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░ ██ ██ Artist: Cats in Space ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Daytrip to Narnia █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-09-21 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Harmony Factory ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Whoever decided to stick the king of rock n roll █
█ on some massive sheet and have the musicians █
█ playing behind him as they recreated the Æ68 █
█ Comeback Special was a money-making genius (the █
█ Birmingham Symphony Hall was full that night, and █
█ the ticket wasnÆt cheap, either) but they were █
█ also culturally moribund. █
█ IÆd repressed that memory, (it might be █
█ psychologically unsound, but it works) until I █
█ listened to Cats In SpaceÆs ôHologram Manö. █
█ A rather vitriolic û and totally just attack on █
█ such nonsense û sees Paul Manzi sing: ôHe wonÆt █
█ get tired of playing, weÆre selling loads of █
█ merchandise, the Golden Goose keeps laying, and █
█ everyone gets a sliceà..ö and that, right there, █
█ is the nail on the head. █
█ But there is another line on that song that rather █
█ better encapsulates the vibe of this record. ôHow █
█ I long for the days of Top Of The Popsö it goes █
█ and to be fair, Cats In Space would have been ace █
█ on that, they really would. █
█ I was only five years old when the 70s became the █
█ 80s, but allowing for the fact that if IÆd have █
█ been ten years older, then Thin Lizzy would have █
█ been my favourite band, IÆd have definitely been a █
█ glam kid too. █
█ And close your eyes, to be honest, it could really █
█ be the 1970s again throughout most of this. Not █
█ because itÆs dated, rather because that is what █
█ Cats In Space want to be. Listen to ôNarniaö the █
█ opening track, and you are instantly transported █
█ into a world that is somewhere between Mott The █
█ Hoople and ELO. █
█ And transported to a fantasy world too, because █
█ even the lyrics acknowledge that rock n roll █
█ should be some kind of escape. ôAnother night █
█ under the lights,ö sings Manzi, ôchanging █
█ someoneÆs life out there, but my desire is by the █
█ fire, and reclining in my comfy chairàö. █
█ Even better is the glorious two minutes of ôShe █
█ Talks Too Muchö. A power pop masterclass, in █
█ honesty, and with a nudge-nudge, wink-wink double █
█ entendre of the very highest order. ôHer lips █
█ wonÆt stay togetherö probably refers to the █
█ chatter, obviously. █
█ ôTragic Alter Egoö is a gorgeous piano based █
█ thingû think Elton John with a hint of misery █
█ about it, ôSilver And Goldö û even billing itself █
█ as a tribute to the golden age of glam û does the █
█ job perfectly, while thereÆs a wistful acoustic █
█ air to ôChasing Dragons and ôUnicornö has a real █
█ keyboard and Greg HartÆs solo is right up there. █
█ That concludes side one, as it were (and you just █
█ know they are the type of band to think of this as █
█ a vinyl record) and side two is taken up with one █
█ movement. Ish. ôThe Story Of Johnny Rocketö is █
█ actually split into seven songs, but thereÆs no █
█ doubt that CiS want you to enjoy it as a whole. █
█ It even passes my philistine test. That is to say █
█ forget the story, is the music any good? The █
█ answer is yes, hell yes. █
█ ôJohnny Rocketö has a real hint of The Who about █
█ it, and is quite superb, ôThunder In The Nightö is █
█ very much their ôI Was Made for LovinÆ Youö moment █
█ and is more disco than a glitter ball, to be █
█ honest. █
█ ôOne Small Stepö revels in its simple harmonies, █
█ The Beach Boys might be jealous here, and if IÆve █
█ resisted saying the name ôQueenö throughout this, █
█ there comes a time when you canÆt ignore it, and █
█ that time is ôTwilightö. ôYesterdayÆs Newsö had me █
█ thinking 10CC and anytime that happens is just █
█ fine, while ôDestination Unknownö actually sounds █
█ like most modern thing here. Unashamed to be pop █
█ music and absolutely glorious too. █
█ The destination for Cats In Space is interesting. █
█ It should be the arenas that their heroes █
█ inhabited, thatÆs where they deserve to play (and █
█ not just as support to Deep Purple either, █
█ although they were fun then) but then, that █
█ probably belonged to a different era. ItÆs an era █
█ that is still alive and well in the hearts of █
█ many, though and ôDaytrip To Narniaö is a most █
█ magnificent journey. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Narnia 5:04 ░
░ 2. She Talks Too Much 1:54 ░
░ 3. Hologram Man 4:12 ░
░ 4. Tragic Alter Ego 4:12 ░
░ 5. Silver and Gold 3:45 ░
░ 6. Chasing Diamonds 3:40 ░
░ 7. Unicorn 5:27 ░
░ 8. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Space 0:38 ░
░ Overture ░
░ 9. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Johnny 4:48 ░
░ Rocket ░
░ 10. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Thunder in 3:32 ░
░ the Night ░
░ 11. The Story of Johnny Rocket - One Small 2:21 ░
░ Step ░
░ 12. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Twilight 5:08 ░
░ 13. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Yesterdays 5:01 ░
░ News ░
░ 14. The Story of Johnny Rocket - Destination 4:41 ░
░ Unknown ░
░ 54:23 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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