(c) Doug Newman

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.