended up getting asked to work the merch booth for an Of Montreal show in a small IL town and after hearing the first couple of songs from the opening band, MGMT, he bought their demo, which was a self burned CD. Such a cool story!
I’ve never listened to this album! I came in a little later as University was my entree to the band. Will need to give this a listen. Thanks for the intro!
Thanks for the reminder to go back to this album! It has been way too long. I can’t remember when the first time I saw TM live was. It definitely wasn’t opening for New Order! How awesome for you! I’m jealous!:)
In my opinion every Throwing Muses album, and every project Kristin and Tanya have been a part of are essential. It’s the rare band that i can say that about. I’m particularly fond of 50 Foot Wave, which was ferocious. I saw them open for Bob Mould and that was one of the best shows (and loudest) I’ve ever seen.
To this day it's probably the oddest (or most unlikely) pairing I've seen.
Agreed 100% on how each record has an important spot in their discography. 50 Foot Wave is awesome, and I'm happy to them get some love. Seeing them with Bob Mould must've been great (and deafening).
Mania . . . "rat, rat, rat, rat" Interesting lyrics. I think The Real Ramona and Limbo were better albums. And the song Limbo has a fantastic guitar solo on it. One of my fav. bands from back in the day.
The Real Ramona is a close second for me. I never got too far into Limbo, but will give it another listen.
Not only one of my favourite albums of the 80s, but indeed all-time... extraordinary song-writing and harmonic construction and progression all under-pinning these genuinely poetic lyrics... any album that starts ‘I have two heads’ is clearly trying something very different! I think it holds up incredibly well, with production that as contemporary as anything released recently... I had the privilege to see Muses support REM in the UK. What a night that was!! I’ve seen KH a few times since & she’s one of my own Muses 😊
Definitely something different from what I'd been used to! TM & R.E.M. must've been a fantastic show.
It was amazing - I think I saw REM twice that year
One of my all-time favorite albums! It is still, and will always be in my rotation! It absolutely holds up!
I first saw the video for Juno on MTVs 120 Minutes. I fell in love and immediately went and bought House Tornado! I was completely obsessed. That was in 1988, just as I was graduating high school. That summer, I had a chance meeting with someone at a convenience store that had a Throwing Muses sticker on his car!! I couldn't not talk to him! We ended up dating for a few months - we had a lot of the same friends. We have reconnected over the last couple of years, and he is still a good friend.
House Tornado, Hunkpapa, and The Real Ramona will always be among my top favorite albums and in my rotation. As well as Kristin Hersh's Hips and Makers, which incidentally is 30 years old today!!
Of course I followed Hersh's solo career (have bought some of her books as well), and Donelly in Breeders and Belly.
I love it! All good romances start with a car sticker. :)
Have you read 'Ratgirl?' I'm about 1/4 the way through it and curious what you might've thought of it.
I bought it last year, and haven’t started it yet! But, so funny because I was talking to my best music buddy yesterday about your newsletter and Throwing Muses, and he asked the same thing! He read it many years ago and was telling me a bit about it, so it’s on my “to be read asap” list now! So, I will totally let you know.
Side note: if your best music buddy asks you to come low key hang and listen to music or watch shows while he cleans and you grade papers… nobody gets any actual work done 🤣 We watched a documentary about the Elephant 6 recording studio.
BUT - he told me a great story about how he saw MGMT when they first started. He ended up getting asked to work the merch booth for an Of Montreal show in a small IL town and after hearing the first couple of songs from the opening band, MGMT, he bought their demo, which was a self burned CD. Such a cool story!
Wait. Tanya Donelly and Kristin Hersh are step-sisters? I had no idea.
Oh, and thanks for bringing this back into rotation for today. It has been too long since I've listened to it.
Always happy to being good stuff back into the rotation!
Great stuff. I'm a fan of The Real Ramona, but need to spend some more time with the catalog! And Belly.
The Real Ramona is awesome. House Tornado is #3 for me. Belly is awesome all around.
I’ve just come back to this ‘era,’ re-remembering how I got my start in alternative music. ❤️
Was this one of the bands you interviewed back in the day?
Not Throwing Muses, but I recently interviewed Tanya Donelly for Q:
https://qthemusic.com/p/the-q-interview-tanya-donelly/
Right on! Thank you for the link.
I’ve never listened to this album! I came in a little later as University was my entree to the band. Will need to give this a listen. Thanks for the intro!
Of course! Let me know what you think.
Thanks for the reminder to go back to this album! It has been way too long. I can’t remember when the first time I saw TM live was. It definitely wasn’t opening for New Order! How awesome for you! I’m jealous!:)
In my opinion every Throwing Muses album, and every project Kristin and Tanya have been a part of are essential. It’s the rare band that i can say that about. I’m particularly fond of 50 Foot Wave, which was ferocious. I saw them open for Bob Mould and that was one of the best shows (and loudest) I’ve ever seen.
To this day it's probably the oddest (or most unlikely) pairing I've seen.
Agreed 100% on how each record has an important spot in their discography. 50 Foot Wave is awesome, and I'm happy to them get some love. Seeing them with Bob Mould must've been great (and deafening).