.com The Throwing Muses might've sounded at their inception like a fidgety, angle-heavy postpunk dream (cofounders Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly were mere teenagers!); as a trio in 1996 they sound particularly fierce. With Donelly long gone from the band, the former quartet has an oddly fatter sound, maybe thanks to their major-label experience in big-sounding studios with big-minded production. But with Limbo, Hersh, bassist Bernard Georges, and drummer David Narcizo not only founded their own label, Throwing Music, they settled into existence as a rock band that sounds as if they're on the verge of a spastic explosion. Musically, the three make grandly tense music, with Hersh alternating windy sing-song vocals and a forking, brusque delivery that reaches near-shouting levels in swift bursts. The Muses haven't sounded as frontally propelled in some time, here dashing into the loud bash of a song's chorus and there sticking to more regularly timed tempos and rhythms. There's little musical indication here that the band was on the verge of breakup, and Hersh's solo career seems a continuation of any of several Muses threads followed on Limbo (or on The Real Ramona or Hunkpapa, for that matter). --Andrew Bartlett From the Label LIMBO's fearlessly clean production style lays bare Hersh's singular songwriting gift, exposing the song bodies she still describes as "big, live things that have more to do with themselves than with my brain." Like UNIVERSITY, LIMBO was recorded by the band and engineer Trina Shoemaker at Daniel Lanois' New Orleans studio, Kingsway. On LIMBO, intermittent blasts of buzzy lead guitar and grace notes by cellist Martin McCarrack add depth to the mix without burying it. Straight-ahead beats and bass lines gracefully keep pace alongside rushes of masterful, mostly clean-toned guitar. This is an album full of subtle shifts and sudden sharp turns. A seamless flow of time changes in "Tar Kissers" bends the song's spaghetti-western overtones into more sophisticated dimensions. The sexy/psychedelic title track, introduced by the jarring metallic clang of an electric cello, seduces with a trippy sense of danger. The tuneful pop of "Ruthie's Knocking" surges with harmonic Beatlesque crescendos, veiling the subtle threats within ("Don't look in the mirror/or he'll look back at you"). "Freeloader" gallops along like a swaggering cowboy ("I don't hear, I don't hear/ I'm a freethinker"), veering into flamenco-tinged bridges and a moody Spanish epilogue. "Tango" is a heady spin of menacing sexuality; "Serene," a gentle 3/4 strum touched off by an exquisitely melancholy string part, is as comfortable as a recurring dream. LIMBO's striking cover art features exclusive drawings by Gilbert Hernandez of "Love & Rockets" comics fame. LIMBO is a strange place, alternately heavy and weightless, somewhere between heaven and hell. The sound of it is pure; it tells the truth. "I don't think the specifics of any truth matter very much," says Hersh. "The sound will resonate in that part of you that tells the truth."
L**E
Fantastic ... album
I love this album. It was the first that I bought by the Muses, and I haven't looked back. Some of their other work is a little less poppy, so this is a great to "break your self in"Highly recommend it. 4 stars cause it aint up there with Sgt Peppers, but a must have for a rock fan.
R**A
Kristen Hersh should be a huge star . . .
Throwing Muses - Limbo (1996). . . but the popular music world is full of shallow, plasticky dreck and the Muses will forever remain a relatively underground band for those with discriminating tastes in rock. And let it be known that LIMBO does indeed rock. The album has a brash attitude that I love and it comes through in Hersh's fantastically raw riffage as well as her unique voice. It also has a sweet, soft side.The songs largely concern characters who are living a certain rough & tumble lifestyle - the "limbo" of the title - which can easily be interpreted as a druggie's way of life. Some characters are desperate, but many are recklessly carefree. There are other tunes dealing with relationships and lovers that are stunning and gorgeous.I can see how some fans may prefer the Muses of old that they know and love, but I think their albums have generally gotten better and better over time (which says a lot since they were very good when they first started in their teens). I love that early stuff, but later albums like RED HEAVEN rock harder and naturally have more confidence and maturity. LIMBO has got to be one of their best and may even be their masterpiece.
