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.
