Customer Reviews

Catholic Boy

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Jim Carroll delivers his finest work, out of three releases, here on Catholic Boy. Everything about this album is perfect: sharp songwriting, great lyrics, and playing that scorches. In a sense, Carroll has created an album that is direct, to the point and eloquenty captures the lives of the downtown NYC outsider; it's an album that Patti Smith should have recorded but didn't. Catholic Boy somehow is not mentioned in the pantheon of punk classics (due to the fact it was released in 79-80 not 1977)but it is deserving a greater merit.

This disc is as difficult to classify as its main architect is. Is this a Punk disc? If so, then what's the keyboard guy from Blue Oyster Cult doing playing on a couple of the songs? Is it a straight early 80's Rock album? Not with scorching guitar sounds, unconventional vocals and brutally "street" New York subject matter like this. Is it some sort of hip-hop precurser? No way, although reporting on life in the seedy urban jungle, as this disc does constantly, later became a rap music hallmark. And this Jim Carroll guy--confessional author? bowery poet? former junkie? lead singer of a smokin' band? This disc gives an emphatic "all of the above" answer to these questions. The disc occupies a rare stand-alone subcategory in the Rock world that defies further pigeon-holing, and its intensity and drive make it one of the best things to ever crawl out of New York in the past 22+ years.

Jim's singing is actually 80% Lou Reed-style speak-singing (mostly in tune with the music) , with about 20% of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" era phrasing and tendency to change the pitch upward at the end of a phrase thrown in for good measure. The words matter to Jim: his voice is mixed up front, and he speak-sings clearly to make sure you get what he's written. He even repeats the entire lyrics of "Three Sisters" and "People Who Died" twice. The words are funny, thought-provoking, harrowing, surreal and sometimes disturbing. There are lots of strange vignettes taking place on the lower side of New York life. There are clever double meanings and quoteable rejoinders. There are no 'We're Gonna Rock Tonight' songs, no songs about cars, no 'I Want You, Baby' songs--the disc is nearly free of Rock cliches. Here's a witty example of his writing from the song "Three Sisters"---read this and think about whether he's describing a woman, or whether just maybe this 'Miranda' refers to the rights that the police are required to advise to suspects:
"Though I don't understand her/I love my sister,her name is Miranda/the boys from Uptown, they can't stand her/ the more she denies them, the more they demand her/ but she just wanna lay in bed all night, reading Raymond Chandler".

The music is clearly Punk-influenced, but this isn't a total screaming thrash-fest, as American early 80's Punk had become. The two-guitars-bass-drums lineup are augmented at times by the afore-mentioned keyboards and even a sax on "City Drops Into the Night". "Day and Night" sounds positively mainstream with its female backing vocals, slow tempo and sythesizer wash, and almost seems out of place with the rest of the material--like maybe the record company wanted a song to promote as a single. The grittier sounds of the guitars prevail in most songs. The tempos are fast, the soloing miminal, and the production packs a solid whallop. "City Drops Into the Night" seems to be about twice as long as it needed to be to make its point, but other than this minor lull, the disc demands your attention and is hard driving right up the the final abrupt cutoff at the end of "Catholic Boy". The match with the lyrics/vocals is exceptionally good.

This is an overlooked but highly recommended disc from the dawn of the 80's that is sure to provide you with riveting listening material for years to come. It's a must for Manhattan-ites and those planning to visit. It's also the undisputed pinnacle of the short (three albums total) career of the Jim Carroll Band. His 'best of' collection has eight of these ten songs-- that's a clear sign that this disc is really all you need.

