| Star | ||||
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| Released | January 25, 1993 (UK) February 2, 1993 (US) | |||
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| Length | 50:53 | |||
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Star is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on January 25, 1993.
In the 1980s and 1990s, vocalist and guitarist Tanya Donelly performed with Throwing Muses and the Breeders. After recording the latter's Safari EP in 1992, she decided to quit both bands to solely focus on her own band, Belly. Belly formed at the end of the previous year, consisting of Donelly, guitarist Thomas Gorman, bassist Fred Abong and drummer Chris Gorman. They released their debut EP Slow Dust in June 1992, produced by Gil Norton, and followed it up with the Gepetto EP in November. [2]
Along with alternative rock and jangle pop, the songs on Star also dig into "haunting", "avant" folk rock. [3] [4] Tanya Donelly was credited with pushing dream pop's boundaries by "trimming away its pretensions" while keeping its "trancy harmonies". [3] A "distinct post-punk quality" has also been seen in the music, alongside some country and spaghetti Western influences. [5]
"Angel" is not a rerecording of the song of the same name that Tanya Donelly wrote with Throwing Muses for their 1989 album Hunkpapa .
Star was released on January 25, 1993, and was an unexpected success. Abong departed from the group in May 1993, his role being filled by Gail Greenwood. [6] On February 21, 1994, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of at least 500,000 units. [7]
The single "Feed the Tree" topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in March 1993, [8] and also became a surprise pop hit, peaking at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. [9] [10] The music video for "Feed the Tree" received notable airplay on MTV, culminating in two nominations at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist in a Video and Best Alternative Video. [11] "Slow Dog" peaked at number 17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in May 1993, [12] while "Gepetto" peaked at number eight in November, [13] in addition to reaching number 13 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart. [14]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [15] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B [16] |
| Mojo | [17] |
| NME | 8/10 [18] |
| Q | [19] |
| Record Collector | [20] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| Slant Magazine | [5] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10 [21] |
NME reviewer John Harris wrote that Star "finds Tanya Donelly venting the pop sensibilities that were occasionally allowed to surface during her time with Throwing Muses", praising it as "a rare thing; a pop album that's streaked with themes that are usually the preserve of art-rock bores." [18] Q 's Mark Cooper raved that Donelly shows a "newfound confidence" and demonstrates "her ability to blend pop drive with the Muses' moody atmospherics and labelmates like the Cocteau Twins." [19] In Melody Maker , Jim Irvin found that as a whole, the album shows "a depth and variety only hinted at" by its singles, which he felt sounded more effective "when heard in proximity to the darker material." [22] Kevin Ransom of Rolling Stone said that Donelly's "free-verse lyrics and metaphorical overreach" suggested the influence of Bob Dylan, which Ransom welcomed as "a very good sign" at a time "when too many alternative-rock bands worship at the Church of Perpetual Grunge and Dissonance". [4] Los Angeles Times journalist Chris Tinkham commented that Donelly "deliver[s] her haunted blues and surreal rock with assurance and adventure." [23]
Stephanie Zacharek was more reserved in her praise in Entertainment Weekly , complimenting the music on Star while finding Donelly's lyrics awkward at times. [16] Orlando Sentinel critic Parry Gettelman, however, wrote that Donelly often "lapses into that current bane of college rock, the baby-girl voice, sounding like a cross between Julianna Hatfield [ sic ] and Marilyn Monroe." [24]
In 1994, Star was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album, while Belly were nominated for Best New Artist. The band won Best Modern Rock Act at the Boston Music Awards, with Star winning the Debut Album of the Year award. [6] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the album "remains an enchanting debut" and marked the point where Donelly's songwriting, which "began to blossom" on Throwing Muses' The Real Ramona (1991), "reaches fruition." [3] Slant Magazine 's Sal Cinquemani praised its "marriage of mainstream sensibilities and alt-rock aesthetic", which he found "makes Star transcend the grunge-rock label and, years later, continue to shine so brightly." [5] In Mojo , Martin Aston highlighted the album's "classic pop tropes", which he noted would not have befitted the "anxious energy" of Throwing Muses, and which allowed Star to achieve "alt-rock crossover" success. [17] Tim Peacock of Record Collector wrote that Star "is still Belly's most necessary platter" and endures as "a fetching concoction of dreamy, folk-tinged alt. rock ... long on concise, hooky songs". [20]
All tracks are written by Tanya Donelly, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Someone to Die For" | 2:04 | |
| 2. | "Angel" | 2:58 | |
| 3. | "Dusted" | 2:48 | |
| 4. | "Every Word" | 3:33 | |
| 5. | "Gepetto" | 3:24 | |
| 6. | "Witch" | 1:35 | |
| 7. | "Slow Dog" | 4:02 | |
| 8. | "Low Red Moon" | 5:32 | |
| 9. | "Feed the Tree" | 3:29 | |
| 10. | "Full Moon, Empty Heart" | 3:02 | |
| 11. | "White Belly" |
| 3:36 |
| 12. | "Untogether" | 4:43 | |
| 13. | "Star" | 1:27 | |
| 14. | "Sad Dress" | 3:44 | |
| 15. | "Stay" | 4:56 | |
| Total length: | 50:53 | ||
Adapted from AllMusic's Credits page for Star. [25]
Additional musicians
Technical
Artwork and design
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [26] | 74 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [27] | 65 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [28] | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 [29] | 59 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [30] | 1 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) [31] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) [7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal, her twin sister Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson (drums).
Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects.
Martha Kristin Hersh is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter known for her solo work and with her rock bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave. She has released eleven solo albums. Her guitar work and composition style ranges from jaggedly dissonant to traditional folk. Hersh's lyrics have a stream-of-consciousness style, reflecting her personal experiences.
Belly is an alternative rock band formed in Rhode Island in 1991 by Tanya Donelly. The original lineup consisted of Donelly on vocals and guitar, Fred Abong on bass, and brothers Tom and Chris Gorman on guitar and drums respectively. The band released two albums during the early 1990s alternative rock boom before breaking up in 1995. They reunited in 2016 and mounted limited tours in the United States and United Kingdom that year.
Lovesongs for Underdogs is the solo debut album by American musician Tanya Donelly, who had formerly recorded with Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly. It was released on September 8, 1997 and issued by 4AD and Sire Records.
Alternative Airplay is a music chart published in the American magazine Billboard since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played songs on alternative and modern rock radio stations. Introduced as Modern Rock Tracks, the chart served as a companion to the Mainstream Rock chart, and its creation was prompted by the explosion of alternative music on American radio in the late 1980s. During the first several years of the chart, it regularly featured music that did not receive commercial radio airplay anywhere but on a few modern rock and college rock radio stations. This included many electronic and post-punk artists. Gradually, as alternative rock became more mainstream, alternative and mainstream rock radio stations began playing many of the same songs. By the late 2000s, the genres became more fully differentiated with only limited crossover. The Alternative Airplay chart features more alternative rock, indie pop, and pop punk artists while the Mainstream Rock chart leans towards more guitar-tinged blues rock, hard rock, and heavy metal.
Tanya Donelly is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England. She came to prominence as a co-founder of the band Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band The Breeders alongside Kim Deal in 1989, before leaving to front her own band Belly in 1991. By the late 1990s, she settled into a solo recording career, working largely with musicians connected to the Boston music scene.
Pod is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released by 4AD records on May 29, 1990. Engineered by Steve Albini, the album features band leader Kim Deal on vocals and guitar, Josephine Wiggs on bass, Britt Walford on drums, and Tanya Donelly on guitar. Albini's production prioritized sound over technical accomplishment; the final takes favor the band's spontaneous live "in studio" performances.
David John Narcizo is an American musician and graphic designer, primarily known for his work as the longtime drummer for Throwing Muses.
King is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on February 13, 1995.
The Real Ramona is the fourth studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1991. It peaked at number 26 on the UK Albums Chart.
Hunkpapa is the third studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1989. It peaked at number 59 on the UK Albums Chart.
Gail Greenwood is an American musician and illustrator most notable for performing bass guitar and guitar with the bands Belly and L7.
"Eat the Music" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Kate Bush. Columbia Records released it as the lead single from Bush's seventh album, The Red Shoes (1993), in the United States, while EMI chose "Rubberband Girl" everywhere else in the world.
Throwing Muses is the eighth studio album by the alternative rock band Throwing Muses. It was recorded over three weekends and released simultaneously with Kristin Hersh's solo record The Grotto on 17 March 2003. The album features Bernard Georges on bass and David Narcizo on drums as well as original bandmate Tanya Donelly on backing vocals.
"Feed the Tree" is a song by American alternative rock band Belly, released as the band's first single from their debut album, Star, in 1993. It is the band's biggest hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. According to lead singer Tanya Donelly, the song is a metaphor about commitment and respect, with the tree being a place on a large farm where a family would be buried.
The discography of American alternative rock band The Breeders consists of five studio albums, one live album, three extended plays, ten singles and twelve music videos. Kim Deal, then-bassist of American alternative rock band the Pixies, formed The Breeders as a side-project with Tanya Donelly, guitarist of American alternative rock band Throwing Muses. After recording a demo tape, The Breeders signed to the English independent record label 4AD in 1989. Their debut studio album Pod was released in May 1990, but was not commercially successful. After the revival of the Pixies and Throwing Muses in 1990, The Breeders became mostly inactive until the Pixies' breakup in 1993. With a new lineup, The Breeders released their Safari EP in 1992, followed by their second studio album Last Splash in 1993. Last Splash was The Breeders' most successful album; it peaked at number 33 on the United States Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1994. The album spawned the band's most successful single, "Cannonball". The single peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number two on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
Red Heaven is a studio album by the American band Throwing Muses, released in 1992. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart. Throwing Muses promoted the album by touring with the Flaming Lips. "Firepile" was released as a single.
"Madness" is a song by the English rock band Muse. It is the second track and second single from Muse's sixth studio album, The 2nd Law (2012), released as a download on 20 August 2012. It was written by singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy and produced by the band. The music video premiered on 5 September 2012.
Dove is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Belly, released on May 4, 2018. It was released twenty-three years after Belly's previous album King (1995) and their subsequent disbandment. The band reformed in 2016, and, following a successful reunion tour, chose to crowdfund a new album which would become Dove.
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