This is Catapilla`s 2nd album. Catapilla plough ahead on their own scary road. Meek’s exorcising and often wordless vocals still dominate the soundscape, as do Calvert’s ubiquitous saxophones – frequently with two of them playing at the same time.
There is no sign anywhere of concessions being made to sales figures: this music aims at spiritual cleansing. The style is governed by a lot of echo, numerous overdubs and long, long tracks. There are times when this causes gaps in the tension; but when it does gel, it’s downright chilling.
The best features are the silent passages following wild orgies of sound, which work like sanctuaries after some cosmic ordeal. The end of ‘Reflections’ is a good example of this. The strange mixture of slow hard-rock and eastern melodies on ‘Thank Christ For George’ is noteworthy, as is the unexpected tranquility of the closing track. These are unique sounds that make for uneasy but rewarding listening.
| Catalog number: | Vertigo 6360 074 |
| Format: | LP |
| Release date: | 1972 |
| Artist: | Catapilla |
| Album title: | Changes |
| Mint value: | (UK) ca. 2.000 – 2.500 €, die-cut gimmicks gatefold sleeve. (GER) ca. 400 – 500 €, single sleeve |
| Production: | Produced by Colin Caldwell |
| Cover-design: | Cover-art by Martin Dean |
| Line-up: | Anna Meek voc, Graham Wilson g, Carl Wassard b, Brian Hanson dr, Robert Calvert ss, as, ts, Ralph Rolinson org, e-p |
| Track listing A: | Reflections (12:14) Charing Cross (6:48) |
| Track listing B: | Thank Christ For George (12:11) It Could Only Happen To Me (6:56) |
| Matrix number A: | 6360074 1Y//1 ▼ 420 1 1 3 |
| Matrix number B: | 6360074 2Y//1 ▼ 420 1 1 3 |