Star

Belly | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 2011)
• Original Release Date: February 2, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise Records
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• ASIN: B000002MIA
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,947 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #86 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Dream Pop

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The World's Most Under-Rated Record Ever, April 6, 2002

By 

Caesar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star (Audio CD)

Tonya Donelly formed her band Belly after jumping around in Throwing Muses and the Breeders, in which she was largely unrecognized. When this album was released in 1993, it cracked the Billboard Top 10 and even earned the group a Rolling Stone cover. The video for "Feed the Tree" was placed into heavy rotation on MTV's "Alternative Nation" and "120 Minutes". Unfortunately, the record was released at the worst possible time--when 'alternative chick bands' were a-dime-a-dozen. Juliana Hatfield, 4 Non-Blondes, Liz Phair, and countless others dominated the radio and the charts, and Belly was lost among them and virtually crucified by the tone-deaf music critics of the time. So while the album did, in fact, sell moderately decent, we have the heartbreaking experience of seeing five copies of this disc on the clearance shelf of every CD Warehouse in the country. Ironically, that makes this gem fairly easy to come by.

But the album is a masterpiece. Every song was written solely by Donelly. Her voice is silky and borderline-'cute'...but her lyrics are anything but. The darknesses of suffering, abuse, and loneliness dominate the themes, glossed over by beautifully simple and peaceful melodies. Each song has a remarkably simple 3- or 4-chord format (similar to the Lemonheads--another great band of the genre) but the listener does not notice that; he/she only hears beautiful melodies and sweet, smooth vocals.

An often overlooked aspect of this album is the harmony. Sinead O'Connor, Natalie Merchant, and Dolores O'Riordan (of the Cranberries) all employ the concept of harmonizing with their own voices (which is nothing new to 'chick bands'). However, Tonya Donelly does it the best and has remained virtually uncredited.

The opening song, "Someone To Die For" is a haunting acoustic number. The second song, "Angel", is a wonderful overview of the 'feel' of the album--a catchy tune with Donelly's soft voice masking her dark lyrics.

"Dusted" ventures into the realm of child abuse, while "Every Word" is a slow, haunting, drifting tune. "Gepetto" was a minor radio hit; a beautiful melody in which Donelly does a great job of harmonizing with herself. "Witch" is a short, somber melody over an acoustic guitar.

"Slow Dog" is perhaps my favorite track. For some reason, music gives me an adrenaline rush. Donelly's voice is exceptionally sexy and the simple three-chord melody is somehow launched to epic status.

"Low Red Moon" is another haunting melody, very reminescent of post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd. A definite high point.

"Feed the Tree", of course, is the single that launched Belly to their short-lived pseudo-fame and unfortunately tagged the group with the unshakable 'one-hit-wonder' label. The song, actually, is quite good. As catchy and sweet as the melody is, the lyrics are pretty deep: "Silver Baby come to me, I'll only hurt you in my dreams." Donelly's vocal capabilities are widely celebrated on this song.

"Full Moon, Empty Heart" further exhibits Donelly's vocals. She singlely and unaidedly holds a high note for an impossibly long time, melting the listener with her soft cooing until falling into the main chorus. A brilliant song.

"White Belly" is another slow and somber track with haunting and suggestive lyrics. A powerful song, deep with superb delivery.

The record takes a drastic turn with "Untogether", the most personal song on the album. Donelly sings a narrative over her acoustic strums and accompanying slide guitar, with lyrics that will strike a nerve with any listener who is haunted by their past (which applies to everyone, of course). Another definite high point that will stay with you long after the album is done.

"Star" is a completion of a theme that started with "Someone To Die For" and continued in "Witch". A short yet moving track that inevitably brings us closer to the end.

"Sad Dress" is one final 'rocker' that celebrates Donelly's songwriting and harmonizing abilities before bringing us to the closing track "Stay", a slow and moving love song. The melody, like the rest of the album, is very simple yet very beautiful, giving us a final (and emotional) dose of vocal-harmonies and sad lyrics: "...I love him near, I love him dear, and I've loved him for hundreds of thousands of years..."

While this record was virtually lost among releases by REM, Snoop Dogg, Stone Temple Pilots, Ace of Base, Blind Melon, and the other chart-toppers of the time, it takes my vote for the best. I would further advance "Star" to one of the best albums of the 90s: "Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails, "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre, "Nihil" by KMFDM, "Automatic for the People" by REM, "In Utero" by Nirvana, and "Under the Pink" by Tori Amos. Lastly, I would even go so far to say that this is one of the best rock albums ever, included among the ranks of Nine Inch Nails, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd.

No one's musical experience is complete without listening to this album.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sense and sensibility, July 30, 2005

By 

J. C. Schenk (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star (Audio CD)

i have to admit that i'm a fan of 4AD bands such as Throwing Muses and Pixies (how couldn't i be?). But Star is such a fragile yet biting record. I keep on listening to it every half year or so, and i always feel amazed about how the songs don't sound old. It sometimes may sound a bit cheesy, but it's got a real sensibility. Angel and Dusted are thrilling and (in a worrying sad way) euphoric, while White Belly and Low Red Moon are touching and really dark. I would honestly say that every song here is a work of art...musically and lyrically.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast blooming, but no filler, March 6, 2005

By 

travu2 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star (Audio CD)

I got lucky with this CD because I bought it after hearing only one song, Feed the Tree, soon after it came out. It was one of my few impulse buys, and I remember fretting about how much of the album I would actually like just before listening to it. To my relief, and mild disbelief, I ended up liking every song on the album. It isn't a "difficult" album; you will most likely know whether or not you like it pretty quickly, and yet it still sounds fresh after all these years. The music is fairly straightforward and poppy, but for the most part the lyrics are wonderfully abstract and open to interpretation. However, they still fit very well with their respective songs, and offer a glimpse into a neighborhood I forgot I even knew existed. If I had to choose my favorites from this album they would be Angel, Slow Dog, and White Belly.