FREDDIE SALEM & THE WILDCATS – Cat Dance [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded]

As requested, here’s the Rock Candy Records ‘remastered & reloaded‘ release of FREDDIE SALEM & THE WILDCATS only album ”Cat Dance” from 1982.
While Freddie Salem is most famous for replacing Henry Paul in The Outlaws in 1977 and being part of metal icons The Godz, the man is one of the most impressive American rock guitarists to have emerged in the late ’70s / early ’80s, and should have been a contender for ‘arena guitar hero’ alongside the Ted Nugent, Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, etc.
Signed by major label Epic, in 1982 Salem got a chance to record his own album and the result is a really good mix of classic rock, melodic hard rock, and southern fried rock stadium-ready rock n’ roll. Salem rips some awesome solos, it’s a solid vocalist, and his band it top notch.
A pretty unknown album, but you’ll surprised by its quality.

As a member of The Outlaws, Freddie injected feisty guitar pyrotechnics into the band’s most commercially successful albums like ‘Ghost Riders’ and ‘Los Hombres Malos’, before cutting loose to record a solo album.
This was his debut, and so far only, solo album. Produced by himself it showcased Freddie in valedictory mood, looking to spread his wings with various shades of guitar-fueled mayhem.

Recorded in New York City, the album captured a healthy mixture of Manhattan’s manic pace whilst still boasting a Southern rock tinge, proving that you can take the man out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the man.
‘Cat Dance’ is a fine album indeed, boasting a healthy selection of solid and memorable hard rock tracks and blessed with lashings of Freddie’s blistering guitar work, including hip thrusting riffs and lightning fast solos.

Freddie had the goods to make it big, but unfortunately at time of the album’s release Epic was under re-structure and didn’t deliver promotion as hoped and was left to find its own audience.
Rock Candy Records has done an outstanding job of shining up this diamond in the rough. There are great liner notes written by UK rock scribe Malcolm Dome that feature an in-depth and fascinating interview with Salem.
There are never before seen photos and the, most importantly there is a lot of great music. This is first class classic rock / hard with a polished production, that ‘bright ’82’ type of sound.
Highly Recommended

01 – Dark Horizon / London Town
02 – Open My Eyes
03 – Long Gone
04 – Sunset (Second Chance)
05 – Got the Feelin’
06 – Evil for Evil
07 – Rock N’ Roll Woman
08 – Monica

Vocals, Guitars – Freddie Salem
Bass, Backing Vocals – Fernando Saunders
Drums – Myron Grombacher
Organ, Synthesizer – Peter Wood
Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals – David Jackson

BUY
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M7W3LGV