Review:

on 2006-10-25 AndyFromJersey Said:

The Rules of the Game is the first thing ever released by Catch 22, circa 1997. The entire demo was recorded by then-guitarist and vocalist Tomas Kalnoky on a crude multitrack recorder, then released only on cassette at the band's local shows. Only a couple hundred copies were made and sold, and a hard copy of this is borderline impossible to find today, though mp3s are available through several different forums. The recording quality is less than stellar, but the EP does include early versions of songs later released on their debut full length Keasbey Nights such as "Sick and Sad," and"Day In, Day Out" in addition to two punk songs, apparently leftover from the band's earliest incarnation (a Nirvana influenced punk band called Gimp that also featured the first version of Keasbey Nights track "Supernothing"). The stronger of these two unreleased songs, "Better Than You," bears a striking resemblance to the sixth track of Keasbey Nights favorite "Giving Up, Giving In" and is now played by Kalnoky at Streetlight Manifesto performances as an encore. The other unreleased song, "Shoebox in My Closet," gives the listener an interesting look into the earliest stages of Tomas Kalnoky’s songwriting and features a surprisingly catchy bridge, saying “Hey! Stop it! I don’t want it anymore!” Overall, this demo is a must for the truly dedicated fan of Catch 22 and/or Tomas Kalnoky, providing an all-too rare opportunity for fans to witness a fledgling incarnation of their favorite bands. Also recommended is Smiles for Macavity, the unreleased demo/full length album from Gimp, the earliest known incarnation of the band that would become Catch 22.
Rating: 8/10