So why is Catch 22’s Keasbey Nights on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I have long been aware that Catch 22 and Streetlight Manifesto are both really good ska punk bands – more upbeat, up-tempo, and high-energy than angry or aggressive – and share some crossover in personnel.
I was also sort of aware that both bands curiously had an album titled Keasbey Nights, and finally I took the time to figure out what the deal is… which is a little complicated. Suffice to say that Tomas Kalnoky, lead singer for both bands, led out a complete re-recording of Catch 22’s “original” Keasbey Nights under the name of Streetlight Manifesto. The reasons have to do with contractual stuff.
Both albums are really good if you enjoy both bands similar style of upbeat and horn-driven ska punk. I prefer the slightly rawer and less produced sound as originally produced by Catch 22.
At the moment, my favorite song on Keasbey Nights is “9mm and a Three Piece Suit,” which has a frantic but tightly controlled tempo and zooms by on a gorgeous ska punk and great backing horns.
Here’s Streetlight Manifesto version if you’re interested. Listen closely and you’ll hear a slightly different horn arrangement and a somewhat cleaner sound overall.
“Dear Sergio” layers in a little Latin ska flavor into the high flying ska punk mix.
I really like the way that “As the Footsteps Die Out Forever” dials back the tempo and volume considerably… at least at first.
Some stats & info about Catch 22 – Keasbey Nights
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock, Rock Music, Ska Punk, Punk, Punk Rock, Third Wave Ska Revival, Alternative Rock
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was Keasbey Nights released? 1998
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #758 out of 1,000
Catch 22’s Keasbey Nights on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Catch 22’s Keasbey Nights that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Hey Sergio, it’s getting kinda hot in here.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.