''catholic'' is the fourth solo album from
Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes.
Early life
Friday was born in Dublin and attende ...
, written and recorded with musician Herbie Macken and released in 2011. It was released in Ireland on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
(22 April), 16 years after the release of his previous album, ''
Shag Tobacco
''Shag Tobacco'' is the third solo album from Gavin Friday. Once again, Friday teamed up with musician Maurice "The Man" Seezer. Bono and The Edge contribute backing vocals on "Little Black Dress". "The Last Song I'll Ever Sing" was dedicated " ...
''.
''catholic'' deals with concepts of letting go and coming to terms with loss.
It was produced by
Ken Thomas Kenneth, Ken or Kenny Thomas may refer to:
* Kenneth Thomas (chess player) (born 1938), Chief Financial Officer of the United States Chess Federation
* Ken Thomas (trade unionist) (1927–2008), Welsh trade unionist and General Secretary of the Civi ...
(
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...
,
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...
,
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fron ...
)
and recorded in Dublin, Cork and West Yorkshire.
wrote the novella ''Requiem for the Dying'' for the album liner notes.
The video for "Able" was directed by
Kevin Godley
Kevin Michael Godley (born 7 October 1945) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and music video director. He is known as the singer and drummer of the art rock band 10cc and later as part of collaboration duo Godley & Creme with Lol Creme ...
.
Track listing
# "Able" – 4:47
# "Land on the Moon" – 5:07
# "A Song that Hurts" – 5:33
# "The Only One" – 4:16
# "Blame" – 4:54
# "The Sun and the Moon and the Stars" – 4:17
# "It's All Ahead of You" – 4:34
# "Perfume" – 3:34
# "Epilogue" – 3:09
# "Where'd Ya Go? Gone" – 4:41
# "Lord I'm Comin'" – 6:52
Personnel
*Gavin Friday – vocals, backing vocals
*Herbie Macken – keyboards, piano, guitars, backing vocals, piano, programming
*Kate Ellis – cello
*Andre Antunes – drums, percussion
*Gareth Hughes – bass guitars
*Anthony Drennan – electric guitar
*Jolyon Vaughan Thomas – programming, electric guitars, bass, keyboards
*Matthew Allsop – euphonium
*
Moya Brennan
Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing pr ...
– backing vocals
*
Amy Odell – vocals, backing vocals
*
John Kelly John or Jack Kelly may refer to:
People Academics and scientists
* John Kelly (engineer), Irish professor, former Registrar of University College Dublin
*John Kelly (scholar) (1750–1809), at Douglas, Isle of Man
*John Forrest Kelly (1859–1922) ...
– harmonica
Album title
The album's title is deliberately spelled with a lower case c to emphasise the word's original meaning: ''universal, for every man, with wide sympathies''.
Friday stated he wanted to claim back the word from the Roman Catholic church.
Album cover
The album's cover photo is based on and pays homage to the painting ''Michael Collins, Love of Ireland'' by
Sir John Lavery
Sir John Lavery (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was a Northern Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions.
Life and career
John Lavery was born in inner North Belfast, baptised at St Patrick's Church, Belfast a ...
which depicts Irish revolutionary leader
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to:
* Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician
* Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
lying in state. Friday had seen the painting at the Sir John Lavery "Passion and Politics" exhibit in Dublin at the
Hugh Lane Gallery
The Hugh Lane Gallery, officially Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane and originally the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, is an art museum operated by Dublin City Council and its subsidiary, the Hugh Lane Gallery Trust. It is in Charlemont House ( ...
in September 2010.
The photo was taken by
Perry Ogden Perry Ogden (born 1961) is a British fashion and documentary photographer, and film director, based in Dublin. He is interested in Traveller culture.
Ogden has published three books of photography, ''Pony Kids'' (1999), ''7 Reece Mews: Francis Baco ...
. Although the image sets up parallels between the turmoil of the birth years of an independent Ireland and the mid-2000s state of upheaval and political chaos, Friday has stated that this is "an emotional, not a political, album".
References
2011 albums
Gavin Friday albums
Albums produced by Ken Thomas (record producer)
Rubyworks Records albums
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