THROWING MUSES – HOUSE TORNADO LP – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK 1988  INDIE 4AD PIXIES

Throwing Muses – House Tornado
(4AD Records  1988  CAD802)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve & Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition

Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh, and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the group’s songs. Throwing Muses are known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh’s stark, candid writing style; Donelly’s pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and David Narcizo’s unusual drumming techniques eschewing use of cymbals. Hersh’s hallucinatory, feverish lyrics occasionally touch on the subject of mental illness, more often drawing portraits of characters from daily life or addressing relationships.

House Tornado is an album by the alternative rock band 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 in 1988 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

• Kristin Hersh – guitars, vocals, piano
• Tanya Donelly – guitars, vocals, percussion
• Leslie Langston – bass, backing vocals, percussion
• David Narcizo – drums, backing vocals, percussion