I don’t remember how I first heard of Belly, but I know I picked up their debut Star fairly soon after it came out in early 1993. I already owned the debut albums from both the Throwing Muses and the Breeders, both of which featured Belly frontwoman Tanya Donelly in a supporting role. I listened to Star a decent amount at the time, and I really liked it. I do remember feeling that the album wasn’t quite as impressive as I’d hoped it would be, given Donelly’s pedigree. But it seems the alt-rock crowd, still just finding its feet amid the success of Nivana and others, latched onto the album. I suspect it sold more copies than any Breeders or Muses album had at the time.
Belly’s long-awaited sophomore release didn’t fare as well with that crowd, although it was reviewed pretty well. King (1995) featured a slightly “better” production, with a cleaner sound to Donelly’s voice and guitars, and more emphasis on hooks, less on atmosphere. It didn’t help, probably, that the song chosen to promote the album, “Super-Connected,” was probably the squarest song they’d ever done. (It feels like the kind of song some clueless record exec who knows nothing about a band or the band’s fans would choose to emphasize.) But aside from that song, I liked King just about as well as the debut.
To show how the differences between the two albums are exaggerated, I’ve forgone my usual chronological preferences. Here’s a blend of Belly’s first two albums. Enjoy.
Cover Art:
- Star (front cover and inner sleeve): Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
Recent Comments