Has anyone mentioned this already?
Has anyone mentioned this already?
Oh, nice! I liked that story...
Yeah - I like the term "Music Lifer"!
I kinda love this article a lot. From a historical standpoint, it was a pretty awesome read. Loved their candidness.
A beautiful piece indeed!
I agree the article was well-written, and I enjoyed the interviewing a lot.... But I absolutely cannot believe no one else was even remotely bothered by the statement "2003’s (slightly disappointing) Throwing Muses."
yeah...i was bugged by that. it cost the writer credibility with me.
I noticed it and hoped that he meant that it had disappointing sales, but probably not.
I think it's my 2nd favorite TM album.
interesting that the band's statements made me forget that comment about that 2003 album, which is one of my most favorite too, especially with my recent obsession with Status Quo. Normally stuff like that makes me all pissed off.
Hi Paul! It's funny, I commented on the article about it, and said it's my second favorite Muses album (after the debut). Great minds...
Interesting point about the disappointing sales. That hadn't occurred to me. But I think if that's what he meant he would have worded it differently.
well, it doesn't really *bug* me that he says that, it's just his opinion, everyone can have an album that they don't like that much, or that they don't like at all. in fact, being a fan as i am of everything that Kristin does since i discovered her in 1998, the rawness of the 2003 album took me by surprise, having "Limbo" as the last album till then. and i know they have never made the same album twice, but i remember i expected something more produced. maybe the same happened to Freeman.
that's a really good article, by the way, i just loved it. in Spain, a magazine published an interview with Kristin recently about "Anthology" and the european tour, and the interviewer asks her about "University" being produced by Lenny Kaye... now *that's* awful. Kristin gently answers that he produced her first solo album, but the interviewer writes it in a way that it still seems that she's saying that "University" was produced by Kaye after that. something like that *bugs* me indeed.
Yeah, I get that it's his opinion, but he didn't *state* it like an opinion. If he had said something like "I was slightly disappointed by the 2003 release" it would be different, but he stated it like it's a fact. If someone who wasn't overly familiar with Kristin's work read the article, they would probably think, because of that statement, that it's generally a disappointing album that fans and critics didn't particularly like, and they might not listen to it because of that. I get that it's underproduced compared to 'University' and 'Limbo' but that doesn't change the fact that it's still a Throwing Muses album and therefore still contains brilliant songwriting (and I think it's got a flow and cohesiveness that surpasses that of 'Limbo' or 'University' and is akin to the earlier releases). 'The Grotto' is largely underproduced as compared to 'Sunny Border Blue' or 'Sky Motel' but it would be practically a travesty to hear someone refer to it as "slightly disappointing" because of that. I've always thought of the TM & KH 2003 releases as brother & sister, and even though her songwriting has always been stellar, I think the poetry of the lyrics on both of those albums is bigger, darker, and more dense than that of any of her other albums. I think she was pregnant with Bodhi when she wrote those songs, and I like to think that that's why :)
It's a great piece. I think folk are being a little hard on the author not least because he put his slightly disappointing comment in brackets!
I don't agree with the comment either, it is one of my favourite Muses LPs, but I didn't always feel that way about it. In fact for the first 2 or 3 listens all I could hear was the abrasiveness. Being the Muses though I persevered and the tunes made it through quite quickly after that. But, being honest, if it had been almost anyone else I might not have made it beyond that third listen.
I don't think the production values are in question here.
I remember reading one review of that album which said something about TM admirably and bravely producing an album which swung the band in an altogether new direction. I think they did that to a certain extent and so it's naturally going to divide people. So I can understand the reviewer calling it slightly disappointing as a personal comment in that respect.
I've still yet to work my ears around it properly - though I loved the Season Sessions version of Flying which will make me revisit it. I also overplayed the Cash/WIP tracks for the album a bit, so I'm very used to the quieter, calmer versions of the songs… Los Flamingos vs Lost Flamingos etc.
Petrolboys comment is probably accurate. After the previous TM release, Limbo; 2003 does seem like a violent reaction to what had gone before. As it arrived fully formed with barely a whisper of promotion it also took most of us by surprise. (see my comment elsewhere regarding "casual" listeners not always having time to keep track of all the bands they like)
I confess, after Limbo, maybe even prior to it, I was listening to so much diverse stuff TM, and more so Kristin's solo albums, were not high up my to do list. Strange Angel was stumbled upon at a record fair and refreshed my interest. I was completely blown away by how good TM 2003 is, was, wiil always be. An awesome release, so intense.
I was also a little late to the internet and this has now become my gateway to new music, and much else.
The '03 album has never been a favourite of mine - I share the view of the critic! I have always regarded it as a tentative blueprint for what became 50 Foot Wave!
Anyway, that's what marvellous about art forms - one person can blissfully enjoy what another doesn't, and a professional critic is only giving their opinion.
If they start from the premise that an album by an artist has to be good because it is by that artist, then they have compromised their objectivity. Give me a review by somebody who has no stong feelings about an artist's works over a fan anyday!
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