''Throwing Muses'' is the 1986 debut album of the band

Throwing Muses Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originall ...

, released on British independent label

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD a ...

. This was the first album by an American band to be released on 4AD, which had concentrated primarily on British-based acts up to this point. The release marked a shift in the label's direction; a year later 4AD would sign

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...

based in part on the band's connection to Throwing Muses, and by the mid-1990s much of the label's roster was made up of American bands.

Production

All the songs on the album were written by

Kristin Hersh Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School Kristin School is a private co-educational composite school located in Alb ...

, with the exception of "Green", written by

Tanya Donelly Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band ...

. The album was produced by

Gil Norton Gil Norton (born in Liverpool) is an English record producer known for his work with alternative rock bands such as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo ...

, who went on to produce albums for

. The band considers the album to be untitled, with ''Throwing Muses'' the name they give to another album released in 2003.

Release history

The album was originally released in the UK by 4AD in August 1986 (CAD607) on LP, CD and cassette. Sometime around the early 1990s, the album went out of print, as plans were made by the band's American label,

Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehre ...

to issue the album for the first time in the US, along with 1987's ''Chains Changed'' EP, which had also never seen American release. After Throwing Muses were dropped by Sire following the disappointing sales for 1995's critical favorite ''University'', plans for the re-issue were dropped. The band later resurrected the re-issue project, issuing the 2-CD compilation ''In a Doghouse'' in 1998 on 4AD (DAD607CD) in the UK, and on Rykodisc in the USA. This compilation not only contained the debut LP and EP as originally planned, but also (on the second CD) the demo tape that convinced 4AD president

Ivo Watts-Russell Ivo Watts-Russell (born 1954) is a British music producer and record label executive. He was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the indie record label 4AD. He has produced several records, although he prefers to use the term "musical director". Ea ...

to sign the band; newly recorded versions of songs originally written in the band's early years; and the band's award-winning 1987 video for the song "Fish".

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

calls the album a "powerful debut" whose "startling collision of punk energy, folky melodicism, and Kristin Hersh's mercurial voice and lyrics...puts the work of most self-consciously 'tortured' artists to shame." The review praises the record's "fluid, effortless emotional shifts"—also described as "violent, vibrant mood swings". The album was also included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''. '' Spin'' called it, "a record of dense textures, guitar splatter and belljar lyrics. The fragmented sound of ''Throwing Muses'', a college girl's dining hall conversation set to antagonistic electric screeching, was painful, self-loathing, man-love-hating, ".

Track listing

All songs written by

except "Green", written by

. # "Call Me" – 3:59 # "Green" – 3:04 # "Hate My Way" – 4:06 # "Vicky's Box" – 5:09 # "Rabbits Dying" – 3:49 # "America (She Can't Say No)" – 2:47 # "Fear" – 2:45 # "Stand Up" – 2:56 # "Soul Soldier" – 5:10 # "Delicate Cutters" – 3:53

Personnel

– guitars, vocals, synthesizer *

– guitars, vocals, percussion *Leslie Langston – bass *

David Narcizo David John Narcizo (born May 6, 1966, in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American musician and graphic designer, primarily known for his work as the longtime drummer for Throwing Muses. Career Narcizo played drums on Tanya Donelly's ''Lovesongs ...

– drums, percussion *Dave Knowles – keyboards *Ronald Stone – additional guitar ;Technical *

– production *Richard Donelly – photography

References

{{Authority control Throwing Muses albums 1986 debut albums Albums produced by Gil Norton 4AD albums