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BOB CATLEY: Spirit Of Man

Release

Style

8/10

I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I heard Bob Catley’s new solo album, ‘Spirit Of Man’, for the first time. Was I expecting too much after his excellent first four CD’s? Did the more straightforward, less bombastic production put me off initially? Or was I still too much blown away by those two marvellous albums I received at the same time (Proto-Kaw and Tony O’Hora). It doesn’t really matter, though, as a couple of more listens showed there is absolutely nothing to worry about. This is Bob Catley in fine form – as we’ve come to expect of him.

Catley’s first three albums were written and produced by Ten’s Gary Hughes, and were typified by the epic and pompous sound. Paul Hodson took over that role for ‘When Empires Burn’, a more down-to-earth effort, leaning more towards traditional melodic heavy rock stuff. ‘Spirit Of Man’ follows in the style of the latter. Written by guitarist Vince O’Regan, Dave Thompson and Dave Uttley, this one’s quite a bit heavier than the work of Catley’s regular band Magnum. But the big melodies are there, and those great, distinctive vocals are always a joy to listen to.

The album blasts off with ‘Heart Of Stone’, a bit reminiscent of Dio and arguably some of the heaviest stuff Catley has done to date. Frantic riffing and a great chorus make this one of the standout tracks. ‘Judgment Day’ is one of those as well – a moody piece which might well go down in history as a Catley classic. ‘End Of The Story’, ‘Spirit Of Man’ and ‘In The Name Of The Cause’ are also magnificent.

The clever songwriters have made sure there are more than enough recognizable elements from Catley’s past: the ballad ‘Last Snows Of Winter’ is obviously very Magnum-like, and ‘Beautiful Mind’ is a return to the Gary Hughes-style tracks, although the production lets this one down a bit. This could have done with a bit more ‘grandeur’.

There are a few songs that I don’t really care for. ‘Moment Of Truth’, for instance, which is a bit too repetitive, or ‘Lost To The Night’ and ‘The Fire Within Me’, which just don’t do anything for me. But then rare is the album that doesn’t have any fillers. There’s more than enough exciting stuff here to keep any melodic rock fan happy.

I still don’t think it’s the best of Catley’s solo albums, but it’s a fine record nonetheless. Now, how about a Bob Catley / Magnus Karlsson collaboration the next time around?
 

Musicians

Heart Of Stone
Moment Of Truth
In The Name Of The Cause
Blinded By A Lie
Last Snows Of Winter
Spirit Of Man
The Fire Within Me
Judgment Day
Lost To The Night
Beautiful Mind
Walk On water
End Of The Story

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Last updated: 20 januari 2006 .
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