No.81 - ‘Deadbeat’ by The Fat Cats (2005)

“Easy easy money baby, red wine from the well. He’s inspired, taste acquired, watch out mademoiselle”

I honestly can’t remember where I heard of The Fat Cats, and why I bought this album, but my gosh was it one of my best discoveries! So much was my excitement for these songs that ‘Deadbeat’ went on to inspire a large variety of my writing with the band Little Blue Light.

Take a pinch of Madness, a swig of the Stray Cats, even a small measure of Barenaked Ladies and some overdriven guitar and we are only part-way to describing the unique sound of this album. A mash up of boogie woogie, ska, swing, punk and rock; there is nothing quite like this out there. Very piano driven, with a strong sax throughout, and excellent vocals. The songs are super catchy and not one is alike, as they flow through various genres. 

The piano right at the forefront of the compositions really set it apart from other punk albums. It gives the music a crispness, a swing, and an overall fantastic sound. Harmonies are used sparingly but in the perfect spots, and we’re hit with a very “Lee Thompsonesque” sax. And no rock’n’roll band would be complete without a double bass player! The ska rhythm is also used sparingly, which just adds a greater effect when it does hit. Every song is different yet undeniably that excellent Fat Cat sound. High energy swing, punk rock with a twist, and even a couple of awesome dirges.

The Fat Cats are a UK band from Stoke-On-Trent. Deadbeat is a hard to find album online. There are a few videos and snippets at best. If you can grab a copy of the CD though, it will be well worth it! Unfortunately the album was never released on vinyl to my extreme disappointment.

Favourite songs -  Sticky Fingers, I’m So Sad, All This Time





















Comments

  1. Mark Clayton25 July 2021 at 04:14

    One of my favourite albums of all time with one of my favourite songs on it, "Bored to Death". "You Won't Remember" is also brilliant. This is a very strong album a bit like Jesse James who infused ska with punk, but The Fat Cats went with swing in their punk. Utterly great band, long defunct, and that's a great pity. Insultingly, Deadbeat is available on Discogs right now for a pathetic £1.00. If you buy it, it will be like buying gold for a few peanuts. One pound! Makes it appear almost worthless, when it's far from it.

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