Showbiz

Product Details

Artist : Muse
Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0093624738220
Label : Maverick
Number of Discs : 1
Product Group : Music
Release Date : 1999-10-05
UPC : 936247382206

ASIN : B00001SIES

Track Listings for

Disc-1
1. Sunburn
2. Muscle Museum
3. Fillip
4. Falling Down
5. Cave
6. Showbiz
7. Unintended
8. Uno
9. Sober
10. Escape
11. Overdue
12. Hate This and I'll Love You

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Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.com

Often compared to Radiohead, the youngsters in Muse make no bones about their love of Thom Yorke and company. Like Radiohead and their other favorite band, Nirvana, the tracks on Muse's debut go straight for the quiet verses and windstorm choruses associated with those acts. Unfortunately, Muse don't have that crackling aura their idols possess, and that's something that no amount of production can fix. Still, it's hard to write them off completely after hearing the single "Muscle Museum," which hints at brighter days on the horizon. Radiohead's Pablo Honey wasn't that great an album either, and look at them post-OK Computer. If they're going to crash American radio, they'll have to wait until the next release. --Jason Josephes

Customer Reviews

It's showbiz (2007-03-23)

Despite the recent explosion of dancerock from the UK, Muse is perhaps the most powerful Britpop band to emerge in years. If you want comparisons, they're equal parts Radiohead and Led Zeppelin, with a unique sound that is both melodic and raw. Few debuts are as intense as Muse's "Showbiz." A steady piano melody ripples by, followed by some steady drumming. That, in turn, segues into the expansive bombastic rock'n'roll of "Sunburn." Matt Bellamy sits in the middle of the song, singing in a trembly voice, "I'll feel/A guilty conscience grow/And I'll feel/A guilty conscience grow." Then he bursts into an anguished howl: "And I'll hide from the world/Behind a broken frame/And I'll run forever/I can't face the shame..." The music crests with it, a panoramic blend of guitar, bass and piano. And that's only the first song. The songs that follow are just as powerful, if a bit lower-key. Muse dabbles first in some truly ominous guitar pop, followed by acoustic ballads, and an angsty lament or two. Then, about halfway through the album, things get loud again -- songs like the title track have a wall-of-sound guitar'n'bass melody. In these songs, Muse sounds eerily like a British version of the Smashing Pumpkins. Good as their debut was, Muse wasn't at their peak with "Showbiz" -- they hadn't quite perfected the epic-guitar thing, and the production isn't at its best. But they are still a compelling listen -- the climax of "Uno" is the sonic equivalent of being hit with a tsunami. For a band that was still defining their sound, it's remarkable. Chris Wolstenholme does an exceptional job with the driving bass, while Bellamy pulls double, triple and sometimes quadruple duty, playing everything from Hammond to piano. His roiling guitar riffs are absolutely stunning. It takes a special drummer to have an impact with all of that going on, and fortunately Dominic Howard is up to the task. Bellamy also is the vocalist, and here he shines. Too often comparisons are made to Radiohead's frontman Thom Yorke. However, Bellamy's vocals are more versatile -- he starts off in a sort of trembly voice, sounding sad and vulnerable. Then he lets rip with anguished howls, purrs, murmurs and much more. And he does it in perfect harmony to the music. With their epic sound and excellent musicianship, Muse have the makings of a rock'n'roll legend. "Showbiz" was their first album and it shows, but even with its flaws, it's a stunning piece of work.

A good album (2004-07-13)

This is a fine album but they do sound a lot like Radiohead!They have also been heavily influenced by The Smashing Pumpkins though the popular music press would have you believe they've been more influenced by Nirvana(typical of the prejudiced way the Pumpkins are treated compared to Nirvana in general).If it wasn't for the sometimes lack of originality,this album would be one of the great debuts of all time.They are outstandingly talented musicians though and Matt's a great vocalist.

incredible (2004-07-07)

i consider this the best album by muse. every track is just so good... my favorite is probably 'Showbiz' or 'Cave' but really, theres not a one track that i would skip.

Happy I Found This One (2004-06-29)

This is a somewhat difficult review to write at this moment. I am trying to remember the emotions and feelings that I felt when I first heard this CD, and really had no clue who Muse was. I first heard of Muse through the KROQ (an LA radio station) new music CD that featured Muscle Museum. The rest of that CD wasn't incredible, but from the opening notes of Muscle Museum, I knew I was on to something. I immediately bought the import CD from Amazon and was just blown away with what I heard.

The CD begins with a little piano intro to Sunburn, a song that really shows the musical talent of these young men. The seemless transition between piano and distored guitars is really something to behold. Muscle Museum follows, followed by Fillip, not one of my favorite songs, but again, a beautiful interweaving piano line. Falling Down, Cave and Showbiz are very nice songs (Cave especially), but the next song, Unintended is really the hit song of this album. The first time I heard this song, it brought tears to my eyes, there is so much emotion and complexity to this song, I actually called my brother while listening to this song the first time and told him to by this CD. The lyrics are just stunning, the orchestration and development of the song is just, breathtaking for lack of a better word.

Uno follows Unintended, and while this song definitely is a little bit harsher ("this means nothing to me, cause you mean nothing to me") it still is an excellent song. The CD winds up with some hits (Escape) and some misses (Overdue), but even this misses aren't that far off.

As I sit here and review this CD some five years after I first heard of Muse, I'm amazed at how far they've come musically with their albums that followed Showbiz, but also how mature these gentleman were for being 17 or so when this was recorded. Everyone who likes Radiohead or similar bands should give these guys a shot, truly a masterpiece.

u make me mad jason josephes (2004-06-20)

this is like the best cd ever made and i listen to it all the time. First I dont know hoe people can compare them to Radiohead because they are totally different-Radiohead is whiny and Muse rox. By the way Joseph Josephes (the guy who wrote the Amazon review) u make me mad- I mena what do you mean by Muse not having the "crackling aura " of Radiohead and Nirvana I mean come on. Muse is way better and they just arent nearly as popular because not many people in the US even know of them. If they did some more tours in the US and their cds were easier to find thye could be just as if not more succesful than radiohead. so there. :p

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