 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Cattle Company "Love to be Loved" (Diamond Blue Records JHS004)
Hans-Henrik Thamdrup. DJ at Radio Oestsjaelland. Denmark
Rufus. "North Country Music" magazine England.
SOUNDS COUNTRY by Pete Smith (England) Country Music Round Up
John O'Regan "Rock n' Reel" magazine
Litter Dittmar Broadcaster (Berlin) Germany
Country Gift Magazine: Editor: Pascal Paulin. La Garde, France.
Hans-Henrik Thamdrup. DJ at Radio Oestsjaelland. Denmark
Cattle Company "Love to be Loved" (Diamond Blue Records JHS004)
The Cattle Company have made a very fine album in "Love to be loved". Even though they may not be playing traditional country music their music is enjoyed by people who enjoy traditional country music. The album has tracks which have some speed such as "Out on the highway" and "She's leavin' me. The lead vocalist Brendan Monaghan has written most of the songs on the album and I feel that he has been writing about complicated relationships. They are very fine songs indeed. Picking my favourite tracks from the album is very hard because I really like them all but I have chosen track 3 "I'm right, you're wrong, I win" and track 5 "Out on the highway".
Keep on making music that way because lots of people love it.
Cattle Company "Love to be Loved" (Diamond Blue Records JHS004)
This is the latest offering from the Irish band Cattle Company. All the tracks are original compositions written or co-written by Brendan Monaghan.
Very much in the style of Texan music with a hint of western swing, this album will appeal to those who like their music uncomplicated and definitely country.
Whether a soulful ballad like "Let it Breathe" or the faster paced "Out on the Highway" this is an album that is well crafted and features some delightful pedal steel and fiddle. A follow up to their debut album "Hero" the ten tracks are mostly about estranged love in all its many guises.
Proficiently supported by Richard Murray (bass guitar and backing vocals), Laurence Mc Keown (drums), Ivan Mc Lernon (pedal steel, dobro and backing vocals) and David Cochrane (fiddle and mandoline). Brendan Monaghan holds everything together with competent assurance.
Cattle Company "Love to be Loved" (Diamond Blue Records JHS004)
Star track: LOVE TO BE LOVED Rating: 8
Ireland's premier stone country band has been together for several years now. They have struggled their perseverance is starting to pay off. The band name is known in Texas where Paul Mateki proved that eventually talent will shine through. The ten original songs (plus four bonus tracks from the Hero album) included, are excellent, totally country and so well performed. Well done guys.
Cattle Company `Love to be Loved` Diamond Blue Records JHS 004
The Cattle Company are a country rock band based in Bangor and feature the songs of Brendan Monaghan. This bunch of renegade pickers exude in a laid back style of country music high on integrity and low on the Nashville conveyer belt factor. "She's Leavin'Me" and "I'm Right, Your wrong I win" cry out wider exposure. Solid well-crafted songs are their stock in trade with Monaghan' earnest vocals out front. Tasteful pedal steel from Ivan Mc Lernon and David Cochrane's fiddle add extra musical lustre.
"love gets in the way" nods towards Poco/Flying Burrito Brothers territory. Cattle Company play high-class progressive country music and in Brendan Monaghan they have an up front ace card. "Love to be loved" brings Bakersfield to Bangor and wins hands down.
Cattle Company `Love to be Loved` Diamond Blue Records JHS 004
Country (like other genres, metal for example) is poisoned by clichés that grew with the years. Some people can't stand this music because……. Well yes but you're thinking about clichés my friend's -the pure music is always beautiful. Here we have some of most beautiful example of unpretentious fresh new country that I heard in years. I really wasn't astonished to get to know that the Cattle Company co-operates with Paul Mateki , who is of the same rare class.
This band comes from Northern Ireland, which I guess adds some very personal/ unique aspects but it is true Country. Vaguely based on the fresh natural sounds once invented by bands like Poco, Flying Burrito Brothers etc, but now definitely taken back into the pure Country land -no rock touch here. The more I listened to this C.D,the more I hear some unconventional influences - even though this is not so much my cup of tea, some hidden new "Indie" flavour adds an very interesting aspect all very well played, very fluid, topped by a voice with a special flavour, never overdoing it just singing, brilliant. Most of the songs are quite fast,which take the band even further away from the normal stuff. Which doesn't mean that the slow songs are not worth a mention, "I'm not the one"is one of the most beautiful songs on the album! Well all in all this is really completely unique, it's countrybut this pure natural and real no glamour, no show biz this basically the truth. I can't praise this enough!
"Love to be Loved" Diamond Blue Records (JHS 004 UK Import)
As a return here we have Brendan Monaghan and his colleagues the Cattle Company from Ireland with a new production of traditional country, which isn't totally new as the four bonus tracks come from their previous release "Hero". If each track is taken on it's own then it's fine, the album on the whole sounds a little too even, however "I'm right, you're wrong, I win" is a very nice ballad upon which Monaghan's slightly husky high vocal finds it's most perfect expression. Some regret for "She's leavin' me" the pedal steel break could have been a little longer and there could have been more use made of the female backing vocals of Susan Enan on this track, that said this is a very strong track indeed. The intro of "I'm not the one" on mandolin by Daniel Donnelly is one of the best on the album. Without being fabulous the entire compositions of "Love to be loved" mainly by Monaghan's hand are very honourable and hold the road with a kind of search of obvious quality.
Good luck to Cattle Company and to their front man Brendan Monaghan, hoping to see them one day soon in France.
" Love to be Loved" Rating 7.
Web design by Ian Humes (E-mail)
Page updated on 18 April 1999