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 Do... more »nelly 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« less
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
"I Have LONG been a fan of Throwing Muses, and through boredom online and searching sites, I started looking up things I already knew. I have owned this album (Among many others of theirs) for many years now and I still feel quite strongly about it. There are few groups out there (still in existence or not) who truly pull off the aggressve poeticism of the 80' post punk alternative movement; and Throwing Muses is one of them. BUT to say only that is to pigeon hole them into a genre, which is undeserved. Kristen Hersh is truly a gifted songwriter and guitar player, and along with the rest of the band (accomplished musicians as well!), created a amazing soundscape. If you like the rock, Give them a listen... And try to see them live if ever there is another chance!"
Kristen Hersh should be a huge star . . .
Rich Latta | Albuquerque, NM - Land of Entitlement | 10/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
". . . 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.
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 early 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."
Very Good
Mark W. Brinton | Bellevue, WA USA | 02/26/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"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."
An interesting experience
Bobby Reeves (reeves@dickinson.edu) | New Stanton, PA | 07/21/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Throwing Muses, with the quite talented Kristin Hersh, is one of my favorite bands, but this album didn't strike the same inner-chord University chimes with me. What can I say, maybe I'm just tired of only seeing album reviews by people who absolutely adore the album they are writing about. Limbo is very good, perhaps some of their tightest sounding music, but it doesn't have the same raw intensity of University or their earlier work. But don't let me discourage you...I own all of the Muses cds and all of Hersh's solo work. All are worth the listen."
An Overlooked Classic
B. J. Helms | Indiana, USA | 05/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A lot of my musical tastes are pretty peculiar, I'll admit, though they aren't anything the avid Rolling Stone reader wouldn't be familiar with. That being said, I'm absolutely surprised that this album doesn't make more people's top 10s. I may be one of the few people who prefer Limbo to Sgt. Pepper's, but out of all the alternahype of the late eighties and early nineties, this album, for me, takes the clichés and makes them fresh. Plus, this was the once-final album of a band who invented many of those clichés (they've since a few more releases).I haven't heard every Throwing Muses album yet, but this remains my favorite. It's even hard to pick out favorite or standout tracks. My favorites tend to change over the years (when I first bought it, I thought "Ruthie's Knocking" was the standout, now I lean toward "Freeloader" or "Tar Kissers"). Every song is well-written and beautifully arranged, even if some might believe it veers toward over-production. In truth, each one of Kristin's guitar or vocal parts fits seamlessly. Likewise, although the album's influences run from harder alterna-rock to pop to surf to funk or jazz, these influences are blended together into a sound that is pure Throwing Muses."