Cleopatra Grip

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Cleopatra Grip
Studio album by
the Heart Throbs
Released1990
GenreIndie pop
LabelOne Little Indian[1]
Elektra[2]
ProducerMartin Hannett, Gil Norton
The Heart Throbs chronology
Cleopatra Grip
(1990) 		Jubilee Twist
(1992)

Cleopatra Grip is the debut album by the English band the Heart Throbs, released in 1990.[3][4] The Heart Throbs supported the album with a UK tour and by opening for the Railway Children on a North American tour.[5][6]

The album made the top 10 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart.[7] "Dreamtime" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[8]

Production[edit]

The album was produced by Martin Hannett, with Gil Norton assisting.[9][10] Like all of the Heart Throbs' records, the album title employs slang for female genitalia.[2] The lyrics of "White Laughter" were inspired by the film Gimme Shelter.[11]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Chicago Tribune[13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
The San Diego Union-Tribune[14]
Select3/5[17]
The State[16]
Martin C. Strong6/10[15]

Trouser Press wrote that the singer/guitar player Rose Carlotti "lends a breathy coo to the psychedelically charged, slightly dancey guitar rock."[2] The New York Times thought that Cleopatra Grip "puts the Heart Throbs alongside the year's best new bands, meshing memorable melodies and guitar lines with lyrics that mix clarity and enigma."[18] The Washington Post opined that the album "skillfully straddles the line between spontaneous and slick... The results are eminently listenable, but a little overfamiliar."[19]

The Chicago Tribune declared that "never has boredom sounded so sensual... While a mass of shimmering guitars washes over Carlotti`s flat, echo-laden voice, bass and drums bubble insistently underneath."[13] Spin deemed the album "indie pop [with] a coat of AOR gloss."[20] The Sun Sentinel likened the style of "airy vocals floating over a sparse, edgy rock sound" to Siouxsie and the Banshees.[21] The Times Union stated: "This is music for the Twin Peaks generation: moody, self-indulgent, streaked with ethereal synthesizer sounds, seemingly residing in that shadowy state between dream and reality."[22]

AllMusic wrote that "the slightly poppier singles 'Tossed Away' and 'Dreamtime' are the album's highlights but, while a couple of the songs coast by simply on atmosphere, Cleopatra Grip is a luxurious and compelling listen."[12]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Tossed Away" 
2."Dreamtime" 
3."Big Commotion (Remix)" 
4."In Vain" 
5."Slip & Slide" 
6."Here I Hide" 
7."Calavera" 
8."I Wonder Why" 
9."She's in a Trance" 
10."Blood from a Stone (Remix)" 
11."Kiss Me When I'm Starving" 
12."White Laughter" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 210.
  2. ^ a b c "Heart Throbs". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  3. ^ "The Heart Throbs Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  4. ^ "Pop Music: Heart Throbs' Show a Murmur". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1990. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  5. ^ "Perish the Thought!". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 4 Jul 1990. p. 3.
  6. ^ Vice, Jeff (November 12, 1990). "'Throbs' Fail to Pump Up Sleepy Crowd". Deseret News. p. C2.
  7. ^ "Record/radio hits". Onward. Austin American-Statesman. 30 Aug 1990. p. 21.
  8. ^ Larsen, Dave (November 11, 1990). "Manchester Plays Home to New English Sounds – '60s Influence Flows Through Emerging Pop Style". Dayton Daily News. p. 1C.
  9. ^ Thompson, Dave (September 10, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 314.
  11. ^ Staton, David (9 Sep 1990). "England's Heart Throbs Make Impressive Debut". Albuquerque Journal. p. G2.
  12. ^ a b "Cleopatra Grip". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  13. ^ a b Kot, Greg. "Heart Throbs Cleopatra Grip". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
  14. ^ Peterson, Karla (November 4, 1990). "The Heart Throbs, 'Cleopatra Grip'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E9.
  15. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography (2nd ed.). Canongate. p. 366.
  16. ^ Miller, Michael (September 21, 1990). "The Heart Throbs". The State. p. 18D.
  17. ^ Linehan, Graham (July 1990). "Carry on Cleo". Select. p. 96.
  18. ^ Pareles, Jon (November 23, 1990). "Pop/Jazz; Heart Throbs Offer Guitars, Pithiness and Fatalism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  19. ^ Jenkins, Mark (2 Nov 1990). "College Radio Stars Take British Route". The Washington Post. p. N18.
  20. ^ Reynolds, Simon (Dec 1990). "A Gripping Tale". Spin. Vol. 6, no. 9. p. 24.
  21. ^ Lannert, John (26 Aug 1990). "Britain's American Invasion Sputters After 26-Year Reign". Sun Sentinel. p. 1F.
  22. ^ Grondahl, Paul (October 21, 1990). "Cleopatra Grip". Times Union. p. H10.
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