Cats In Space – Chapter 1 (Remastered 4CD Clamshell Box Set)
It’s not been a bad couple of years for British retro rock band Cats In Space.
In 2024 they released the double live album Fire In The Night, followed by the announcement that they had signed with Cherry Red Records’ Esoteric Recordings.
Later that year they delivered Time Machine, their best album to date.
Perhaps inevitably, and certainly deservedly, given the quality of the band’s previous albums and the fact earlier releases have since sold out/ are no longer available, Esoteric Recordings are now reissuing the Cats In Space back catalogue.
The first retrospective is Chapter 1, a 4CD box set containing the band’s first four albums, fully remastered, with six bonus tracks (the set also comes with an illustrative and informative 16 page booklet and a fold-out poster).
Formed around ex Moritz guitarist Greg Hart, Cats In Space are Hart (electric & acoustic guitars, synths, vocals), Dean Howard (guitars), Steevi Bacon (drums, percussion), Jeff Brown (bass, vocals), Andy Stewart (piano, synths, vocoder) and, on Chapter 1, original lead singer Paul Manzi.
CD1 features debut album Too Many Gods, originally released in 2015.
The band’s first offering heralds their statement of musical intent to merge and marry high-class retro/ 70s hard-pop, glam and classic rock. Big vocal harmonies, rock guitars and keyboards all share equal billing, bolstered by clever arrangements and ridiculously infectious chorus hooks, all of which (intentionally) remind of ELO, The Sweet, Jellyfish, 10CC and mid-70s Queen.
All the above are present and correct on the impacting title track, which remains one of their best ever songs. Other highlights include the sway and high-harmonies of 'Last Man Standing,' 'Unfinished Symphony' (the greatest song the Raspberries never did), and seven-minute tour de force/ signature song, 'Greatest Story Never Told' (a progressively structured song the late and great John Miles would have been proud to call his own).
Two bonus tracks are also included – mid-tempo pop-rocker 'Scandalous' and the Slade classic 'How Does It Feel,' featuring Thunder’s Danny Bowes (who would become the band’s first manager).
CD2, Scarecrow, released in 2017, is a bigger and bolder sounding expansion of the debut album, as typified by semi-anthemic, space age opener 'Jupiter Calling' and the seven-and-a-half minute title track, best described as a tempo-changing, harmony laden, progressive rock and roller.
Pacey pop rocker 'The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party' is a high on harmonies highlight, as is the 10CC-tinged, eery pop of 'Clown In Your Nightmare' and the high-pop brace of 'September Rain' and 'Felix And The Golden Sun.' (Included bonus tracks are an Acoustic Mix of the former and a Vocal Mix of the latter).
CD3 presents the band’s 2018 live album Cat’s Alive!, recorded at The Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, while supporting Thunder.
The high-energy, 35 minute set proves they can command the attention of a large audience (one that’s not even their own) but given six of the seven songs are lifted from Too Many Gods (including a monster version of 'Greatest Story Never Told'), it’s more akin to an early live snapshot/ memento (the aforementioned Fire In The Night presents the full live picture).
CD4 features the band’s third studio album (and last with Paul Manzi), 2019’s Day Trip To Narnia.
An ambitious and adventurous undertaking, the core of the album is an imaginative concept piece titled 'The Story Of Johnny Rocket,' set across seven tracks.
From the spaceman rock 'n' roll of 'Johnny Rocket' and ELO inspired ballad 'Twilight' to the melodic, popified charm of closing piece 'Destination Unknown,' said seven song concept stitches together extremely well, making it a firm fan favourite of the Cats canon.
It also manages to include another popular 70s genre via the disco-rock of 'Thunder In The Night.'
In 2024 they released the double live album Fire In The Night, followed by the announcement that they had signed with Cherry Red Records’ Esoteric Recordings.
Later that year they delivered Time Machine, their best album to date.
Perhaps inevitably, and certainly deservedly, given the quality of the band’s previous albums and the fact earlier releases have since sold out/ are no longer available, Esoteric Recordings are now reissuing the Cats In Space back catalogue.
The first retrospective is Chapter 1, a 4CD box set containing the band’s first four albums, fully remastered, with six bonus tracks (the set also comes with an illustrative and informative 16 page booklet and a fold-out poster).
