Reviews:
Doug Newman-The Cat Album
by Kevin Crisp - Cool and Strange Music Magazine
I've lived with cats all my life, and this charming DIY effort is the album I've
been waiting for, though I didn't know it 'til now.
Twenty-three songs, played adeptly on the acoustic guitar, with echoes of early
solo Paul McCartney and Emitt Rhodes, make up the disc. Newman has a great
concept here-writing songs about the trials and joys of living with felines. Moods
range from comedy to the haunting vibe of, "Kitty Come Back", a genuinely
moving and melodious song about the fear of losing the love of one's whiskered
companion.
On the album's opener, "Kitty Hairball", Newman expresses a thought that has
often occurred to me in my life with felines: "Sometimes it seems that I'm
somehow married/tho I don't even have a wife."
Other topics near and dear to cat people are covered in "Ear Mites on the Run",
the wistful and witty, "Kittens For Free" (which has a knockout melody) and the
stirring "Free Kitty", which celebrates the independent nature of cat-hood.
Newman's winning voice, sharp finger-style guitar picking and quirkily sincere
songwriting give this album a true resonance. I'll enjoy listening to this CD for a
long time to come. My cat Eubie likes it, too.
Press:
"Cat lovers and fans of gentle, sixties-inflected pop will be tickled by Doug Newman's affectionate tribute to the kitties
in his life. I'm both, and really dig this sweet and charming disc. The tunes are catchy and the themes are well drawn
from life, with songs about cats lost and (happily) found, not really wanting to give away that litter of kittens,
honoring a cat's need for independance, ear mite infestations and the weird things cats eat..."
Kim Cooper - Scram Magazine
"The most affectionate, sincere, and astute yet unpretentious tribute to a feline companion that I have ever heard put to
music. If you are a cat person or you know a cat person with a special day coming up, you NEED to purchase this CD!!!..."
Steve Sykes-Nova - The Virginiaprograsser (Sept. 1, 2005)