Shark EP

Shark EP (1996) Throwing Muses

Shark is one of my all-time favorite EPs.

It is perfect in every way.

I love the packaging, but the best thing is the songs. It is made up of re-named re-recordings of some of the best songs from Throwing Muses's 1996 LP Limbo.

At the time, Limbo was supposed to be their final album. They were splitting up for lack of money. Limbo is, by far, thier greatest record; it contain their strongest songs and they never sounded better.

I'm pretty sure that "Shark" (2:52) is different from the LP version; it sounds tighter and more violent.

(The song contains elements of an early TM song called "Clear and Great" that was written in the early 1980s and re-recorded for their In A Doghouse collection along with "Catch" and "Lizzie Sage".)

Track two is a new version of "Tar Kissers" called "Tar Moochers". While the album version is loud and distorted, the EP version is more country-sounding and clear. The drums, in certain sections, are jarring and urgent. I love both versions so much that it's hard to decide which is better. I think it's a tie.

"Serene Swing" (3:10), the re-recording of "Serene", also switches identities here. On the album it's almost a ballad. Here, it's all a wash of electric guitar. I definitely prefer this version to the original.

The last song, "Limbobo"(I love the new name), is one of Throwing Muses's best songs ever. It sets its own mood and atmosphere.

The song starts with some kind of mechanical drum sound and then fills with a growling, grumbling bass buzz. It's scary and hypnotic- it sounds like pure evil. The vocals slide in along with a softer guitar sound.

"Limbobo" is like the flipside of Throwing Muses's version of "Amazing Grace" from the Counting Backwards EP. Instead of ending where it could, it goes on and on, making it one of TM's longest songs (7:19). You listen and wish it could go on forever but it's kind of a relief when it does end.

The Shark EP contains four of the best songs that any band could hope to record. It's a shame that few people ever got a chance to hear the Limbo LP and even fewer will ever hear the Shark EP.

You should seek out the Shark EP. It's amazing and you won't be disappointed.

"Sleepwalk" EP Tanya Donelly

Sleepwalk EP (2002) Tanya Donelly

The latest record in the RJ Battles EP Spotlight is Tanya Donelly's Sleepwalk from 2002. It came out around the same the same time as her second solo album, Beautysleep.

My only complaint is that the lead track, "The Storm", is the LP version and not a re-recording (when she put out the Sliding & Diving EP ahead of her Lovesongs LP, it featured two B-sides, an album track, but also a remix of "Bum" that was much better than the version on the album).

"The Storm", a ballad, starts out with loud electric guitar and then gets quiet and slow. The song would fit in well on Belly's debut, or even King.

Next up is another ballad, "After Your Party", a sad song about being young, lonely, and living in a big city.

Track three is one of my favorite Donelly songs, "Days of Grace". I was very excited when I read that the song was going to be re-recorded for her 2006 LP, This Hungry Life, along with one of Beautysleep's bonus tracks, "To The Lighthouse", but, neither song turned out as good as the original. "Days of Grace" is a perfect pop song, warm and catchy, but no less sad than the other songs on this EP.

The last track is the saddest of them all. "Last Rain".

"Sometime today it will rain/ One of the last of the 1900s/ Should we go out and try to save it/ Or just let it go like the days and decades?"

Sleepwalk is the perfect EP for rainy days.

Note: There are two version of this EP; one is called Sleepwalk, another is simply called EP.

EPs: "Now They'll Sleep" by Belly

Now They'll Sleep EP (1995) Belly

Now They'll Sleep was the first single from Belly's 1995 LP King. Now They'll Sleep perfectly represents the songs on King and it's very catchy.

The title comes from The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy and everyone are on their way to see the wizard they come upon a field of poppies. The Wicked Witch of the West is watching through her crystal ball and says "Now they'll sleep".

I've never seen the movie Tank Girl but "Thief" is on the soundtrack. It's also on the soundtrack of Twister; I've seen that movie three times but still I don't know when it appears or if it does at all. Back in the mid-90s, a lot of "alternative rock" songs would show up on soundtrack albums- not because they were in any way related to the story, but because record companies wanted to boost soundtrack sales or they wanted to promote certain bands.

I used to skip over "Thief" and didn't like it too much till I gave it a second chance when it appeared on Sweet Ride: The Best of Belly.