Formed around ex Moritz guitarist Greg Hart, Cats In Space are Hart (electric & acoustic guitars, synths, vocals), Dean Howard (guitars), Steevi Bacon (drums, percussion), Jeff Brown (bass, vocals), Andy Stewart (piano, synths, vocoder) and, on Chapter 1, original lead singer Paul Manzi.
CD1 features debut album Too Many Gods, originally released in 2015.
The band’s first offering heralds their statement of musical intent to merge and marry high-class retro/ 70s hard-pop, glam and classic rock. Big vocal harmonies, rock guitars and keyboards all share equal billing, bolstered by clever arrangements and ridiculously infectious chorus hooks, all of which (intentionally) remind of ELO, The Sweet, Jellyfish, 10CC and mid-70s Queen.
All the above are present and correct on the impacting title track, which remains one of their best ever songs. Other highlights include the sway and high-harmonies of 'Last Man Standing,' 'Unfinished Symphony' (the greatest song the Raspberries never did), and seven-minute tour de force/ signature song, 'Greatest Story Never Told' (a progressively structured song the late and great John Miles would have been proud to call his own).
Two bonus tracks are also included – mid-tempo pop-rocker 'Scandalous' and the Slade classic 'How Does It Feel,' featuring Thunder’s Danny Bowes (who would become the band’s first manager).
CD2, Scarecrow, released in 2017, is a bigger and bolder sounding expansion of the debut album, as typified by semi-anthemic, space age opener 'Jupiter Calling' and the seven-and-a-half minute title track, best described as a tempo-changing, harmony laden, progressive rock and roller.
Pacey pop rocker 'The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party' is a high on harmonies highlight, as is the 10CC-tinged, eery pop of 'Clown In Your Nightmare' and the high-pop brace of 'September Rain' and 'Felix And The Golden Sun.' (Included bonus tracks are an Acoustic Mix of the former and a Vocal Mix of the latter).
CD3 presents the band’s 2018 live album Cat’s Alive!, recorded at The Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, while supporting Thunder.
The high-energy, 35 minute set proves they can command the attention of a large audience (one that’s not even their own) but given six of the seven songs are lifted from Too Many Gods (including a monster version of 'Greatest Story Never Told'), it’s more akin to an early live snapshot/ memento (the aforementioned Fire In The Night presents the full live picture).
CD4 features the band’s third studio album (and last with Paul Manzi), 2019’s Day Trip To Narnia.
An ambitious and adventurous undertaking, the core of the album is an imaginative concept piece titled 'The Story Of Johnny Rocket,' set across seven tracks.
From the spaceman rock 'n' roll of 'Johnny Rocket' and ELO inspired ballad 'Twilight' to the melodic, popified charm of closing piece 'Destination Unknown,' said seven song concept stitches together extremely well, making it a firm fan favourite of the Cats canon.
It also manages to include another popular 70s genre via the disco-rock of 'Thunder In The Night.'
Day Trip To Narnia includes seven other songs, a number of which finger point at aspects of, or characters in, the music scene. Highlights of such include the arrogant, narcissist rock star (the semi-theatrical hard pop of 'Narnia'), lookalike tribute mimicry (the Queen-esque 'Tragic Alter Ego') and the heydays of a long gone past (the melodic pop and roll of 'Silver & Gold'). Special mention too for gorgeous power ballad, 'Chasing Diamonds.'
A purposeful cover of Zeppelin’s 'Communication Breakdown' and the 12" Thunder Mix of 'Thunder in the Night' are included as bonus tracks.
As documented in the accompanying booklet, just as the Day Trip To Narnia tour was being set up it was announced Paul Manzi would be leaving to join Sweet on a permanent basis (Manzi played with Sweet in 2014 before joining the Cats, and again in 2019, as schedules permitted between both bands).
Manzi stepped down after the first part of the 'Narnia tour, after which... well, watch this Cats in Chapter 2 Space…
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
A purposeful cover of Zeppelin’s 'Communication Breakdown' and the 12" Thunder Mix of 'Thunder in the Night' are included as bonus tracks.
As documented in the accompanying booklet, just as the Day Trip To Narnia tour was being set up it was announced Paul Manzi would be leaving to join Sweet on a permanent basis (Manzi played with Sweet in 2014 before joining the Cats, and again in 2019, as schedules permitted between both bands).
Manzi stepped down after the first part of the 'Narnia tour, after which... well, watch this Cats in Chapter 2 Space…
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