Breeders Pod CD

Somewhat unhappy with their roles as second bananas in their respective groups, Kim Deal (bassist of the Pixies) and Tanya Donelly (guitarist of the Throwing Muses) struck out on their own. The result, after hiring Josephine Wiggs (bassist from the seriously underrated Perfect Disaster) and ex-Slint drummer Britt Walford (who took the name Shannon Doughton for his Breeders-related recordings), was the album POD, which was released in 1990 to great success. A very short record (12 songs in just under 30 minutes), it is a jagged, barbed affair that clearly shows its creators pedigrees.

The record's immediately obvious standout is the cover of the Beatles' "Happiness Is a Warm Gun," which far outstrips the original in creeping menace. However, other, more lasting, highlights include "Oh!," with an ever-so-slowly sawing violin; "Hellbound," which abounds in shards of guitar shrapnel and abortion references; the hesitantly exuberant "Fortunately Gone," with Deal's raspy voice and Donelly's sweeter one nicely balancing one another; and "Metal Man," with twin guitars and some lyrical weirdness. The spiky, aggressive pop music of POD is certainly the Breeders' high point--and when they reconvened two years later, much of their jaggedness had been buffed out.

Recorded at Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Personnel: Josephine Wiggs (vocals, guitar, Spanish guitar, bass guitar, background vocals); Kim Deal, Tanya Donelly (vocals, guitar); Shannon Doughton (vocals, drums); Carrie Bradley (violin); Michael Allen (background vocals).

Recording information: Palladium Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Photographer: Kevin Westenberg.

The Breeders: Josephine Wiggs (vocals, guitar, bass); Kim Deal, Tanya Donelly (vocals, guitar); Shannon Doughton (vocals, drums); Carrie Bradley (violin); Michael Allen (background vocals).

Alternative Press (7/95, p.86) - Ranked #86 in AP's list of the `Top 99 Of '85-'95' - "...POD's a bizarre, intense, hypnotic album, and it [gets] you thinking that maybe ol' Black whatever-his-name wasn't the only chap worth his weight in sludge from New Jersey....The whole darn thing moans and gets better as the sky gets darker and your lover's away longer..."
NME (Magazine) (1990) - 9 out of 10 - "...A lasting, enduring album....a welcome collection of emotive challenges. And from an almost-supergroup it's a good Deal better than expected..."