On Catholic Boy, Jim Carroll uses his words well. It is hard for listeners to get his voice out of their heads. For those of you who are not familiar with his work, Catholic Boy is a great introduction. Jim Carroll's songs are biting narratives with th intellectual force of Lou Reed, and with as much rock hard soul as The Ramones. A great buy for anyone.
=)

"Catholic Boy" is one of those inexplicable records were everything works perfectly. I don't think anyone on it really understands why. Otherwise they would have made more. Totally unique and extremely poetic. You must have a feeling for the New York underground art experience. Some how the amalgam of ingenious poetry works perfectly with the rather straight ahead rock. Not for everyone. A razor edge. I worked at Tower Records for a year and a half and listened to everything, Jazz, Classical, Rock. I have a real open mind. This is one of the few albums out of thousands I previewed that totally caught my attention and still has it 20 years later. Most popular music is junk.

"I Write Your Name" is not as strong, but still a worth while addition. Like I said, non of 'em knew why "Catholic Boy" came out perfect. They wisely stopped recording more after this one when they realized "Catholic Boy" was one of those inexplicable perfections that cannot be equaled.

Give Jim credit for not overloading us with crap after these two albums like he could have.

One of the best Rock Albums of all time. He never got close again. For some strange reason the poet and the band just clicked on this one. I don't think any of them know why. Some of the best lyric poetry ever written, unbelieveable, hard, funny and touching at the same time combined with straigh ahead honest rock. Very New York street city sound. Art at it's most honest level, no pretension.

Not everyone will like this one though. It's not avant, it's just what it is.

Nobody melds poetry and rock and roll better than on this album.
It's too bad in a way that most people only know "People Who Died" because the whole album is a stunner.
From start to finish, every song is a gem, with Carroll's disaffected vocals sharing the roar and rumble of a crackerjack rock band.
After releasing a classic such as this, it makes it all the more frustrating he couldn't follw it up.
The next album - "Dry Dreams" - has about two great cuts and that's it.
But do yourself a favor - if you like straight-up hard rock fronted by a NYC poet spewing gritty lyrics, this is for you.
I still play this 27 years later and it's just as fresh.

SOLID 5 STARS

"One of the best Rock Albums of all time. He never got close again. For some strange reason the poet and the band just clicked on this one."

Exactly.

"I don't think any of them know why."

They couldn't do it again, that's for sure.

"Some of the best lyric poetry ever written"

At the same time sad, funny and scary. EVERY SONG.

"Very New York street city sound."

VERY New York. If you don't get New York you won't get this.

"Art at it's most honest level, no pretension."

Absolutely. Raw honesty. What Carroll does best. Brutal honesty.

"When the city drops into the night there's one moment of light, that's when everything seem clear, the other side, it seems so near."

Lyrics so good many have memorized into my brain. A straight ahead rock sound that somehow just fits the music perfectly.

Note added: RIP Jim who put it best: "before the darkness there's one moment of light, when everything seems clear, the other side, it seems so near"...

This guy was sick. I enjoyed every minute of it. I first heard this album in the Navy in 1981 and remembered in my head for 25 years the song It's Too Late. I never noted who the artist was, however and was stranded with the memory of a great song that no longer was getting airplay. Fast forward...I had been searching for anything with Jim Carroll band for some time and finally...success. I get the CD's and of course Catholic Boy is the first I open. It is truly unique from beginning to end he barely sings, rather he talks with the music and it sounds great and what he has to say makes me more in tune to listen. The players are top notch as well. Why the hell do they not make more music like this and less of Creed.

I bought this record in 1980 and fell in love with it. It still is great. Its one of those records that sets a mood. Its inspiring to listen to it when I draw. Wicked Gravity, City Drops Into The Night and People Who Died are my favorites. Saw him in 1980 on tour he actually hid behind these large amps to sing, petrified of the audience. But on record he sounds strong and powerful sharing his poetry set to music. He is not a great singing but neither is Patty Smith and who would fault her(not me!). The added bonus is Annie Leibovitz's cover shot of Jim with his elderly parents. You have to love the look of his pants and with his parents next to him no less! Wonder if his parents had heard the lyrics or read his poetry before the picture was taken?

This is a really cool cd. I bought it for "people who have died", but it all really rocks.It's like punk rock , but with actual insightful lyrics. Almost as good as The Clash.BUY IT.