Track Listing

1. Sunburn
2. Muscle museum
3. Filip
4. Cave
5. Showbiz
6. Unintended
7. Uno
8. Sober
9. Escape
10. Overdue
11. Hate this and I'll love you

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #436 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's practically impossible to mention Muse without also bringing up Radiohead. Listening to Muse's debut, it's easy to see why. Showbiz was produced by John Leckie, the producer of The Bends, and features the frightfully Yorke-esque choiral falsetto of front-man Matthew Bellamy, running the whole emotional gamut of unhappiness from sincere upset to outright dysfunction. New ground, it's fair to say, remains distinctly unbroken. To Muse's credit, though, they do this angst thing pretty well. "Cave" is a wonderful, terrible epic, replete with rank after rank of bludgeoning guitars, "Muscle Museum" builds up swathes of complex baroque noise, and "Escape"--well, it's a surrogate "No Surprises" with a firework finale, and should keep us ticking over until the next Radiohead album, thank you very much. See? You can't escape the comparison. But at least Showbiz wears it well.--Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews

Best Debut Ever?
What do you get if you combine the melodies and the music skills of Radiohead with the energy and passion of Nirvana.

The answer : Muse

Showbiz is the debut album of what will surely soon be one of the biggest bands of all time. Muse's first album is brilliant and is easily one of the best debut albums ever.

1:Sunburn: 9.5/10
A soft beautiful piano melody begins, singer Matt Bellamy starts singing dark lyrics about "Guilty conscience grows". Suddenly we are thrown into the undeniably epic chorus, where Bellamy screams "AND SHE BURNS LIKE THE SUN", then we notice the excellent bass work of Chris Wolsetenholme and the powerful drums of Dom Howard. Welcome to the world Of Muse.

2:Muscle Museum: 10/10
Possibly the best song on the album, Muscle Museum starts with a great little guitar riff, backed by a groovy bass part. The lyrics are particuliarly great and there is a strong theme of wanting to escape your surroundings. Suddenly we are thrown into the powerful chorus, which has every bit of passion and anger that any band has had in the last decade. The final guitar solo, which is a strange mix of guitar and bellamy's distorted voice, is just about the mosty epic thing imaginable.

3:Filip: 8/10
While it's one of the worst tracks on the album, Filip is by no means a bad track, but just feels more like normal pop music than most of Muse other songs. The chorus, while still poppy, is very cathy and fun to listen to.

4:Falling Down: 9/10
A soft moving piano driven song, with a slightly bluesy feel to it. The lyrics seem to be about Muse wanting to leave their hometown.

5:Cave: 9/10
A very catchy, yet heavy, rock song. It has a poppy tune, with great guitar work and the chorus is undeniably epic. Suddenly it all goes quiet, before building into possibly the best guitar riff on the whole album.

6:Showbiz: 9.5/10
Showbiz starts with a simple drumbeat, which bellamy starts to sing moving lyrics over. The general tune of the song is incredibly simple, but as it slowly builds throughout the song it turns into something startlingly epic. In the end Bellamy is screaming at the top of his lungs over another excellent guitar riff.

7:Unintended: 8.5/10
A simple acoustic love song with beautiful lyrics and a moving chorus.

8:Uno: 9/10
It starts with the sound of a car revving up. Suddenly muse enter the fray. Uno is a mini epic, with great lyrics and a powerful chorus. But then i suppose that seems to be a granted for all muse songs.

9:Sober: 9.5/10
A brilliant rock song with a cool chorus and some absolutely amazing guitar riffs.

10:Escape: 8.5/10
A slow but good song overlooked by many Muse fans about wanting to escape.

11:Overdue: 8.5/10
Again, Overdue is overlooked by many muse fans, as it is slightly forgettable in comparison to some of their other songs. It has a very pop/rock type feel, and a theme of someone feeling neglected.

12:Hate This And I'll Love You: 9.5/10
It starts with the sounds of crickets and birds. Suddenly it begins, with Bellamy singing his usual moving and epic lyrics. Suddenly the amazing epic chorus begins "I was born to destroy you". Hate This And I'll Love You is an amazing epic ending to an amazing epic album. Fitting really.

Overall: 9/10
Showbuz is a fantastic debut that is an essential buy for anyone into alternate rock. While it has some faults, it is overall a great album with some killer tunes. However, possibly the greatest thing about it is that, while it is undeniably excellent, it is improved on by every muse album to date.

Wow !
Having bought (and loved) the Absolution I read feedback on Showbiz and Origin, promptly bought both and can't believe I've missed this band before.

The range I of this band I think impresses me most. They can go from extremely soft, melodic and tuneful ballards to full on rock within a split second. Their creative talent is astonishing.

I fell out with Radiohead post OK Computer because quite simply they seemed to shun that particular direction and go back to their weird, depressing roots. For many, I acknowledge, Radiohead are tops and I respect that completely. For me, I think Muse represent what I think Radiohead were heading towards.

Anyway, I couldn't recommend all three albums highly enough. I'll be at the front at T in the Park pogoing like a lunatic.

No biz like "Showbiz"
The current musical trend is retro dance-rock, but Muse completely avoids that for their own brand of orchestral music. If you want comparisons, they're equal parts Radiohead and Led Zeppelin, with a unique sound that is both melodic and raw. Few debuts are as intense as Muse's "Showbiz."

A steady piano melody ripples by, followed by some steady drumming. That, in turn, segues into the expansive bombastic rock'n'roll of "Sunburn." Matt Bellamy sits in the middle of the song, singing in a trembly voice, "I'll feel/A guilty conscience grow/And I'll feel/A guilty conscience grow." Then he bursts into an anguished howl: "And I'll hide from the world/Behind a broken frame/And I'll run forever/I can't face the shame..." The music crests with it, a panoramic blend of guitar, bass and piano.

And that's only the first song.

The songs that follow are just as powerful, if a bit lower-key. Muse dabbles first in some truly ominous guitar pop, followed by acoustic ballads, and an angsty lament or two. Then, about halfway through the album, things get loud again -- songs like the title track have a wall-of-sound guitar'n'bass melody. In these songs, Muse sounds eerily like a British version of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Good as their debut was, Muse wasn't at their peak with "Showbiz" -- they hadn't quite perfected the epic-guitar thing, and the production isn't at its best. But they are still a compelling listen -- the climax of "Uno" is the sonic equivalent of being hit with a tsunami. For a band that was still defining their sound, it's remarkable.

Chris Wolstenholme does an exceptional job with the driving bass, while Bellamy pulls double, triple and sometimes quadruple duty, playing everything from Hammond to piano. His roiling guitar riffs are absolutely stunning. It takes a special drummer to have an impact with all of that going on, and fortunately Dominic Howard is up to the task.

Bellamy also is the vocalist, and here he shines. Too often comparisons are made to Radiohead's frontman Thom Yorke. However, Bellamy's vocals are more versatile -- he starts off in a sort of trembly voice, sounding sad and vulnerable. Then he lets rip with anguished howls, purrs, murmurs and much more. And he does it in perfect harmony to the music.

With their epic sound and excellent musicianship, Muse have the makings of a rock'n'roll legend. "Showbiz" was their first album and it shows, but even with its flaws, it's a stunning piece of work.