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Catfish Trio (review)

Catfish Trio (the)

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catfish trio

The Catfish Trio – Money Makes the World Go Round

Cat Noise 76.13079 [1986]
Money Makes the World Go Round / Nervous Boy

The Catfish Trio - Money Makes the World Go Round

The Catfish Trio formed around 1984 in Augsburg, Germany. Igor Velican (guitar and vocal) teamed with Geza Varga (double bass) and drummer Klaus Miehlich to form a Rockabilly band. Igor Velican previously played in the Rockin’ Rebels and X-Raycats

In March 1985, Miehlich left the band to be replaced by Franz Rieth (drums). The following year, the trio released its debut single. On the A-side, there’s a perfect Neo-rockabilly tune, highly melodic, in the style of Restless, with powerful slap bass and excellent guitar work, but the B-side is even better. Nervous Boy has a jazzy flair (the melody reminds me of Sweet Georgia Brown) that the band has the good idea to mix with a slight hillbilly touch. Excellent!

Fred ”Virgil” Turgis

V/A – Listen to the Ape Call

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Listen to the Ape Call (1988)
Listen to the Ape Call (1988)

Jungle Noise [1989]
1. Catfish Trio  – Chasin’ A Dog  – 2. Little Green Men – Please Don’t Leave Me – 3. Cruisin’ – Burnin’ Love   – 4. Pilgrim Breads – Runic Ryhme – 5. Rockabilly Mafia – I Don’t Want To Be A Tennis Playing Shitface – 6. Clear Rats – Night Train To London  – 7. Rockabilly Mafia – Is This Wrong, Baby?  – 8. Swamp Dogs – Ardath Bey – 9. Cruisin’ – Where Have You Been?  – 10. Clear Rats – Rockin’ Time – 11. Little Green Men – The Little Green Men – 12. Pilgrim Breads – Humdrum And Humbug

Listen to the Ape Call is an excellent compilation of neo-rockabilly with plenty of slap bass and light guitar like they used to play in the 80’s.
On the more traditional side stand the Little Green Men (ex Swamp Dogs) who add a touch of jazz and blues to their rockabilly. At the other end of the “billy” spectrum, you’ll find the psychobilly sound of the Pilgrim Breads or the Swamp Dogs (again!) that remains one of the most original band to emerge in that period. In between the Catfish trio, Clear Rats and Cruisin are pure neo-rockabilly the latter being the less convincing of the three, playing a weak cover of Elvis’ Burnin Love. Rockabilly Mafia, whose style is already in place, completes the set with two songs.

Fred “Virgil” Turgis