Customer Reviews

Into the Skyline

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Singer Cathy Dennis, whose big moment in the spotlight was in the early 90's, has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Just as I enjoy rock, I can also go for a good pop song, and Cathy Dennis makes GREAT pop songs. In fact, she's the true Queen Of Pop, in my opinion. She has a beautiful voice, plays keyboards, writes her own material, and--spit it out, man--she's drop dead gorgeous. These days, she writes songs for other artists, but she released three excellent solo albums between 1990 and 1996, and her second album, 1992's "Into The Skyline," is my personal favorite. This album is overflowing with terrific, catchy pop music that truly is, as one song title says, "Irresistible." Not only is that song a major highlight, but so are "You Lied To Me," "Why," "Change Will Come," "Our True Emotions," and the superb "Falling," which is one of Cathy's very best tunes. But ALL of the songs on "Into The Skyline" are wonderful, with Cathy's lovely voice and magic touch on the keyboards and in the songwriting department leading the way.It's very unfortunate that this excellent album is currently out-of-print, but at least there are some used copies available, so if you love pop music, then this album is for you. No one on Earth makes pop music like Cathy Dennis, and "Into The Skyline" is arguably her finest work to date. So pick it up, and let the marvelous Cathy Dennis enchant you.

Cathy Dennis' sophomore album was more a victim of changing trends in music than lack of quality. Following up her mega-successful debut "move to this", Cathy teamed up with dance producer Shep Pettibone (who was simultaneously producing Madonna's also poorly recieved Erotica album) to create an album that blended early 90s dance rhythms with a mellow, adult contemporary sound.

First single "You lied to me" was high dance floor drama with its chugging rhythms and soaring keyboards. An accussatory Cathy tells her lover the game is up and she has caught him cheating. It was a minor top 40 hit in the US. Subsequent singles didnt crack the top forty in the US but did well in in her native UK and Japan.

Overall the album is a great piece of work. Standout tracks are the summery sound of "Irresistible", the bouncy europop of "Why?" and the gorgeous ballad "moments of love".

Other tracks are also fairly standard but enjoyable dance-pop which could have easily been on her first album. "Change will come" and "We've got to fight" certainly sound like holdovers from those sessions.

This album features Cathy on songwriting credits for nearly all tracks showing her desire to grow as an artist.

The album didnt do well and cathy queickly went behind the scenes to write for other artists. But this album is an awesome addition to anyone's collection who appreciates fine pop songs and a a lovely voice. RECOMMENDED!

This is an amazing early 90's dance classic, sadly underrated and overlooked by the US audience. After showing major promise with her work on D-Mob's "C'mon and Get My Love" and her debut CD "Move to This", Dennis and collaborator Shep Pettibone (Madonna's "Erotica" and many other remixed classics) came out with this near-masterpiece, foreshadowing the dance-pop success of the late 90's and early 00's of Spice Girls and Kylie Minogue. "You Lied to Me" was the first single and is just one of the many hook-laden pop confections that dominate this album. In fact, there's not a clunker in the bunch, and "Moments of Love" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written (if you liked her ballad "Too Many Walls", you'll love this.) I'm glad to see Ms. Dennis's talents haven't gone unnoticed today, as she's now a major behind-the-scenes hit maker (Kylie's "Fever" among others.) She's also a total fox, but that's beside the point.

"Into The Skyline", Cathy Dennis' follow-up to her multi-platinum "Move To This" is every bit as good as her debut. The dance beats are infectious, the hooks are catchy, and the songwriting and instrumentation are first-rate.

More a victim of changing musical trends than anything else, this album (which didn't do well sales-wise) is criminally underrated. If you are at all a fan of the house-infused music on "Move To This", I can almost guarantee you'll like this CD.

On a side note, I've always felt bad for artists like Cathy Dennis, who - through absolutely no fault of their own - suddenly find themselves out of favor with the music-buying public because of its fickle taste. And, while some artists like the Bee Gees and Duran Duran are able to return to prominence later, others like Ms. Dennis can no longer make a living at their chosen craft and must turn to other avenues. While Cathy has had phenomenal success writing songs for Kylie Minogue and the like, it must rankle that she, a talented dance artist in her own right, must remain behind the scenes and in the control booth - instead of on stage as many of us (and perhaps the lady herself) would prefer.

I purchased this CD almost ten years ago (I was 14) and to this day it stands as one of my favorite dance-pop albums. Though this sophomore effort by one of the UK's highest paid women (as another reviewer mentioned, her songwriting credits for Pop/American Idol, Britney, Kylie, and others have earned her some major $$$ in royalties)was poorly recieved upon it's release in 1992, it should be considered ahead of it's time as it mirrors the dance pop that exploded globally in the late 90's and early 2000's. The songs on this set (largely co-produced by remix/dance extraordinaire Shep Pettibone) are immensely infectious and range from housy, gospel-tinged pop to luscious, AC balladry; they offer a little something for everyone. Uptempo numbers like first single "You Lied To Me" and the bouncy "Irresistable" are just that, and the ballads on here showcase Cathy's gorgeous vocals and remarkable songwriting chops. The standout track for me is the stunning, Carpenters-esque gem "Moments of Love". With it's sweeping strings,touching & tender melody, and Ms. Dennis' delicate yet soulful vocal delivery, this tune is a classic in my book.
Unfortunately, after the disc failed to make a significant impact on the charts (to my knowledge, "You Lied To Me" and "Irresistable" barely missed the top 40 in the US and "Moments of Love" was a minor hit on AC radio), Dennis drifted into pop obscurity thereafter, with the exception of the crtically-acclaimed yet commerically-panned 'Am I The Kinda Girl?.
For the true pop enthusiast, this CD is a must.

This is an above average second effort. There is good production & arrangement and a great vocal proformance by Cathy, but the only misstep is that the producers try to recreate the prefection of "Move to This" with some success. Overall, it is nearly as good as her debut album. Definately worth having in your music collection.
Chart Peak of Singles
You Lied To Me: Hot Dance Music/Club Play: #12
You Lied To Me: Maxi Single Sales: #6
Irresistable: Adult Contemporary: #6

Into the Skyline by Cathy Dennis is a good dance/pop album but it's not her best. Into the Skyline was produced by Shep Pettibone (he is known for producing Madonna's Erotica album), he is a wonderful producer but this album is a little disappointing. There are some great songs on her like Falling, Why, and You Lied to Me but the rest are mostly filler. I think Cathy Dennis was such a trailblazer in the early '90s, great singer and songwriter. Can't give this girl anything less than 4 stars.

Length:: 1:09 Mins

"You Have Another Lover" is a serious dance track, to which you can not stop tapping your feet at about 80bpm. If you like to dance, and I mean serious, wild, crazy bump and grind dance then you will love this CD.

Growing up in the 90s, this cd brings back great memories, being a teenager, and just enjoying life, I liked "Why" but my favorite track off of this cd is "Moments of Love", it is such a beautiful song, and she sings with it with such feeling, and it always got me. I realize that things change and she is doing work for other artists, but in her time she shined, and ones like me never forgot.