C.A.T.: Loveless

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)

I’ll try to be brief with this CAT since it’s an album that has a pretty ridiculously prestigious reputation anyway, and because I’m pretty tired from flying back to SF and moving in and all that nonsense. In most indie circles, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless is basically treated like it’s the greatest thing in the history of mankind. I’ve always thought it’s been a little bit overhyped, but really any way you look at it, it’s a pretty grand achievement.

A few CAT’s ago I talked about The Jesus and Mary Chain, who basically planted the seed for the movement known as shoegazing, and Loveless is more or less the pinnacle of the movement. After establishing a sound drenched in heavy droning guitars, dream-like vocals, and wistful melodies on 1988’s Isn’t Anything, My Bloody Valentine delved into an even deeper, immersive sound with Loveless. It’s really pretty amazing how unique of a sound was created with this album, as the whole thing is just basically one giant wave of music that spills over you, without really any one particular instrument ever popping out at you. Even the vocals seem to be used in a way more similar to an instrument than as a way of singing lyrics.

There’s one funny thing that this album always reminds me of. I remember a long time ago, Nancy told me that he had come up with the most revolutionary musical idea ever, to create an album completely recorded underwater. Well I just kind of laughed at him at the time, but this album actually sounds basically what I would imagine an album that was recorded under water would sound like. Maybe it wasn’t as dumb of an idea as I thought it was.

Favorite Tracks: “Only Shallow”, “Blown A Wish”, “Soon”

C.A.T: The La’s

The La’s – The La’s (1990)

Everybody knows the catchy 90s hit “There She Goes” but how many folks have ever heard of The La’s? Though they fell of the radar after the release of their one and only album The La’s are today heralded as one of the first important bands of the 90s Brit Pop scene. Influencing such artists as Pete Doherty and Oasis to name a few, this Liverpool foursome has developed a cult following over the years and is still popular among fans of 90s power pop.

Led by the moody yet skilled songwriter Lee Mavers, The La’s spent two years on their debut that appeared doomed from the start. Constantly scraping countless takes and tracks, Mavers was never satisfied with the group’s studio sound. This would go on until 1990 when producer Steve Lillywhite would finally piece it all together and deem it a complete work. Though Mavers was not pleased with the decision, the album turned out to be a critical success even if it failed to make a mark on the charts.

The real surprise is hearing that Mavers was unhappy with the end results. If you ask me you couldn’t ask for much more in the way of catchy “Beatles-esque” songwriting. Sure it’s a little underproduced but these tracks are sensational with the gravelly voiced Mavers belting them out to 60s inspired guitars and tight harmonies.

So who knows what could’ve become of The La’s had they stayed together. Could they’ve gone to great success? Hard to say considering Maver’s perfectionist attitude though he hasn’t recorded anything since this album… Strange. Well all I know is this is a great album and a must have for fans of the Brit Pop genre.

Favorite Tracks: “There She Goes”, “Timeless Melody”, “Way Out”

C.A.T.: The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)

Our long trip through the eighties finally comes to an end with an album that definitely pointed the way for the direction rock music would head towards into the ’90s, or at least British rock music. I mean this album is so highly regarded in British music circles that in 2006 NME declared it the greatest British album of all time. I’ll start off by saying it’s not, but it’s still very good nonetheless.

Being from Manchester in the late eighties, The Stone Roses couldn’t help but get lumped in with the whole “Madchester” scene, which was defined by much more dance-oriented music than what you’ll find on this debut. You can see traces of that acid house sound spilling over into some of the songs, especially on the song “Fool’s Gold”, but for the most part this album is all about guitars and poppy songwriting.

Guitarist John Squire creates a pretty unique blend of guitar sounds that combines plenty of acoustic guitars, with a whole lot of psychedelic sounds that made for a sound that was vintage and forward-thinking at the same time. Ian Brown’s laid-back vocal approach makes for a nice foil to the band’s kaleidoscope of colorful sounds, with there being no shortage of catchy melodies. It’s really one of those albums where it’s hard to pick a stand-out track because they’re all so damn tasty.

I’ve always thought of The Stone Roses as the album that in some ways planted the seed for what would eventually would become Britpop, as it heralded a return to a more classic British songwriting approach. In fact, I bet if you listened to this album without knowing anything about it, you’d probably think it came out in the mid-nineties.

Favorite Tracks: “She Bangs The Drum”, “Waterfall”, “I Am The Resurrection”

C.A.T: Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1

The Traveling WIlburys – Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)
Who would of imagined that a friendly get together between a group of rock music legends would lead to one of the most memorable supergroups of it’s time? What began as a friendly session to record a b-side for a George Harrison single would only grow into the joyous album I speak of today. Composed of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne, The Traveling Wilburys combined catchy melodies, with strong lyrics and tied it all together with an army of guitars to create a bright and upbeat album that’s just as much fun as ever.

Every Wilbury has their moment in the sun but it’s on songs like “End of the Line” and the classic “Handle With Care” that they share the mic and really shine. Paying tribute from everything from 50’s rockabilly “Rattled'” to reggae on “Last Night” it’s an album that never skips a beat nor wastes any opportunities. You’d just be greedy to ask for any more from these guys, I mean Bob Dylan and George Harrison singing alongside the legendary Roy Orbison? What more could you ask for?

