ROGER JOSEPH MANNING JR. holds a cherished spot in the hearts of pop fans due to his time spent in the much-beloved early 90s group JELLYFISH. He’s also had long associations with BECK and AIR, and played a gazillion sessions due to his considerable skills as a keyboardist (though he’s actually a multi-instrumentalist). He issued an excellent solo record a couple of years ago that suffered the bi-continental fate of being released in two different versions: as Solid State Warrior in Japan (where, like a lot of modern power poppers, he’s a bigger star than in his own country) and as Land of Pure Imagination in America, on the short-lived Cordless label – and, yes, there are a few songs’ difference between the two.
Catnip Dynamite is the greatly anticipated follow-up to the debut(s), and those who loved the first record will be pleased to know that there’s not a trace of sophomore slump here. Working once again as a one-man-band, Manning firmly massages the same classic pop groove as on his last record, hitting the bullseyes with great cuts like “Imaginary Friend,” “Love’s Never Half as Good” and “The Quickening.” “Haunted Henry,” “My Girl” and “Drive Thru Girl” (which begins with a lounge act intro) dial up his whimsical sense of humor, while “The Turnstile at Heaven’s Gate” indulges his fondness for BURT BACHARACH-style melodies. Perhaps most impressive is “Down in Front,” a near-perfect combination of 70s radio pop and 80s new wave.
The album ends with a trio of songs recorded live in Japan, including the Imagination song “You Were Right” and covers of *THOMAS DOLBY*’s “Europa and the Pirate Twins” and *ELTON JOHN*’s classic epic “Love Lies Bleeding” (which is almost slavishly faithful, but reveals a certain shakiness in Manning’s live vocal performance). The bonus tracks are a treat for fans, but Catnip Dynamite is a perfectly strong statement without them.
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