''Cataract'' is the second studio album by American
alternative country
Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...
band
The Walkabouts released on March 1, 1989, through
Sub Pop Records.
Track listing
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
Personnel
*
Michael Wells – bass, harmonica
*
Carla Torgerson
The Walkabouts were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984. The core members were vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman. Although the rest of the line-up changed occasionally, for most of the ti ...
– vocals, guitar, keyboard, cello, percussion
*
Grant Eckman
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
* Castle Grant
United States
*Grant, Alabama
* Grant, Inyo County, ...
– drums, percussion
*
Chris Eckman – vocals, guitars,
mountain dulcimer, tapes
; Additional musicians
*
Jonathan Siegel
Jonathan may refer to:
* Jonathan (name), a masculine given name
Media
* ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer
* ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski
* ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...
– violin on "Whereabouts Unknown"
*
Terry Lee Hale –
slide guitar
Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...
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
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.".
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.".
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. ...".
References
{{Authority control
1989 albums
The Walkabouts albums