Muse - Showbiz

(C)(P) 1999 Maverick Recording Company

Test on inner sleeve:
"They are called MUSE and they are going to be huge" —NME

"F*** the Radiohead comparisons and just imagine the most expensive chandelier in Harrods smashing to the ground, sending top-quality shrapnel into every eye in Knightsbridge. Dangerously distraught." —Melody Maker

The history of MUSE can be traced back to the South of England, circa 1994, when schoolmates Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme were drawn together by their common love of music. "We've all known each other since the age of twelve," says guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bellamy. "Music is all that ever really mattered to us, and with that as a common denominator, we've grown together, both as musicians and as people. We're very passionate about what we do." With influences ranging from Tom Waits and Primus to Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Nirvana, and Deftones, MUSE spent the next five years honing their blistering sound, an impassioned blend of majestic vocals, atom-smashing guitars and moody, seductive atmospherics. The result of their efforts is SHOWBIZ, their Maverick Records debut, produced by John Leckie (Radiohead), a richly textured album of dark jagged beauty and pop savvy songcraft. "It sounds strange, but I'm not sure where some of our song ideas come from," says Bellamy. "Obviously, they emanate from somewhere deep within me, but sometimes even I don't understand how I come up with them, and to be honest, I really don't want to find out. I'm afraid that if I figure out the answer, the ideas will stop flowing."