Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., Catnip Dynamite

By Less Lee Moore

It’s difficult to be objective in an album review when your gut feeling tells you that the musician in question is an all-around righteous guy. Fortunately, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.’s latest album, Catnip Dynamite, is so amazing that I won’t have to compromise my principles; this review will be completely guilt-free.

Manning is one of the most gifted, prolific, and hard-working musicians from the last couple of decades, a major creative force in bands such as Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, TV Eyes, The Moog Cookbook, and Malibu, as well as a contributor to the work of dozens of other bands and artists. Rather than list them all here, I’ll just let you check out the credits section from his website.

But don’t let the pedigree fool you into thinking he’s a dilettante. Manning is the real deal; the biggest challenge in enjoying his music is trying to select a favorite from his many talents. Catnip Dynamite has made that task even harder with its dazzling and mind-blowing array of tunes.

As one would expect from someone who is fluent in the language of pop, there are many catchy tunes on the album. Although the songs might have more “traditional” pop song structures, they’re so well executed, that you don’t see them coming. In songs like “Love’s Never Half Is Good” and “Down In Front,” for example, the bridges flow so seamlessly into the choruses that you’ve already fallen half in love with them before they have revealed themselves fully.

Clearly, Roger Manning has been taking notes from his influences (see if you can spot winks at Gary Glitter and Harry Nilsson amongst the album’s tunes). The incredibly groovy “Imaginary Friend” is Incense & Peppermint-flavored espresso, while “The Turnstile At Heaven’s Gate” boasts two different nods to Sparks (“This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us” and “Get In The Swing”). There’s even a guitar riff in “Living In End Times” with a more than a whiff of Redd Kross’s “Faith Healer.”

Yet Manning is not a cover artist and his music is not derivative. Instead, he utilizes such influences as a launching pad for his own unique sound. When you hear one of his songs, you feel it in your bones. “The Quickening” is 100% Roger Manning: multi-tracked vocals, funky keyboards, pounding drums, and choruses more infectious than the common cold (and a million times more enjoyable, trust me). It begs to be performed in an arena with a laser light show, but it’s not “arena rock.” (Oh, and there’s cowbell, too.) In addition, the career-defining “Down In Front” highlights Manning’s phenomenal keyboard playing skills as well his penchant for making you want to rock out. It also shows off his superb vocal phrasing; he knows just when to hold back and when to push it.

It’s not all about the music, either. Lyrically, there is much to chew on. “Love’s Never Half As Good” has the same sweet irony as The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” but with the masterful touch of Burt Bacharach’s finest. The sincerity of “My Girl” is a true rarity amongst love songs, as it does not contain one smidgen of false flattery or eye-rolling corniness.

Despite the pop varnish, some of the songs on Catnip Dynamite have decidedly darker roots. “Haunted Henry” is a song that tells a somewhat somber story, while “Tinsel Town” is a wise (but not preachy) commentary on the deluded masses who want nothing more than their 15 minutes. There is an amusing spin on reincarnation in the cosmic “The Turnstile At Heaven’s Gate,” while “Living In End Times” is about exactly what the title implies. Its remarkably zesty melody and delivery completely contradict the nihilistic lyrics; the song even ends with explosions and air raid sirens. Utterly brilliant.

“Survival Machine” (its title recalling Bowie’s “Saviour Machine”?) is the most somber of them all: heavenly vocals with heart wrenching lyrics about a hellish, post-apocalyptic existence. It might even be described as science fiction set to music if the subject matter was not (sadly) based in fact. It’s so stunning, it just might be my favorite out of the multitudes of songs Manning has written. (Yes, really!)

The final studio track, the dinner theater comedy of “Drive Thru Girl” has lyrics worthy of Ron Mael and makes me crack up laughing every time I hear the line about the filling. But wait! There’s more! We are also treated to three live tracks: “You Were Right” (from Manning’s first solo album), a cover of Thomas Dolby’s “Europa” and another cover, a blistering rendition of Elton John’s “Love Lies Bleeding.”

If you liked Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. in Jellyfish or Imperial Drag, you should be all over this album like a puppy on brand new slippers. It’s just astoundingly enjoyable. Even if you’ve never heard of Manning, give Catnip Dynamite a listen and I guarantee you’ll become a convert.

Catnip Dynamite will be available February 3 from Oglio Records. To find out how to order a copy and to hear selections from the album, please visit Roger’s MySpace page or Official Website.

RELATED LINKS:

Speaking The Language Of Pop: An Interview With Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., Popshifter July/August 2008 Issue