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House Tornado

 
Album Review: House Tornado

  • Artist: Throwing Muses
  • Rating: StarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1988
  • Total Time: 38:45
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

On their second album and first major-label release, Throwing Muses apply more polish, craft, and melody to the challenging style they forged on their debut. The pop sheen on songs like "Colder" and "Saving Grace" makes their sudden dynamic shifts and tempo changes more accessible without dulling them. Kristin Hersh finds ways to mold her complex music into more straightforward song structures, particularly on "Juno" and "Run Letter." Tanya Donelly develops her own songwriting voice with "River" and "Giant," though both songs still feel like self-conscious attempts to blend with Hersh's material. "Marriage Tree" and "Mexican Women" flesh out the Muses' unique take on country-tinged post-punk; "Saving Grace" and "Walking in the Dark" are two of the group's best stream-of-consciousness meditations. House Tornado isn't quite as wild a ride as Throwing Muses' debut, but the album does prove that the band could expand on its unique sound without sacrificing any originality. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Colder Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (3:20)
Mexican Women Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (2:46)
The River Tanya Donelly Throwing Muses (3:59)
Juno Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (2:03)
Marriage Tree Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (3:00)
Run Letter Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (5:02)
Saving Grace Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (2:39)
Drive Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (3:25)
Downtown Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (4:05)
Giant Tanya Donelly Throwing Muses (3:54)
Walking in the Dark Kristin Hersh Throwing Muses (4:40)

Credits

Throwing Muses (Main Performer), Kristin Hersh (Guitar), Kristin Hersh (Piano), Kristin Hersh (Vocals), Rich Gilbert (Slide Guitar), Paul Q. Kolderie (Engineer), Leslie Langston (Percussion), Leslie Langston (Guitar (Bass)), Leslie Langston (Vocals (Background)), Tanya Donelly (Guitar), Tanya Donelly (Percussion), Tanya Donelly (Vocals), David Narcizo (Percussion), David Narcizo (Drums), David Narcizo (Vocals (Background)), Gary Smith (Producer)
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Wikipedia: House Tornado
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House Tornado
Studio album by Throwing Muses
Released 1988
Recorded Fort Apache Studios, Cambridge, MA
Genre Alternative
Length 38:45, 55:31 (4AD CD version)
Label 4AD/Sire Records
Producer Gary Smith
Professional reviews
Throwing Muses chronology
The Fat Skier
(1987)
House Tornado
(1988)
Hunkpapa
(1989)
Alternate Cover
Cover of the USA release

House Tornado is a 1988 album by Throwing Muses. Produced by Gary Smith and Engineered by Paul Kolderie, it was recorded at Fort Apache Studios in Cambridge, MA. The album was released internationally on the 4AD label, except in the United States, where it was released by Sire Records. Sire used a different album cover for its release, as the label was putting a strong promotional push behind the band, and label executives favored a picture of the band over the collage featured on the 4AD release.

The 4AD CD release also features six of the seven tracks from the band's 1987 EP The Fat Skier. (The seventh track was not deemed essential for CD release, as it was a re-issue of "Soul Soldier" from the band's debut album, followed by an ambient field recording of the band talking in a park.) The Sire release did not feature these six songs, and therefore these songs have never been released on CD in the USA.

Track listing

all songs written by Kristin Hersh except "The River" and "Giant" written by Tanya Donelly

  1. "Colder" – 3:19
  2. "Mexican Women" – 2:46
  3. "The River" – 3:57
  4. "Juno" – 2:03
  5. "Marriage Tree" – 3:00
  6. "Run Letter" – 5:02
  7. "Saving Grace" – 2:38
  8. "Drive" – 3:25
  9. "Downtown" – 4:03
  10. "Giant" – 3:53
  11. "Walking in the Dark" – 4:39

Personnel

Throwing Muses


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "House Tornado" Read more