Customer Reviews

Way Beyond Blue

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

 

 

I often wonder why terrific British bands such as Catatonia never reach the United States. Is it due to bad promotional techniques or the lack there of? Then I wonder why such bland, nondescript music coming out of the American market is successful, i.e Googoo Dolls,Machbox 20, Fastball etc. What happened to melody? I wish I knew.

Living in Britain, I came across Catatonia, a Welsh band, who's female lead singer posesses a childish, yet coarse voice which make her vocals bittersweet and unique. The compositions are second to none. The opening track of "Way Beyond Blue" is "Lost Cat"; a charming pop song which contains some of the best harmonies I've heard since the Beatles. This album is pop-rock at its finest and is full of a balance of raw-edged tunes with lush melodies and harmony with great ballads as well: there's something exciting about this music. Its too bad that most American music fans are oblivious to such a wonderful group as Catatonia.

Two years before Catatonia exploded in popularity, this debut album was released. The style is similar to their next two albums, if a little more intricate here. It doesn't show the all-round quality of 'International Velvet' (and Cerys somehow doesn't sound quite as Welsh here as she's sounded on their recent stuff!) but this CD does have some gems.

'You've got a lot to answer for', 'Sweet catatonia' and 'Way beyond blue' are the highlights of early Catatonia. 'You've got a lot...' is the best, as we witness Cerys at her most humorous as she sings us through the scenario of a possible pregnancy: 'My DNA'll be past it's sell-by date...'. Sweet - check this album out.

This cd should be one of the 10 albums of this decade-it is so beautiful and touching. it worths every cent and I really recommend it to anyone on earth...Cerys will make you cry.

Welsh music is cool - inconceivable some years ago when the coolest it got was Tom Jones sliding ice cubes over his chest but now, the valleys are hip..and Catatonia are at the forefront... This is near perfect pop music - as beautiful and as flawed as icicles. Twelve short sweet sharp moments of aural pleasure (plus Gyda Gwen) that together form one of the most impressive debut releases since God knows when...From the plaintive Lost Cat to the heart pull of Painful to the melting Calippo sweetness of the title track to the terrace pleasing chants of Sweet Catatonia - Way Beyond Blue shines with all the coruscating splendour of sunshine on frozen glass.

Cerys' voice pulls and tugs at your hearing like a demanding child at your coat tails. This music simply has to be paid attention to..so many flavours, so many delicious melodies. For Tinkerbell is a perfect example..spiky guitars embracing flying vocal lines, springing out like a Jack-in-the-Box..always colourful but never garish. Way Beyond Blue - soaring and singing like morning birdsong on a Welsh mountain side

This album is really good, no in fact it's exellent. It has contrasting tracks on it that will make you want to listen to it forever. AND it has a "hidden" track at the end (after the last track you have to leave it spinning) Which is a song totaly in Welsh!! I can't understand a word of it!! But it's still exellent!! BUY IT NOW!!!

This is a very good CD and features some great songs. My favourites are 'You've got a lot to answer for' and 'Lost cat'. I would definately recommend buying it.

Some of the best music I've ever heard. So melancholy at times.

International Velvet is good in pubs and clubs (almost as big as Tom Jones on rugby international days...), but this album is for your personal use. Mellow and angry all at once.

Cerys kicks arse.

"Way Beyond Blue" is incredible! I can't recommend it enough if you like guitar-pop bands with female vocalists. This CD offers anything from airy, melodic "Brit-pop" to neo-psychedelica sounds. "Sweet Catatonia," "Lost Cat," and "You've Got a Lot to Answer For" are tunes that you'll find yourself humming all the time. The 12th track is a surprise too -- "Way Beyond Blue" has a haunting, "end-of-the-world" feel (for a similar sound, check out "Blow the Millennium" on the Road Rage single, also available from Amazon.com) followed by an embedded track after about 10 silent minutes. The embedded track, "Gyda Gwen," is a Welsh pop song that is also fantastic! This CD is REALLY worth the $25+ price it carries because it's hard to find in many places and is strong throughout (there is not a single weak song on it, and that's hard to say about most CDs).

After watching Catatonia perform "Bleed" on Jools Holland's Cool Brittania DVD I purchased "Way Beyond Blue". Unfortunately "Bleed" is heads and shoulders above the other tracks, most of which are forgettable. Cerys' vocals are double-tracked to an annoying extreme and the melodies are dreary. To my fellow Americans who have never heard of Catatonia here's the best way to describe them: rank order Blur's songs, take the bottom third, and replace Damon with Cerys. That about sums it up.