Throwing Muses - Heel Toe (1997)

After looking into the early work of Throwing Muses, we come bang up to date with a collection of rare out-takes and b-sides from when they were recording their string of superlative albums for the 4AD record label. We start with a couple of out-takes from the sessions for their EP and mini-album from 1987, with 'Fish' being a reworked song from their 'Doghouse' cassette. They offered this to 4AD for inclusion on their excellent 'Lonely Is A Eyesore' compilation album from 1987, and not only was it one of the best tracks on there, but it's lyric also provided the album with it's title. The band didn't really start to include non-album b-sides on their singles until quite late in their career, but when they did they were all top quality stuff. In 1990 they contributed 'Back Road (Matter Of Degrees)' to the film 'A Matter Of Degrees', which also included songs from some of the best indie bands of the period, and for the rest of the 90's they added at least one new song to each of their singles, right up until they sadly broke up in 1997. The good news is that they reformed in 2003, and have a new album called 'Sun Racket' due out any day now. To prepare you for that, enjoy these hard to find songs from that classic decade of their career between 1987 and 1997.       

Track listing

01 Hillbilly (out-take from 'The Fat Skier' 1987)
02 Fish (out-take from 'Chains Changed' 1987, later gifted to 'Lonely Is An Eyesore')
03 Same Sun (b-side of 'Counting Backwards' 1990)
04 Cottonmouth (b-side of 'Counting Backwards' 1990)
05 Back Road (Matter Of Degrees) (from the film 'A Matter Of Degrees' 1990)
06 Snailhead (from the 'Firepile E.P. (Part One)' 1992)
07 City Of The Dead (from the 'Firepile E.P. (Part One)' 1992)
08 Handsome Woman (from the 'Firepile E.P. (Part Two)' 1992)
09 Red Eyes (b-side of 'Bright Yellow Gun' 1994)
10 Like A Dog (b-side of 'Bright Yellow Gun' 1994)
11 Tar Moochers (b-side of 'Ruthie's Knocking' 1996)
12 Serene Swing (b-side of 'Ruthie's Knocking' 1996)
13 Limbobo (b-side of 'Ruthie's Knocking' 1996)
14 Heel Toe (b-side of 'Freeloader' 1997)