Blowing away any hint of its shoe-gazing past, Catherine Wheel have matured into a swaggering, boys-with-big-guitars outfit capable of turning on the style and mainstream appeal. "Little Muscle" and "Shocking" are standout songs. --Jeff Bateman Amazon.com
 |  | The Best Alt-Rock Album You've Never Heard |  |
Rob Dickinson is an amazing vocalist and interesting personality, and a good example of how the "industry" works. Despite incredible skills as a frontman and songwriter, a talented and very solid band, and cool quasi-indie sensibility and memorable hooks galore, Mr. Dickinson and co have toiled endlessly in the wake of much lesser bands in the genre. Pick this up to see what you've been missing. Very, very high quality alternative music with density, intelligence and melody. I never get tired of this album, and oddly enough, my favorite song ("Eat My Dust...") seems to be everyone else's least favorite. (laughs) Guess that's the way it happens sometimes. Buy this album!
December 4, 2007 | | No more karate scenes in the dark | |
In this album the band members appear more confident in their musicianship. It's like those TV series that start out with very poor lighting during the fight scenes, but then turn up the lights when they no longer have to get a 170-pound stuntwoman to stand in for Sarah Michelle Gellar. This is the album in which they turn up the lights and allow each bandmember to proudly lay his own crisp, clear track. My first Wheel album--and still my favorite for outdoor activities, Happy Days was the perfect starter for me. I might not have become such an ardent Wheel fan had my first exposure been Ferment. And since this lengthy album has absolutely no filler songs, it is truly a great value. Listen to it twice before you come back to Amazon to share your review.
October 30, 2007I will keep it short, and forgive me please. but "eat my dust...." has been in my Ipod and in my head for months, Incredible slow burning guitar, easy and dark, flowing and spooky, sad and serious. lyrics are even better. I am a big CW fan as well as SmashingP, but this song just won't let me go.
get this cd.
December 3, 2006| | | Probably their second best (after Chrome) | |
This is the Catherine Wheel release that split the fanbase, though in my opinion, it fully represented their intentions to move away from their 'shoegazer' tag. Though it may not be as consistent as Chrome (to be honest, very few albums are), it still shows a band full of talent and passion.
There are a number of very good songs on here, namely Heal, Empty Head, Little Muscle, Judy Staring at the Sun, and Kill My Soul. The album showcases many different sides to the band. On this album they are loud and aggressive, yet also melodic and atmospheric.
I can't understand the grunge comparisons on here, it doesn't sound anything like Pearl Jam or anything like that, its a very British sound. Perhaps the guitars are a little over the top in places, but not pretentious (probably the most overused word in music reviews ever) in any shape or form. I only wish they were around today. I guess we have the short-sighted British music press to thank for them never receiving the praise they have deserved.
In short, buy this album, but buy Chrome first!
December 9, 2005Catherine Wheel did the lush, dreamy, wall of guitars, "shoe-gazing" sound better then anybody. Here, the sound is harder, crisper, heavier, and they do it oh so well. Turn up the volume and the assault is not unlike that of a heavy metal juggernaut. Yet there is still enough of the old beauty in there to keep it satisfying to most fans of the first 2 releases. Adam and Eve, the release to follow, was yet more of a compromise. It also was very nice of the band to pack 12 or more tracks on all of their first 4 releases, with no filler. You will definitely get your moneys worth. Playing all 4 releases back to back can certainly be one heck of a sonic adventure with all the guitar-driven pyrotechnics. Then you can use the Cats and Dogs (B-sides, (not really)) to recover.
December 3, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(32 reviews)