Every Album Ever | Episode 148: Catherine Wheel

[@EveryAlbumEver]

Intro/Band Overview 00:00 Ferment 14:27 Chrome 25:38 Happy Days 37:14 Adam and Eve 51:59 Wishville 1:10:30 Outro 1:20:08

[@mriamright1740]

Chrome has to be hands down their best album, when they were at their creative peak in using sound and song construction styles in a really intriguing way. Whether it was intentional to get a US audience, their later albums where much more MOR Rock style, maybe they just wanted to do that - but they lost a big chunk of their British audience . . . who were interested in the more experimental layers of sound or construction side of stuff with a lot of bands in Britain at the time. Chrome has their harder raw live sound that the over produced Ferment didn't have maybe ?

[@BrianEppMusic]

wishville is a great album, i love rob’s voice maturation on this album. the production is stellar.

[@kripken]

Great overview of a great band's discography, thanks for doing this! One song I hoped to see mentioned but didn't is "Heal". It's a matter of taste of course, but for me it's not only one of the best tracks on "Happy Days" but of their entire career, for several reasons: - It's got some of Rob's most emotional lyrics and singing. - It starts with a sequence of five bars, but that rare structure is almost hidden by the choice of chords that flow together so naturally you hardly notice the oddness. (Catherine Wheel do this at least in one other song I can think of: Thunderbird also has a progression of five bars, in which one chord is simply repeated for two bars). - A later section is in 11/4 (or three bars, two of 4 beats and one shortened to just 3), and later on that very same chord pattern appears in 12/4, giving it a very different feel - "resolved", but also surprising. - The chord choices themselves throughout the song are quite nice and interesting, I think. There are a few live versions of the song, either with the whole band or Rob on acoustic by himself, that are worth checking out in my opinion!

[@179rich]

I recently recorded a Catherine Wheel album rating/ranking video for Music Meltdown, but it won't be out for a while. Here's what I got: 5) Adam and Eve - 3.25 4) Wishville - 4 3) Ferment - 4.5 2) Happy Days - 5 1) Chrome - 5

[@GourdyLee]

Very fun little fact that their name refers to the Catherine Wheel medieval torture device and Rob’s cousin is Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden 🤯

[@mitchellhedden1978]

I hope this is true.

[@mrpig286]

The members of the band would say their name refers to the firework, but the relationship to Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson and the fact that the iron maiden and catherine wheel are both medieval torture devices suggests otherwise.

[@mriamright1740]

They named themselves after a Catherine Wheel firework popular in Britain.

[@mriamright1740]

@@mrpig286 It does not suggest anything much apart from maybe a coincidence. Bruce and Rob are from totally different generations for a start, as well as they are from totally different parts of England.

[@mrpig286]

We all believe what we want to believe in...

[@179rich]

Tanya was actually given a verse to sing on the "Judy" single and she nails it. They should have kept her vocal on the album as well I think.

[@M_B_J]

Sweet Slint shirt.

[@brydonyeoman1438]

FYI, 'Balloon' was a non-LP single released before the album and was added at the end on reissues. This is why it doesn't work as a closer.

[@EveryAlbumEver]

Learning that legitimately made my day better.

[@mterpstra]

There were rumblings of a reunion when Covid hit, and more again this year. I'm hopeful for *something* more from the band. Based on what you've said, definitely go see them on a reunion tour if you are on the fence. You will have to wade through some of the anthemic songs you don't like, but the songs you *do* like rip hard live. Chrome will always be my #1 from them as well - the Crank video on MTV's 120minutes sucked me in and Ursa Major Space Station is my favorite track well. The Chrome-era B-sides are eclectic (some fantastic, imo) if you're looking for a bit more from that era. As a CW fan for almost 30yrs (sh*t), it's wild to hear honest thoughts from critical listeners outside of the band's fan-community. Thanks guys.

[@mrpig286]

Would be interesting to hear your take on Catherine Wheel's Like Cats and Dogs, a collection of B-Sides from their first three albums. While it is a collection of songs from several recording sessions, it works well as an album as a whole. And Adam and Eve is a masterpiece! It takes a while to grow on you, but it has so many little intricacies to discover!

[@aydnofastro-action1788]

There's a well-known quote from some reviewer who said, " if you thought those British dream pop bands couldn't write a good song, you ought to get a load of these guys."

[@timali4man]

They were always at their best live. One of the best bands I've heard in the clubs around Seattle.

[@ReachForTheSkyVideo]

It's nice to hear Wishville getting some love, but it broke my heart that neither of you thought highly of Mad Dog.

[@179rich]

Yeah, Broken Head is positively euphoric, like getting high. My top 10 - 10) I Want to Touch You (Ferment) 09) Eat My Dust You Insensitive Fuck (Happy Days) 08) Pain (Chrome) 07) I Confess (Chrome) 06) Fizzy Love (Happy Days) 05) Kill Rhythm (Chrome) 04) Love Tips Up (Happy Days) 03) Fripp (Chrome) 02) Broken Head (Chrome) 01) Black Metallic (single edit)

[@this-is-slammin-549]

Swervedriver ! The best shoegaze.

[@keithferreira3866]

Ride is the best Catherine wheel is 2 Swervedriver is 3 Slow dive Mbv - meh

[@misanthropicpixiedreamgirl7551]

Check out the Manic Street Preachers.

[@rcagoon1969]

Super Furry Animals next fellas? Welsh lunatics. Great catalogue, but some crazy weird stuff throughout. Geniuses tho!

[@robberonbrent]

Step in line, pal

[@mitchellhedden1978]

@@robberonbrent Lol yep. I made my Patreon request like 2-3 months ago and they haven’t even mentioned it yet.

[@aydnofastro-action1788]

You may have noticed that their fans are extremely obsessed with the mighty wheel. I hope you point out that they seem to be the opposite of the Lilith fair, the male point of view full of angst. Especially songs like pain. Ill-fated romance is everywhere in Rob's lyrics. And almost inverted romanticism. Anyway, I would say that while most bands take many albums repeating their first successful formula, before they radically break into something new. Catherine Wheels starting point was already so good, that they sounded like a different band in all their albums which is an amazing feat. Someone said they basically have done everything you can do with a four-piece set up. But this did not help success, because the general audience could not latch on to one sound. they were like a moving Target in the best sense.

[@brydonyeoman1438]

My personal rankings as a fan since the beginning: 1. Chrome - brilliant from start to finish 2. Adam & Eve - so many brilliant textures and ebbs and flows 3. Ferment - as a fan of so many shoegaze bands, this is brilliant and I loved it from the first time hearing it. Incidentally, I ordered the import cd before it was released here based on a review in Melody Maker 4. Wishville - too short, what's here is good but there's not enough 5. Happy Days - too cheesy metal, too disjointed and even the decent songs aren't very good

[@jasonk19xx17]

Whaaa?? "Judy Staring at the Sun" is an ear worm if I've ever heard one. And how could you not like "Heal"? Rob even did that one when he went solo.

[@keithferreira3866]

Broken head is their best song

[@this-is-slammin-549]

Don’t ever do a “Puddle of Mud” episode. …or I WILL, unsubscribe ! 😁

[@alexandervolz5310]

I will choose violence one day.

[@drlarcey]

Today's Led Zeppelin