Two Words, One Answer.
Catherine Wheel
 Chrome $9.49 I bought this way back in '94 when I needed a new cd to listen to, and there wasn't much else coming out that week. This is the type of album you can put in the cd player once in a while and remember the 90s, a time when you could sell an album just by strumming a few chords with a clean guitar and then stomp on the pedal and play the same chords with distortion. This was the formula Catherine Wheel employed. The only thing that stood out about this band is that their lead singer was exceptional. I really do like this album, but I'm writing this review because I just read another review that praised this thing up and down, and I don't think we should get carried away. Catherine Wheel has two albums worth mentioning, and this is the better of the two. It isn't as good as the 3 popular Oasis albums, but it is better than Blur. I would put it on the same level as Ride, except that "Going Blank Again" was better than this album. I also think the Stone Roses had an album that was stronger, but I never actually bought it. Another reviewer mentioned the "lack of pretention" exhibited by not having guitar solos. Being a guitarist, I understand how hard it is to write a good guitar solo. Sometimes, when a band doesn't have any solos on their album, it's because solos wouldn't fit the music, other times, the guitar player in the band lacks the talent to execute them. This seems to be the case with Catherine Wheel. This album has sooo many moments where you can almost hear a solo, or at least a more original guitar lead. It sounds like the band was limited by a lack of talent, and that's a shame. The lead singer's voice is very unique and interesting, and they probably could have been a lot "bigger" with stronger guitar work.  Ferment $9.49 The most beautiful song ever done on electric guitar - "Black Metallic" - is on this one. Good enough? |
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