Catastrophe Ballet (Reis) [Original recording remastered]

Christian Death | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 19, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 1984
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Season of Mist
• ASIN: B001SF8FZS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,504 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Death at their best, September 9, 2000

By 

Josh (Boston, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catastrophe Ballet (Audio CD)

Catastrophe Ballet was my first Christian Death album and still remains one of my favorites. This era of Christian Death saw a move from the punk stylings of Only Theatre of Pain to a more produced pop/rock style, at times using Bowie-like musical structures. The music here is a bit more mainstream and easier to digest than the abstract experimentation that would define the band's next album, Ashes.

Those of you who are a bit timid about buying a Christian Death album might find this a good choice. The brilliant lyrics are a bit more subdued than on many of their other releases, taking a very poetic style that employs a lot of metaphor and imagery. The music here will also appeal to more mainstream audiences looking to find out more about Christian Death. Most of the songs are well-produced rock/pop songs with brilliant guitar, atmospheric keyboards, and driving drums. It's also a bit more upbeat than other Christian Death albums.

The end result is that this is one of Christian Death's best albums....beautiful, haunting, danceable, interesting, thought provoking, at times even radio-friendly, at other times experimental....thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end.

My only complaint is with Cleopatra's reissue, which is flawed as usual. The CD won't play correctly in my portable CD player, and the album booklet is a sea of typos and misprints (the worst being that the spine of the CD is actually labeled with the incorrect CD title!) Don't let this stop you from buying the album, though.. The music is well worth it (as is the very artistic and interesting album cover that the label actually managed not to mess up)! This is definitely a must buy for anyone interested in goth rock, pop, art rock, or good music in general...

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars goth for a romantic night with your sweetheart, May 16, 2002

By 

Crypt "thecrypt777" (Arkham) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catastrophe Ballet (Audio CD)

Turn out the lights, light some candles and insense cuddle with your dark lover and drift off into a gothic elizium. One of Rozz's best in every way. Beautiful, dark, gloomy, and utterly bittersweet. However it isn't really too different from Only Theater Of Pain. It's basically a bit more refined. Rozz actually sings instead of moans. And there is obvious musical proficiancy from the members of this lineup. Also the production is flawless. But it is in no way less powerful than the original Christian Death lineup. Definitely a quintessential gothic rock masterpiece.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic; first to feature Rozz/Gitane/Valor/David Glass..., March 24, 2003

By 

Kaenan (Norman, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catastrophe Ballet (Audio CD)

If you by chance get the Cleopatara's remaster of this wonderful album, DON'T believe the liner notes " Words by Rozz Williams, all music by Valor "...Seven of the album's nine tracks were written by ROZZ WILLIAMS ALONE; " Sleepwalk written by Rozz and the original version ( on " Invocations " ) was recorded by the " Only Theatre Of Pain" line-up. But Valor does admittedly do a good job arranging and producing and his finest guitar work is here and on " Ashes "; Gitane DeMone's atmospherically religious keyboards and serene backround vocals are exqusite
( note: along with Rozz Williams, Gitane Demone is also a victim of the egotistical Valor Kand and reportedly still to this day is cheated out of her royalties by Kand ), David Glass's druming is excellent, and of course, the master of ceromonies rozz Williams' Bowie-esque vocal styling and beautiful haunting lyrics
help complete this great work. Too bad about Kand's ego and eventual succumb to commericalism...it effectively destroyed a really good band.

Kaenan James

R.I.P. rozz Williams, much continued luck to Gitane DeMone and David Glass in their current careers.