"And it's led me on and on to you"
And I can't look away
And she'll burn our horizons
make no mistakes
Showbiz is the debut studio album by the English Alternative Rock band Muse, released in September 1999 under Taste Media.
It is notable for having a more straight-forward alternative rock sound, lacking the classical (and later Genre Roulette) elements the band would be known for. And despite being recorded and released at the tail end of the 90's, most of the songs were already written a few years prior, with a few early versions appearing in demos and the Muse EP from the previous year.
Showbiz had moderate success in the United Kingdom, and it was positively received. Though, some criticisms were attributed to them, pointing out similarities to Radiohead at the time.
This album, along with its immediate successor, Origin of Symmetry, were remastered in 2019 being released together on the Origin of Muse boxset, along with demos, b-sides and outtakes from both eras.
Tracklist:note
- "Sunburn" (3:54)
- "Muscle Museum" (4:23)
- "Fillip" (4:01)
- "Falling Down" (4:33)
- "Cave" (4:46)
- "Showbiz" (5:16)
- "Unintended" (3:57)
- "Uno" (3:37)
- "Sober" (4:04)
- "Escape" (3:31)
- "Overdue" (2:26)
- "Hate This and I'll Love You" (5:09)
Controlling my tropes for too long...
- The '90s: Released right at the tail end of the decade.
- Alliterative Title: "Muscle Museum" and "Spiral Static".
- Alternate Music Video: "Uno" is a hilarious case of this. The band hated the first version, and opted to redo it using the budget that should've gone to a new video for "Cave".
- Bizarrchitecture: The second music video for "Uno" features a woman getting lost in a dizzying hallway of doors.
- Breather Episode: "Unintended", the softest song on the album, is sandwiched between the dramatic, intense Title Track, and the angry, explosive "Uno".
- Broken Record: Multiple lyrics in "Showbiz", most notably "controlling my feelings for too long".
- Careful with That Axe: The end of "Falling Down":No, it wasn't you...No, it WWAAAAAAAAASN'T YYOOOUU~uuu...!
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Showbiz has a lot of Radiohead influences and is notably less dramatic than their usual material, discussing mundane lyrical subject matter and having an overall melancholy vibe to it.
- Fading into the Next Song: Used subtly with "Cave" into "Showbiz" if you listen closer to it.
- Lyrics/Video Mismatch: Exactly what "Muscle Museum" has to do with suburbanites randomly breaking out in tears is anyone's guess. (The same music video director would go on to do "Knights of Cydonia".)
- Non-Appearing Title: The only songs on the album that avert this are "Falling Down", "Cave", "Unintended" and "Escape".
- Ode to Intoxication: "Sober", ironically.
- One-Word Title: "Sunburn", "Filip", "Cave", "Showbiz" and "Overdue".
- Out-of-Genre Experience: The bluesy "Falling Down", deviating from the Alternative Rock sound from the album.
- Rage Against the Reflection: In the "Sunburn" music video, after freaking out about Muse only appearing in the reflection, the woman destroys the mirror in a panic, only for Muse to show up right behind her.
- Rearrange the Song: "Unintended" got this treatment in 2020, when Matt rearranged it into an "acoustic" piano-driven piece.
- Rock-Star Song: "Sunburn," "Muscle Museum," "Cave," "Showbiz," and "Hate This and I'll Love You".
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Falling Down" and "Unintended".
- Take That!: "Falling Down" is a surprisingly bitter one against their hometown, Teignmouth.
- Title Track
- You left us far behind
So we all discard our souls
And blaze through your skies
So afraid to die