It is a good song, but track three, "Baby's Arm", should've taken its place. I've always loved "Baby's Arm"- it sounds like Star-era Belly. It almost sounds like Real Ramona-era Throwing Muses. It has a demo feel to it and it would be cool to see Tanya Donelly re-record it for a solo album.

Track four, "John Dark" was supposed to be on King but got left off. That's fine, it's a little weak and a little dreary. Plus the lyrics turn me off.

Although I love the color brown I found the front cover a little disappointing. On the other hand, the set-up of the back cover is cool. You can tell they were trying to do something different from the Star-era EPs. The Star-era EPs are impossible to top but it was a good try. The inside image- red flowers, half covered with a white text pattern are the best part of the package. With a bright "Belly" logo slapped on it would've made a perfect front cover.

I think it was the Frank Black Headache 10" and 12" where v23 started using photos of record sleeves for their record sleeves. The 12" Now They'll Sleep EP uses the entire CD package all layed flat with a "Belly" logo on top.

I don't own the 12" but I've seen the cover online, as well as the record labels, but I've never seen what the back cover looks like. I'm dying to see it. If you have a scan of the back cover, I'm begging you, please send it along to me. I'll love you forever.

I've found- online- most of the things that I'd looked for forever: Baby Silvertooth, the inside of the Feed The Tree EP, the back cover of the Gepetto 12" EP.

If I can't find the back cover online and if nobody sends it to me then I'll probably buy it online; I've seen it on ebay and internet record stores, but I don't want to have to do that.

I bought the Now They'll Sleep EP CD, along with the Seal My Fate EP CD back in 1995 at Tower Records in Boston. I remember going to visit my high school friend Paula at Regis College afterwards. That was a fun day.

EPs

In addition to a brand new album, this year is also supposed to see the release of a Throwing Muses anthology including a second disc of B-sides.

In honor of that, I'm going to do a series of posts about EPs, extended plays. My definition is anything that isn't an album and isn't a single (one song and one B-side).

This will be the first post and I chose Throwing Muses Counting Backwards EP as it's one of my favorites.

This EP has it all: bright, colorful artwork, a guest musician, and B-sides that are better than the single, plus another B-side that's more interesting.

Now, "Counting Backwards" is a good song- it kicks off The Real Ramona and is the perfect bridge between their previous LP, Hunkpapa, and the new direction of Ramona. I think I read somewhere that the song is about a certain therapy that was suggested to help with bipolar disorder.

Track 2 of the EP is "Amazing Grace" and it's probably one of TM's best songs. The song is so well-played and the guitars are amazing, especially accoustic lap steel guitar played by guest musician Joe Harvard. At 5:43 it's a long song, but not too long; it just gets better and better. The ending is incredible.

"Same Sun" is the third track and I always thought that the lyrics were pretty interesting. It's an odd song. There's a mention of a "postcard" which makes me think that "Same Sun" may have somehow inspired the sleeve artwork for The Real Ramona which includes a postcard. And maybe "Same Sun" was originally part of the album tracklisting but was ultimately left off (because it's so strange).

By the way, back in early 1995 I remember reading a story about Belly recording their upcoming LP King and one of the songs mentioned was "John Dark". "John Dark" ended up, instead, on the Now They'll Sleep EP. One of the songs on the Seal My Fate studio EP was "Diamond Ribcage", which includes the line, "My heart in diamond ribcage"- I suspect "Diamond" was orinally supposed to be on King as so much of the sleeve art features playing card symbols- clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds. Shit, I should've saved those theories for when I post about Seal My Fate.

Anyway, the forth and final track on the Counting Backwards EP is "Cottonmouth", and I get the impression that it might be the all-time favorite song of most Throwing Muses fans. Unless my memory is messed up, I think I first heard it at a Kristin Hersh solo show at Smith College back in 1994. There's a very cool (partial) video on Youtube showing Throwing Muses playing "Cottonmouth" and you can hear the crowd singing along and nearly drowning out Hersh.

There's something special about this EP. Actually, there's a lot special about it, but what I'm talking about now is the tracklisting. The order is odd, I'd say...I think the obvious choice would be to put "Amazing Grace" at the end because 1) it's so long, and 2) it has that "last track" feel to it, and 3) it just rambles on and on (in a very good way, of course). But it's placed as the second track and the best song comes at the end.

An odd choice, but it works.

Though it's only an EP, Counting Backwards is an essential Throwing Muses recording, maybe the essential Throwing Muses recording. Even more than The Real Ramona, it represents the high point of the original line-up.