Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Instant Classic., November 9, 2004
One of the most influential ska albums of the past ten years, and certainly one of the most important, Catch 22's "Keasbey Nights" broke free of the Bosstones/Reel Big Fish-esque fratboy themes that had dominated most ska-punk to that date (with perhaps Fishbone, the Toasters, and a few others managaing to circumvent these themes as well) with a force and energy that is essentially incomparable to any of their third-wave ska cohort.
Keasbey Nights is a dark album (although not as dark as the followup "Alone in a Crowd", perhaps the bleakest ska album since the Specials) filled with songs about the two things Tomas Kalnoky writes extremely well; girls and violence. Given that most of the band members were barely out of high school when this album was cut, its honesty and depth are striking in a way that many older artists could only dream of achieving.
The band split down the middle after this album, with the surviving half going on to tour incessantly and release some albums that, while excellent in their own right, are hampered by standing in the shadow of one of the most amazing debut releases in ska history.
Five stars.
-HX
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AS GOOD AS SKA GETS, July 8, 2000
Wow. I bought this album based on what I heard of "Dear Sergio" and "Riding The Fourth Wave" (the instrumental) and I wasn't at all disappointed. It is, quite simply, right up there with the best ska I have ever heard. The whole CD, from start to finish, is a masterpiece. Not one track on this Cd is bad, every one is superb. The horns are so tight in this band...as tight, if not tighter than any other ska I have ever heard. The lightness of the acoustic guitar makes it that much better, and on track 6 (Giving Up Giving In), when the switch is made to electric and heavier punk, its still amazing. And it's stuff that I can relate to ("I got no girl got no cash but I got the world in the palm of my hand and I dont' care if you care or if you understand"). It also has two of the saddest ska songs I've ever heard- "Kristina She Don't Know I Exist" (which has an amazing guitar solo) and "As The Footsteps Die Out Forever". The horns come together amazingly on the whole album, the guitar is just great, the bass lines are noticeable (which is good enough for ska/punk). One song I absolutely love on this album is "Keasbey Nights", the title track. This album is amazing...it's hard to find anything better. If you have even a remote interest in ska or punk, have even a little bit liked anything out of any band along the lines of Less Than JAke, Reel Big Fish, Mustard Plug, get this album. You won't be sorry...in fact, you'll be happy. Not one song on this album is bad, every one shows you what Catch 22 is about. You should also check out their EP "Washed Up" to get an idea on how they've matured. BUY KEASBEY NIGHTS AND REVEL IN THE WONDER THAT IS CATCH22 SKA.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A simply awesome CD, March 31, 2001
By A Customer
This album is simply a great album no matter the kind of music you listen to. Every song on Keasbey Nights is an excellent song. There's not just a couple of good songs and filler like you find in so many other albums. Every track on here is worth listening to over and over. Catch 22 seemlessly blends a myriad of different influences into their punk-ska sound, making every track completely different. There isn't any other band that sounds like Catch 22. This is an album that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.Note: After this album the lead singer and song writer left the band because he was tired of touring, so Washed Up and Alone in a Crowd aren't nearly as good as Keasbey Nights.
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