With your bright yellow gun, you own the sun

During the 80s, I loved the Cocteau Twins sleeve designs - beautifully abstract and ethereal, I could stare at them for hours.  Unfortunately, their music, whilst also beautifully abstract and ethereal, held (and still holds) my interest for a couple of minutes at best - which is obviously why I purchased a set of postcards featuring their sleeve designs as opposed to any of their actual music.  

However, this and various other factors (of which “Song To The Siren” by This Mortal Coil played a major part) piqued my interest in 4AD (their record label) and this, in turn, lead me to purchase Lonely is An Eyesore (a kind of “best of 4AD”).  The quality is somewhat variable (although generally higher than you might expect) but the stand-out highlight for me is “Fish” by Throwing Muses - featuring an introduction of strong percussion, jangly guitars and a crescendoing wail leading to the opening lines

I have a fish nailed to a cross on my apartment wall

It sings to me with glassy eyes and quotes from Kafka

And who isn’t going to be drawn in by that?  

Well, as it turns out, a lot of people weren’t - but between 1989 and 1996, Throwing Muses produced 5 albums of the highest quality featuring some impeccably crafted songs.  I was always amazed they never received more recognition than they did (particularly when compared with Pixies who it appears could do no wrong) but having said that, it’s always nice to have something that (it feels like) only you like.  

If I had to pick one album, I’d go for The Real Ramona (with “Counting Backward”, “Not Too Soon” and “Ellen West” being highlights - but seriously, it’s all good).  I also have to give “Bright Yellow Gun” (off University) a mention for being one of my favouritest songs ever.

They're still going to this day - I’ve seen them live a few times and it’s always a great show, but the highlight for me was seeing them reunited with Tanya Donnelly (later from Belly - who are also well worth checking out) in Bristol, where they played a supercharged set in a crowded converted church that felt only slightly cooler than the surface temperature of the sun.  This was also a unique experience for me in my Throwing Muses gig canon because Paul and Alison Billing weren't there –  they can generally be expected to show up at a Throwing Muses or Belly gig.

Also worth checking out is “Paradoxical Undressing” – Kristin Hersch’s teenage memoir which gives glimpses into her fascinating (and somewhat unusual!) life.  It also explains the opening lyrics to “Fish” – and who isn’t going to be drawn in by that?