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Showbiz

Muse | Format: Audio CD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (178 customer reviews)
List Price: $13.98
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Biography

Muse’s fifth album, entitled The Resistance, was produced by Muse and mixed by famed audio engineer Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, who is known for his work with U2, Depeche Mode, No Doubt, and Oasis, among many others.

For the last few years, Muse, which is vocalist/guitarist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard, have played to sell-out crowds throughout the U.S., Asia,… Read more in Amazon's Muse Store

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Showbiz + Origin of Symmetry + Absolution
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  • Origin of Symmetry ~ Muse Audio CD$12.99

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  • Absolution ~ Muse Audio CD$11.99

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (September 28, 1999)
  • Original Release Date: September 28, 1999
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Maverick
  • ASIN: B00001SIES
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (178 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,860 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
    #68 in  Music > Rock > Progressive > Progressive Rock

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Editorial Reviews

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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

Product Description

Japanese Version featuring a Bonus Track. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

178 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (178 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars No biz like "Showbiz", April 9, 2005
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Showbiz (Audio CD)
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.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, March 17, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Showbiz (Audio CD)
It's fantastic!! I am a huge Radiohead fan (I love Nirvana too), but that definitely doesn't mean that only Radiohead fans will like this CD, as it has a unique sound, and although Matthew's vocals sound scarily like Thom Yorke at times, (which is, admittedly, one of my favourite Muse details) their music differs from Radiohead's music in many ways. As for my favourite songs... "Sunburn" is obviously wonderful, I bought the album after hearing that song on the radio, "Falling Down" (such beautiful vocals), "Cave", "Showbiz" (one of my most favourite ever songs of all time ever, together with "Sunburn"), "Uno" (that song rocks!!! It's so much fun to listen to) and "Overdue". But however much I listen to the final track, "Hate This & I'll Love You", I just can't decide whether I like it or not. It's just one of those songs.

Another thing, I'm not a huge fan of "Muscle Museum". Yes, I do know I'm possibly the only person in the world. It seems to be everyone's favourite. And I just don't understand. I always seem to be different. But anyway, if you've heard "Muscle Museum" and you're not keen on it, PLEASE don't be put off by it, because I'm not keen on it either but I still found the album AMAZING.

Don't let this album pass you by. It's a fantastic piece of work.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Muscle Muse(um), February 7, 2001
By vlad "vbelozeroff" (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Showbiz (Audio CD)
Well, Radiohead? I really doubt it.

Muse are close to the genre, alright (as well as many other bands are closer to one or another style), they are from Britain, ok, they even love Radiohead, but the list of similarities rather ends here.

For me, what makes them differ from their brit colleagues is the fact that they have more muscles - the music ones, of course: they sound different from any other since they have their own originality that is supported by their rich bass lines, heavy electric guitars and nice latin ones, and beautiful lyrics. They have even more: they've got the unique spirit of this album, the one that makes me believe they possess a huge talent and a definite future.

Sunburn, Showbiz, Uno, and Unintended are undoubtedly great songs that shape the cd well, however, for me, the real standouts are Muscle Museum and Escape.

Fillip, Cave, Overdue, and Hate This and I'll Love You are each unique in their sound, but overall just show the same perfectness of their creators.

Really worth buying and looking forward to their next album.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album!
Showbiz is Muse's debut album, but it's definitely one of my favorites. Most of the things that make them great; interesting rhythms, amazing piano compositions, etc, are here. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cia_Splinter

5.0 out of 5 stars Muse Showbiz
I love this CD, they are an Awesome Group.
Fast delivery, impressed
Thank you
Published 4 months ago by Kathleen E. Welch

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
The beginning of everything, Muse's first album, nothing but perfection, this one is not officially sold in Brasil, the only option for costumers is to pay a extremely high price... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Paulo Vitor C. Almeida

5.0 out of 5 stars Muse is awesome
My 17-year-old son loves this MUSE SHOWBIZ collection. If you like Muse, you should get this cd.
Published 5 months ago by AMK

5.0 out of 5 stars ha ha, I didn't even listen to this yet...but will & will like IT!!!
I know that MUSE are going to by my next loving band.
The new LP is getting mixed reviews, but I think it is great that Freddie Mercury came back from the dead to record it... Read more
Published 6 months ago by acquavinyl

5.0 out of 5 stars Muse-ism
Am I a Muse-ian? Heck yes, and this older album of Muse is no acception to their fame. Muse is known for such good music, and this album doesn't fail to bring that power into such... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jorge Hidalgo

3.0 out of 5 stars A lukewarm first album
This Muse's debut album, and it's rather average. It actually has quite a similar "sound" to their later albums, with a mix of hard and soft-sounding rock songs, except that the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by HL

5.0 out of 5 stars I HEART MUSE
I love Muse so much! I'm glad I found this older album that I didnt even know existed! Great stuff!! Can't wait for them to tour the states again in the spring!
Published 11 months ago by Mallory A. Morettin

3.0 out of 5 stars This is how Muse used to sound??????
Needless to say I like Muse a lot, they're my 3rd favorite band, and I had only 2 albums, Black Holes and Absolution, before buying this. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Renfield

5.0 out of 5 stars My sincere thanks go out to Stephenie Meyer for indirectly introducing me to this great band.
Like a lot of people I was first introduced to Muse through reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Bryan J. Peterson

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Showbiz
43% buy the item featured on this page:
Showbiz ~ Muse Audio CD 4.5 out of 5 stars (178)
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