Belly - Seal My Fate
Belly - Super Connected
Belly’s debut album, Star, released in 1993, was an unqualified crossover success. The Rhode Island-based dream pop band, fronted by Tanya Donelly, who had spent time in both the Breeders and Throwing Muses, broke through in a big way. Belly‘s dreamy alternative rock connected with audiences in the United States and the United Kingdom, driven by the success of the single “Feed the Tree” featured in the coveted MTV Buzz Bin.
Star sold around 800,000 copies in the United States, hitting #2 on the UK albums chart. Belly were nominated for two Grammys–Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Performance. They were on top of the world, touring with new bassist Gail Greenwood. Expectations were high for the follow-up.
Two years later, Belly released the follow-up, King, and while most critics were kind, it simply didn’t sell as well as Star. By then, alternative radio was dominated by more aggressive guitars, and the singles were largely ignored. In addition, the band had largely dispensed with their debut’s dreamy, gauzy sounds in favor of louder guitars.
However, the more rock-centered King, produced by Glyn Johns, wasn’t heavy enough to get radio play but was probably too electric guitar-centered for many fans drawn in by Star‘s dreamy quality. Reportedly, the group weren’t too surprised that King underperformed. They have shared in interviews since that recording it was not a fun experience.
Thirty years on, King deserves reconsideration. It is an unfairly forgotten, solid follow-up that shouldn’t have been so quickly relegated to the cut-out bin. Its sales of over 350,000 probably don’t sound too much like a disaster for a rising band today. While King is not giving more of the same in terms of songwriting, it is the sound of a road-tested group circumventing expectations a little and still writing several memorable tracks. If listened to without the weight of expectation, this is a solid 1990s alternative rock record with several winning songs. It’s odd to say, but this record might have done better if a different band made it, one not carrying the weight of expectation Belly were laboring under.
Belly moved toward louder guitars when they hit the road to support Star. When original bassist Fred Abong quit just after it was released, Gail Greenwood replaced him just in time for the tour, and her metal past influenced the group to emphasize more electric guitar on stage. That influence certainly carried over into the songs on King. From: https://www.popmatters.com/belly-king-atr-30
Star sold around 800,000 copies in the United States, hitting #2 on the UK albums chart. Belly were nominated for two Grammys–Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Performance. They were on top of the world, touring with new bassist Gail Greenwood. Expectations were high for the follow-up.
Two years later, Belly released the follow-up, King, and while most critics were kind, it simply didn’t sell as well as Star. By then, alternative radio was dominated by more aggressive guitars, and the singles were largely ignored. In addition, the band had largely dispensed with their debut’s dreamy, gauzy sounds in favor of louder guitars.
However, the more rock-centered King, produced by Glyn Johns, wasn’t heavy enough to get radio play but was probably too electric guitar-centered for many fans drawn in by Star‘s dreamy quality. Reportedly, the group weren’t too surprised that King underperformed. They have shared in interviews since that recording it was not a fun experience.
Thirty years on, King deserves reconsideration. It is an unfairly forgotten, solid follow-up that shouldn’t have been so quickly relegated to the cut-out bin. Its sales of over 350,000 probably don’t sound too much like a disaster for a rising band today. While King is not giving more of the same in terms of songwriting, it is the sound of a road-tested group circumventing expectations a little and still writing several memorable tracks. If listened to without the weight of expectation, this is a solid 1990s alternative rock record with several winning songs. It’s odd to say, but this record might have done better if a different band made it, one not carrying the weight of expectation Belly were laboring under.
Belly moved toward louder guitars when they hit the road to support Star. When original bassist Fred Abong quit just after it was released, Gail Greenwood replaced him just in time for the tour, and her metal past influenced the group to emphasize more electric guitar on stage. That influence certainly carried over into the songs on King. From: https://www.popmatters.com/belly-king-atr-30
