Cataract is the second studio album by American alternative country band The Walkabouts released on March 1, 1989, through Sub Pop Records.
| Cataract | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1, 1989[1] | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, alternative country | |||
| Length | 38:56 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| Producer | The Walkabouts, Tony Kroes, Ed Brooks | |||
| The Walkabouts chronology | ||||
| ||||
Track listing edit
All tracks written by The Walkabouts.
- "Whiskey xxx" – 2:56
- "Hell's Soup Kitchen" – 3:24
- "Whereabouts Unknown" – 3:01
- "End-In-Tow" – 3:23
- "Bones of Contention" – 4:38
- "Home as Found" – 2:38
- "Smokestack" – 3:04
- "The Wicked Skipper" – 1:38
- "Drille Terriers" – 2:24
- "Specimen Days" – 3:44
- "Long Black Veil" – 5:01
- "Goodbye (to all That)" – 3:05
Release history edit
| Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 1, 1989 | Sub Pop Records | LP | SP031[1] |
| April 4, 1990 | Glitterhouse Records | CD (reissue with EP Rag & Bone) | GR 0085[2] |
Personnel edit
- Michael Wells – bass, harmonica
- Carla Torgerson – vocals, guitar, keyboard, cello, percussion
- Grant Eckman – drums, percussion
- Chris Eckman – vocals, guitars, mountain dulcimer, tapes
- Additional musicians
- Jonathan Siegel – violin on "Whereabouts Unknown"
- Terry Lee Hale – slide guitar on "Home as Found"
- Carl Miller – trombone on "Smokestack"
- Liv Torgerson – backup vocals on "Drille Terriers"
- Technical personnel
- Ed Brooks – production, engineering
- Tony Kroes – production, engineering
- The Walkabouts – production
- Additional personnel
- William Forsythe – cover photo "Eddy and Dashdown", September 23, 1933
- Ben Thompson – cover design
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Spin | positive[4] |
| Dave Thompson | 7/10[5] |
Harold DeMuir wrote for "Trouser Press Record Guide, 4th Ed." that "The full-length 'Cataract' resonates with rueful Americana on such tracks as 'Whiskey XXX', "Hell's Soup Kitchen" and 'Long Black Veil' (not the traditional song), marking The Walkabouts as a distinctive band with loads of potential.".[6]
In The Walkabouts entry of "The Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock: The All-New Fifth Edition of The Trouser Press Record Guide" Scott Schinder wrote "Cataract and the six-song Rag & Bone (combined as Rag & Bone Plus Cataract, a single CD bearing the EP's original artwork) are more distinctive, mining a richly shadowy strain of Americana.".[7]
In a review for the Backlash magazine Ransom Edison wrote "... Compared to The Walkabouts' debut album, last year's 'See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens,' 'Cataract' is a more refined and consistent effort, pushing the folk influence even further yet exploring a greater variety of musical approaches. ...".[8]
References edit
- ^ a b "Sub Pop, The Walkabouts, Cataract". Sub Pop Records. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Glitterhouse, The Walkabouts, Rag & Bone/Cataract". Glitterhouse Records. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. Rag & bone/Cataract, The Walkabouts at AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ Coley, Byron (August 1989). "Underground". Spin. p. 85. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (November 1, 2007). Alternative Rock: The Best Musicians and Recordings. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 807. ISBN 9780879306076. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- ^ "The Walkabouts". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Trouser Press, Guide to 90's Rock: The Walkabouts". Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Backlash magazine, The Walkabouts, Cataract". Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2012.