Black Metallic
Ahhhh, Catherine Wheel, Shoegazing par excellance. And that although they said Queen was their biggest influence. And singer Rob Dickinson is Bruce Dickinsonīs out of Iron Maiden cousin. RAWK!
If you want to know what Shoegazing sounded like try and find some of CWīs early singles. Black Metallic, Painful Thing and I Want To Touch You are all the work of pure genius really. The first album Ferment was equally good although the second side was a bit boring. The Dandy Warhols said recently that they thought it was the perfect rock album which definitely earned them my respect. Second album Chrome was even better, good all the way through. It was a bit more diverse, some songs quite heavy, some like Show Me Marry, pure 3 minute pop.
Sadly, they later looked for success in the States and turned all Bush. Their late material like the albums Happy Days and Adam And Eve isnīt worth bothering with to be honest.
Still, the old stuff is very very good indeed, give it a listen.
Dave Simpson, Live Review, MM October 1991: "If Black Metallic doesnīt go Top 40 upon its release in November I shall have no other option than to shoot myself. Or shoot you all."
Catherine Wheel records I own:
Catherine Wheel
Black Metallic
