Kristin Hersh - Hips and Makers

In 1994, Kristin Hersh took a sabbatical from her beloved and beleaguered Throwing Muses to record her first solo album, Hips and Makers. Mostly acoustic, entirely personal, Hips' songs touch the core of Hersh's daily life, specifically as it involves her husband and family, topics she rarely explored with her band. Produced by ex-Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, Hips and Makers infuses the singer/songwriter tradition with a jolt of complexity and authority. Hersh still favors the taut, stream of consciousness lyrics she whittled down to the bone with the Muses, but she never veers into confessional "dear diary" territory, although she does allow peeks into a world where clotheslines, bee stings, and the occasional ghost aren't unusual. Musically more measured and clearly quieter than any Muses disc, Hips showcases Hersh's fluttery voice atop powerful acoustic guitar with flourishes from cello and piano. "Your Ghost," the album's moody and dazzling opener, features backup vocals by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and sets the tone for the album: like a family, it's happy on the surface, intriguing when explored. --Shawn Stewart Amazon.com essential recording

A classic

One of my favorite Kristin Hersh albums. "Your Ghost" and "The Cuckoo" were always the standout tracks for me and still are. Though I find "Houdini Blues", "Me and My Charms", and "Close Your Eyes" have also held up really well. In addition to Throwing Muses' "The Real Ramona" this is the best of her early work. July 24, 2008

Give it Time

3.5 Stars is my actual rating if anyone cares. Give this album a chance and you will come to like it. As others have said, Hips and Makers will almost attack your emotions and light a power keg inside your brain. Highlights include YOUR GHOST, the album is worth it for this track alone, just a great opener. TEETH, which features beautiful guitar picking and touching lyrics. The simplicity and loveliness of CUCKOO. The confessional LETTER. I'll admit that you have to be in the right kind of mood to listen to this music (15 songs), but it's one of those albums that just seems a little deeper than the others. July 29, 2005

One of my favorites

I found this album used at a shop around town when I was 16. I had heard the song "Your Ghost" and liked it quite a bit. So, I got it, listened to "Your Ghost" and never got much further than that. I just thought "Eh." That was that. Then, I was weeding out some of my CDs a few months later to find some to sell so I could make some cash. I was going through, listening to everything I hadn't listened to in months. I put this in and this time it just CLICKED. Every song just seemed so full of emotion, even without paying attention to the lyrics. I put the disc on repeat for the rest of the day. I still listen to it regularly.

Hersh's voice is like a hoarse whisper at times, at others, it's a pain-filled wail. It's hard to describe it. Everything is so simple and it's got some of the best lyrics I've ever seen. Personal favorites include "A Loon" and "Houdini Blues." I highly recommend this album to everyone. Just don't wait a few months to listen to it like I did. Listen to it on repeat and let it sink in. October 19, 2004

Her soft , sensual side

It never really mattered how loud the likes of L7 and Babes In Toyland could scream . All it would take from Kristin Hersh is to flash her eyes and deliver a line like " i think i need some poison / to keep me tame ..." and they would ( and should ) all start running to hide themselfs . Her band's music had always been a strange , intense rock experience you just had to try again .

Considering all that the early 90's must had been a really really happy period for her . She just looks so beautiful and calm wandering in toyrooms and chatting with ballerinas in the video-clip of " Beestung " , the second cd-single of her debut as a solo artist " Hips And Makers " . The release of the album itself was a tender dark folk suprise . Although some tracks feel more like well-crafted ideas going nowhere , when Hersh finds her focus like on " Me And My Charms " and " Your Ghost " she truly touches greatness . The lyrics are poetic ( " when i kiss the angel / i have a taste of you " ) and her perfomances as haunting as always . A great piece of music indeed . August 23, 2004

3.5 stars actually

kristen hersh is in a band called throwing muses. HIPS AND MAKERS is the debut solo album from the singer/songwriter. all acoustic and much more mellow than muses material, this album is powerful and personal. i love her vocie which is strong and beautiful.
the music is reduced to its purest form. acoustic guitar and piano are the musical backdrops to kirsten's wonderful voice which sings lyrics more like poetry which is disconnected, introspective and disturbing but in a beautiful way. it is like reading the diary of a madman or knowing what heaven is like--things no mortal can understand. such a stark album that lights up my room when it sings. my only complaint is that at times the music seems very close to each other and all the songs sound alike. sometimes the music repeats itself and travels the same territory over and over. but all in all a worthwhile trip and worth a listen, especially for MY GHOST. April 17, 2003

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