Just Like the Fambly Cat

Just Like the Fambly Cat
Studio album by Grandaddy
Released 9 May 2006
Genre Indie rock, indie pop, space rock
Length 61:14
Label V2
Producer Jason Lytle
Grandaddy chronology

Excerpts from the Diary of Todd Zilla (EP)
(2005)		 Just Like the Fambly Cat
(2006)

Just Like the Fambly Cat is the fourth and final studio album by American indie rock band Grandaddy. It was released on May 9, 2006 by record label V2.

The album reached No. 171 on the Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the Top Independent Albums chart,[1] as well as No. 50 on the UK Albums Chart.[2] The album was well-received by critics.

Background

The album's title is a reference to frontman Jason Lytle's desire to leave his home town of Modesto, California without any fuss, stating "[cats will] do that, almost out of respect and not wanting to put people out [...] because when the family cat dies, he doesn't make a big deal about it... He just disappears".[3][4]

Recording

Lytle spent eighteen months recording the album at a studio in Modesto, California.[5] Regarding the recording process, Lytle noted "During the one-and-a-half years that I recorded this album I lost my girl, my friends, my home, estranged my family, got sober, got wasted... I got too many things going on. The band breaking up only became a reality at the end of the recording. Many songs that people claim to be directly related to the band are actually directly related to other things I had going on."[6]

The album does not feature any of the other band members, apart from Aaron Burtch who performed "most of" the album's drums.[6] Lytle chose to credit the album to the band, stating "It's much more natural to imagine a band rocking out together than it is to imagine one frustrated guy at 4:30am in his boxer shorts and messed up hair, slaving over the same keyboard part for four-and-a-half hours. I recorded and wrote all of the music and the parts [but] I didn't want to distract the listener from whatever they needed to think when they heard the music."[6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [7]
Blender [8]
Robert Christgau A−[9]
Entertainment Weekly A−[10]
Filter 92%[11]
The Guardian [12]
Pitchfork 6.8/10[13]
Stylus B[14]
The Times [15]
Uncut favorable[16]

Critical response to the album was positive. AllMusic reviewer Tim Sendra called the album "a fine epitaph".[7] Mojo gave it three stars,[17] as did Spin, who called it "equal parts bang and whimper".[18] Billboard commented on the albums "more personal" lyrics and called the album "a worthy coda to a woefully under-appreciated band".[19] The Boston Globe described it as "a gorgeous album that should be admired much like a fleeting sunny afternoon or a sad foreign movie viewed without subtitles".[20] The Stranger gave it a three-star review, noting an "air of melancholic finality" and calling the songwriting "the best it's been since The Sophtware Slump".[21] The Guardian called it "a sad record... but an inspiring one too".[12]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Jason Lytle, except "Shangri-La (Outro)" by Jeff Lynne. 

No. Title Length
1. "What Happened..."   2:19
2. "Jeez Louise"   3:41
3. "Summer... It's Gone"   5:30
4. "Oxygen/Aux Send"   1:08
5. "Rear View Mirror"   6:08
6. "The Animal World"   4:53
7. "Skateboarding Saves Me Twice"   3:22
8. "Where I'm Anymore"   6:07
9. "50%"   1:02
10. "Guide Down Denied"   6:32
11. "Elevate Myself"   3:41
12. "Campershell Dreams"   3:44
13. "Disconnecty"   3:34
14. "This Is How It Always Starts"   6:46
15. "Shangri-La (Outro)" (hidden track) 2:16

Personnel

Grandaddy
Additional personnel
Technical

References

  1. ↑ "Grandaddy". Allmusic. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Grandaddy". Chart Stats. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (September 21, 2005). "Grandaddy Can't Wait to Leave Home – But They Have to Finish Telling It Off First". MTV. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  4. ↑ Barton, Laura (May 19, 2006). "'Stuff Doesn't Happen Unless I'm Alone'". The Guardian. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ "NME News Grandaddy Name New Album | NME.com". NME. September 20, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Diver, Mike (June 28, 2006). "Grandaddy, from Beyond the Grave: Jason Lytle Talks to DiS". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sendra, Tim. "Just Like the Fambly Cat". AllMusic. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  8. ↑ Blender: 137. June 2006. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Grandaddy". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  10. ↑ Entertainment Weekly: 80. May 12, 2006. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ Filter (19): 92. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lynskey, Dorian (May 5, 2006). "CD: Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat". The Guardian. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  13. ↑ Hogan, Mark (May 9, 2006). "Grandaddy: Just Like the Fambly Cat". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  14. ↑ Cober-Lake, Justin (May 11, 2006). "Grandaddy". Stylus. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  15. ↑ Cairns, Dan (May 14, 2006). "Grandaddy – Just Like the Family Cat Review". The Times.
  16. ↑ Uncut: 108. June 2006. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ "Grandaddy – Just Like the Fambly Cat". Mojo (EMAP). 2006.
  18. ↑ Harris, Keith (June 2006). "Grandaddy – Just Like the Fambly Cat". Spin: 81. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  19. ↑ Teitelman, Bram (May 13, 2006). "Grandaddy – Just Like the Fambly Cat". Billboard: 49. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  20. ↑ Muther, Christopher (May 12, 2006). "Grandaddy Just Like the Fambly Cat". The Boston Globe". p. D17.
  21. ↑ Vettese, John (May 2, 2006). "Grandaddy Just Like the Fambly Cat". The Stranger. Retrieved January 16, 2012.

External links