The Walkmen Say Goodbye To Studio With Pussy Cats

08/17/06 6:00pm

by Scott Bryson (CHARTattack)

The Walkmen have completed work on their latest effort, Pussy Cats Starring The Walkmen, which was recorded as a send-off for their New York City-based Macarta Studios before it was evicted by an expanding Columbia University.

Pussy Cats, a complete recreation of a 1974 album by Harry Nilsson, follows closely on the heels of this past spring's full-length, A Hundred Miles Off. The new disc hits stores on October 24 via Record Collection.

The original Nilsson record was produced by John Lennon during his fabled "lost weekend" when he was separated from Yoko Ono and spent a booze-fuelled 18 months frolicking in Los Angeles. In addition to Nilsson originals, it also featured covers of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross," Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and the Bill Haley & His Comets hit, "Rock Around The Clock."

The Walkmen's version was recorded over three weeks at Macarta, which has since relocated to a barn that's about a 75-minute drive outside of the city. The band called upon a number of friends and colleagues to help, including Ian Svenonius of Nation Of Ulysses, Quentin Stoltzfus of Mazarin, Alessandra Maria of Tomorrow's Friend and Norman "Rockwell" Coady.

The proceedings included some out-of-the-ordinary instrumentation, described in a press release as "a string quartet, a saxophone player, an upright bass player... a glockenspiel, two kazoos, a slide whistle, a table saw, a triangle, more maracas, more tambourines, an acoustic guitar, a space echo, a vibra-slap, a wood block, two gallons of barbecue sauce (for gargling to loosen up the voice) and some conga drums."

Coady filmed the recording process and made a 20-minute documentary titled In Loving Recollection that will be included on a DVD packaged with Pussy Cats. The Walkmen are still touring in support of A Hundred Miles Off, and are considering a small Pussy Cats tour after their current commitments wrap up.

Here are the tracks on Pussy Cats Starring The Walkmen:
"Many Rivers To Cross"
"Subterranean Homesick Blues"
"Don't Forget Me"
"All My Life"
"Old Forgotten Soldier"
"Save The Last Dance For Me"
"Mucho Mongo"
"Loop De Loop"
"Black Sail"
"Rock Around The Clock"