G**I
Weak for their standards
It's quite difficult to convince someone today how important have the Throwing Muses been for rock - female and in general - throughout the 80's and the early 90's when never did important numbers of people buy their albums . Still , one could say it was meant to be that way and they were destined to become a cult secret between eclectic music listeners , all fascinated by dark things . Maybe then it's because of the fact that their music initially needs some extra energy and patience to get into . Occasional cd buyers who help Bon Jovi and Lenny Kravitz conquer the charts every now and then or people who listen music once in a while , during a ride in the car simply won't get what this band is about . Downloading isolated tracks for the internet simply won't do either . You have to buy their stuff , study them . Once you see the whole picture though you'll instantly get hooked . Limbo now , is actually album number eight for the Boston band . Kristin Hersh had nothing to prove to nobody . Childhood friend David Narcizo was still on the drums sit . Ex guitarist Tanya Donelly was preparing for the release of her first solo album . Bassists Leslie Langston and Fred Abong had deceided to continue their lives outside the music business long time ago . Bernand Georges was now playing the four-chord instrument . In past efforts the Muses combined that sense of madness that had always been their trademark with power ( " University " ) , sorrow ( " Hunkpapa " ) and ethereal nature ( " The Real Ramona " ) . On Limbo they sound plain schizophrenic . Many fans who adore them will simply be satisfied by watching Hersh , a strangely happy woman perfoming a grey, unhappy rock song in the video clip of " Ruthie's Knocking " . " Tango " ' s lyrical agenda ( " thank you for chaining me into bed / that was sweet " ) and cold , impersonal vocals are indicative of the record's mood . Not that the energy is not once again here and there are many good ideas to notice ( you would never have imagined how well a cello could fit in a rock tune like " Buzz " ) . You can tell that the songwritting is strong and that there's something special in there but often , it's simply unpleasant listening . In conlusion , " Limbo " suffers from the same things which made Belly's " King " so problematic in the first place : it deserves respect for sounding messy by choice and carries the power of the mysterious personallity behind it but lacks the overall power to make it matter outside the artist's fanbase .
J**Y
Have loved this cd for fourteen years...
I confess to being one of the faithful followers of Kristin Hersh. I own all of her albums whether they are solo albums or one of her bands. Even some that I don't really like. I have traveled the country to see her, been a member of her website, etc.This is the album that made me such a devoted fan. I listened to it (and occasionally University and The Real Ramona) all through college. Of all of her albums, this remains my favorite. Even in 2010, fourteen years later, it sounds great. It stands up to time better than any of the other Throwing Muses albums.It is raw (Tar Kissers), it is at times incredibly beautiful (Serene or White Bikini Sand). It is my favorite album.
A**R
Very Good
I've been following pop music for awhile. I remember seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Somehow, the Muses totally escaped my notice until 1998. This is a group I just can't come to terms with. Simply put, their complete discography, considered as a whole, far,far exceeds the sum of its parts. To this day, I can't actually say that any one of their albums is "great". And yet, and yet... I tell you, these works put me in a fugue state for months. I ended buying and playing every single album over and over and over...It was the strangest thing. This, I think, was my favorite. It kind of all runs together, though. This is turning into a pretty incoherent review but, there you are. Muses music hits me way,way lower than the cerebrum.
D**R
Hooked on Hersch
Just as Bowie's Ziggy was clean, professionally arranged and radio ready, just like "University", he followed it up with a rocking haphazard train wreck of genious "Alladin Sane", just like LIMBO.Sounds as though Hersch is trying to shake herself free of the success of Throwing Muses " Big Yellow Gun " period and just go for whatever comes into her fertile borderline Jon Anderson meets Marianne Faithful brain.I recently listened to LIMBO over and over for over 2 1/2 hours straight while doing desktop publishing.While I consider UNIVERSITY classic, LIMBO is without a doubt, Great !!Doug CashMusician / Producer
A**R
Five Stars
excellent well worth the buy.
O**O
Buen sonido y buen precio
Está en perfectas condiciones. Muy recomendable. Magnífico cd de los throwing muses. Tiene un buen sonido y un buen precio
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