The production is slick and polished not unlike other album’s produced by Jeff Lynne around the same period these including; George Harrison’s Cloud Nine, Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever and Roy Orbison’s Mystery Girl. Here he’s aided by co-producer/unofficial Wilbury leader George Harrison to create a rock romp that’s rarely dated by it’s late 80s packaging.

It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite track but I’m quite partial to the Dylan-heavy numbers and Tom Petty tracks, as this was arguably his most prolific and creative period. Lynne and Harrison feel to be a bit more in the background most of the time but still have standout moments. Artistically it didn’t break any groud or musical barriers but it’s still an enjoyable chronicling of some of rock’s greatest songwriters coming together to have fun and do what they do best.

Favorite Tracks: “End of the Line”, “Handle With Care”, “Last Night”

C.A.T.: Paid In Full

Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full (1987)

I was tempted to do another underground alternative album from the ’80s, but the late ’80s are pretty much the only era of hip-hop that I really care about, so I figured I’d take a look at an album that’s nothing short of a golden age hip-hop classic. Now let me preface this by saying that my knowledge of hip-hop is pretty limited. Really there’s probably less than 10 hip-hop albums that I would say I truly love, and this along with it’s follow-up Follow The Leader has got to be one of them.

This debut from Eric B. and Rakim was recorded over the course of one week, with Rakim usually finishing his lyrics in about an hour after listening to the beats. Which is pretty amazing when the biggest thing about this album is how revolutionary Rakim’s lyrical approach was. Even a hip-hop novice like myself can recognize that Rakim brought an unprecidented amount of intricacy to his lyrics, pioneering the use of internal rhyme.

It’s weird to think that there was a time when the DJ was just as an important part of hip-hop music as the rapper was, and Eric B.’s scratching is just as much at the forefront of the album as Rakim’s rhymes. The beats are fairly simple, but are a perfect example of what characterized hip-hop’s golden age, with lots of heavy beats with a fair amount of sampling. Rhythmically it’s all pretty laid-back when you compare Paid In Full to contemporaries like Run DMC’s Raising Hell or Boogie Down Production’s Criminal Minded, but when you put Rakim’s commanding rhymes on top of it, it’s hard not to be drawn in.

Don’t let that cover fool you, I mean Eric B. & Rakim could never be accused of being soft, but they’re still the kind of hip-hop that people with extremely white taste in music like me should have no problem getting into. Sean, I know you probably won’t even read this, but if you’re serious about ever getting in to hip-hop, this ain’t a bad place to start.

Favorite Tracks: “I Ain’t No Joke”, “I Know You Got Soul”, “Paid In Full”

C.A.T: Licensed to Ill

Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (1986)
Aside from a lone Tone Loc album and maybe some Sugarland Gang, Hip-Hop was a little lonely in my music library, that was until I finally became a fan of Brooklyn’s finest. Maybe it’s because they proved that even white boys can be funky? Whatever the reason were going back to 1986 for this week’s classic album tuesday and it’s time to get ill.

Breakin’ out in the mid 80s, this NYC trio were signed to Def Jam Records by now legendary producer Rick Rubin who would also go to produce the hit debut in question. The single “Fight for Your Right” would help propel the album to the top of the charts but really it’s the majority of the other tracks that truly define this party posse. Slick samples, big beats, all delivered with over-the-top energy and style. Chunky guitar riffs is a staple on Licensed to Ill even going as far as to feature Slayer guitarist Kerry King on “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”.

Though the boys from Brooklyn have often felt embarrassed for some of their less than mature lyrical content on Licensed to Ill it’s still an amazingly fresh debut that in my eyes was well ahead of it’s time. So many shortsighted individuals had written them off as a novelty act back in the day but I think enough albums and years of critical acclaim have proven that’s B.S. Licensed to Ill would only go to become the best selling hip-hop album of the 80s and still remains popular after all this time, ch-ch-check it out.

Favorite Tracks: “Brass Monkey”, “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”, “Rhymin & Stealin”

C.A.T.: Psychocandy

The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy (1985)

I’m not sure if we’re gonna be able to keep this chronological CAT thing going for that much longer. But I’ve pretty much been listening to nothing but ’80s music all summer, so I figured I should keep it going. This week I’ll take a look at The Jesus And Mary Chain’s debut Psychocandy, an album whose influence on indie/alternative rock is just about as huge as any other album to come out of the ’80s.

The approach taken on this album is pretty simple: pop melodies drenched in a wall of distorted guitars. The instrumentation is pretty basic throughout, as the guitars seem to drone on and on through each song, while the simple drum patterns remain pretty repetitive throughout. And yet somehow these Scottish rockers were able to tap into something completely original that bands are still copying today.

I guess what makes the songs work is the songwriting of brothers Jim and William Reid. They obviously were influenced by the pop melodies of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys, and the album’s chocked full of simple pop ditties that are just as lovely and heartfelt as they are noisy and abrasive. It’s a wonder how songs as tender as “Just Like Honey” and “Cut Dead” manage to feel so natural alongside noise-fests like “In A Hole”, but I guess it’s all just part of that “Jesus and Mary Chain sound”.

Despite the album’s unorthodox nature, I’d say it’s got to be one of my favorite pop albums, as there’s just no shortage of catchy melodies that can’t help but creep under your skin. Plus Jack Black’s character in High Fidelity seemed to be all about it, that’s gotta count for something.

Favorite Tracks: “Just Like Honey”, “Taste Of Cindy”, “Sowing Seeds”