Customer Reviews

Like Cats & Dogs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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".

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.

Maybe when I hear what purports to be a "B-sides" album, my expectations are lowered, but I truly enjoy "Like Cats and Dogs," quite a bit more, in fact, than Catherine Wheel's uneven prior album, "Happy Days." The only portions of "Like Cats and Dogs" that have a "B-sides" feel to me are the beginning, namely, Heal 2 (wasn't Heal 1 enough?) and a decent cover of "Wish You Were Here" (with the clever inclusion of a harmonica); as well as the "hidden track" at the end (which consists of three harder rockers, including a faithful rousing cover of Rush's "Spirit of Radio").

Everything in between holds up as a full-blown original studio album which, for the most part, shows off the quiter side of CW. Standouts for me are "Mouthful of Air" and "Saccharine." My favorite song on the album is "Harder than I am," which might have fit nicely into either "Happy Days," or CW's subsequent album, "Adam and Eve," where it would have been perfectly placed after the incredible song "Broken Nose."

For all you CW fans, "Like Cats and Dogs" isn't a mere curiousity, but an indispensible part of your CD collection.

Discounting Mr Geneva's dementia, it's noteworthy when a band can release "B" sides that are superior to 98% of the "A" sides by other 90's ensembles. Although a tad uneven, Like Cats and Dogs showcase the amazing sonic depths and heights this Brit foursome attained at the peak of their creative career. Buy this after you've digested their great studio albums (minus Wishville.) I also agree with other reviewers: give it a few spins, for CW is an aquired taste well worth time and effort. CW makes music that convey emotions and ideas; LC&D contains the grade "A" remnants of their hard-to-classify, yet diversely amazing studio efforts from 1992 to 1997. An interesting cover of Rush's "Spirit of Radio" is a nice unlisted plus, with Rob Dickenson wisely not attempting to emulate the screechy Geddy L of yore. Baileyboy

It's a shame our friend in Geneva had to trash the overall rating of this CD, but he's certainly entitled to his opinion. That said, I probably wouldn't recommend this recording as an introduction to Catherine Wheel, even though it's most definitely representative of the band's work. The songs are dark, moody and atmospheric, yet strangely uplifting. The perfect musical guide for an evening of introspection, it's a collection of B sides, covers and, I guess, alternative takes, yet the whole stands as a cohesive package, worthy of album-hood. It's a creeper, too; the songs reveal more depth with repeated listening, rewarding the attentive listener. The hidden tracks on the tail-end are fine, but not in keeping with the flavour and texture of the rest of the music; also they tend to jar one from Post-Wheel reverie if the listener fails to program their CD player approprately! All in all a tasty treat for believers.

This collection of b-sides just goes to show the depth of catherine wheel's talent. There simply isn't a 'bad' song on the album. The album includes Heal 2, a shorter (more radio friendly) version of it's namesake, which appears on the album Chrome. This album also includes a great cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. Tracks 3-5 are beautiful quiet tunes, then things pick up a bit with Saccharine, a nearly wordless tune where the music spirals and rises into a wave of sound. The second half of the album is louder than the first but still features the quality lyrics expected from catherine wheel songs. Overall, the album is more quiet and pensive than the albums coming both before and after but can still rock at times. A great album that gets better every time it's listened to.

I love all of Catherine Wheel's records. I am at present collecting all the B-sides not appearing on this record because quite frankly the songs collected here are amongst the best, if not the very best work that this extremely talented and much neglected band ever accomplished.

Rob's vocals on this record are just as breathy and wistful as on the wonderful 'Ferment' and just as powerful and dynamic as on 'Happy Days'; The impression I get here is that 'LCAD' is a collection of songs written by a band in a more experimental, free-flowing mood.

This mood works and in my opinion works better than much if not everything else I have ever heard in shoegaze or any other genre. I must admit that a few of the slow burners here took me longer to appreciate but I think that that was just because I was younger and less advanced with my musical tastes.

A perfect album to listen to in the rusty haze of autumn or on a long road trip at night; Let the washes of feedback and lighter touches of Brian Futtter's guitar draw you into this simply amazing collection of songs by a truly great band.

Enjoy...

Before the epic Adam & Eve, CW threw us this bone to let us know that the Talk Talkish breakdown in "black metallic" was influential. It is clear that they thought mellow songs on their 1st 3 cds would scare folks off. I remember getting the highly abrasive Happy Days and being bummed that the scorching edge never really backed off. They can write great barn burners and I love that, but his b-sides comp showed us that the boys can really shiver our spines with less rocking ditties. Of course the next album, Adam & Eve, brought the house down and mixed all their ways into one.

Check out "Car" for a great summing of Rob's inner voice. The Floyd cover is 2nd only to the original. Don't even mention the Telethon version. The hidden Rush cover works well too. The rocking songs near the end are over the top balls to the wall, dropping my review to 3 stars. Heal 2 is just Heal without the mellow parts.

Great bands like Catherine Wheel are constantly creating music. Like Cats and Dogs is an attempt to fill in the gaps between recordings. This collection has some weak points but is worth the price for (formerly) rare gems like Harder Than I Am, Mouthful Of Air, Backwards Guitar, and Angelo Nero (not listed). Two other bonus tracks are also not listed on the CD's notes.

[DW]