14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Side to The Catherine Wheel, December 6, 2000
This review is from: Like Cats & Dogs (Audio CD)
The depth of Catherine Wheel shows through when a collection of b-sides can stay in constant rotation in my cd-changer the way this disc does. Like Cats and Dogs is a mood-filled run of sweet surprises that get better with every listen.
"Heal 2," a re-mix of their Happy Days anthem, and the competent cover of "Wish You Were Here," one of my favorite Pink Floyd tunes, make for a familiar introduction to this album, most of which first appeared as b-sides of UK singles. However, as good as those two tracks are, the album really begins with "Mouthful of Air," "Car" and "Girl Stand Still." Rob Dickinson's airy vocals and the understated power of Brian Futter's guitar set a tone that is captivating, mournful and addicting. Other standouts are "Saccharine," "These Four Walls" and "Harder Than I Am."
The band has said in interviews that they took this compilation album quite seriously, and the song selection and order proves once again that they understand how one track influences another, creating an atmosphere that makes the album better than its pieces. The band worked on this album while beginning writing for Adam & Eve, the best album of the nineties in my opinion, and they admit to being influenced by the good work they heard from these b-sides.
Like all Catherine Wheel albums, Like Cats and Dogs takes several listens to really appreciate. It takes time to peel away the layers and get to the depths of their music, but the experience of doing so is quite rewarding.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
MUCH MORE THAN A B-SIDES ALBUM, September 20, 2003
This review is from: Like Cats & Dogs (Audio CD)
Bands generally release `B-sides' or `rarities' non-albums as albums, when they don't have enough material to release a full-length proper studio album. Such albums are strictly meant for fans, as they contain desultory songs, without being paid much attention to. As a matter of fact, everything suffers in such albums, right from the packaging and artwork, to the songs themselves. Probably that is why such albums have names like "B-SIDES AND ODDITIES", or "DEAD LETTER OFFICE", etc., to make their contents obvious.
"LIKE CATS AND DOGS", is a very different album. It is different in the manner that it has been treated by CATHERINE WHEEL (CW) like a normal studio LP. It is actually supposed to be a B-sides album, though it is unlike one. This particular album is as good as any other CW album. Generally B-sides albums sound a bit like every preceding album by the artist, since such albums contain residues of the previous albums. As with "LIKE CATS AND DOGS", however, it has a totally fresh sound, something CW never sounded like before. Moreover, the sound in this album seems to have evolved from its immediate predecessor, "HAPPY DAYS". The sound of "HAPPY DAYS" seems like an obvious evolutionary result of its immediate predecessor, "CHROME". So, in a way, this album is actually a proper studio album!
This album has a much milder feel to it than "HAPPY DAYS". After the guitar-wrenching "Heal-2": the shorter version of "Heal" from "HAPPY DAYS", the album enshrouds itself within poignancy. What follows is a string of moody tracks, made beautiful by Rob Dickinson's voice and the minimal use of any other musical instrument except for the ambient-producing ones. It is in this lull, where one of the best-done cover-versions can be found: the simplistic version of PINK FLOYD's "Wish You Were here", sung passionately by Rob pays an apt tribute to the great band, which probably has a great influence over CW. As if conceptually done, the second half of the album is much less moody and much more grungy; the sound, CW is best known for. In spite of every track being a standout, noteworthy are tracks, "Mouthful Of Air"(from the lull side of the album) and "Tongue Twisted" (from the noisy side of the album.)
Right from the songs themselves, their arrangement, down to the really smart cover and the artwork, "LIKE CATS AND DOGS" is indeed an album of `album' songs, rather than an album of `non album' songs. The small note in the lyrics booklet, by the band and the band manager, starts with the lines, "It's always been important to us that the extra tracks we record for singles be as good as anything we do" - a description, which best fits "LIKE CATS AND DOGS".
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Catherine Wheel's B-Sides are A-Sides, March 16, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Like Cats & Dogs (Audio CD)
Any time a band releases a collection or some remixes in between albums it usually signals a lack of new material or a need for some more record sales. However, in the case of The Catherine Wheel it signals the rare chance to experience the strange and wonderful places inside your mind where truly beautiful music can take you. Their incredible covers of Pink Floyd and Rush are both stand-outs but how could you over-look "Mouthful of Air" and "Harder than I Am"? If you are blessed with the ability to hear and enjoy good music, this album should be at the top of your list of things to do.
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