Search - Cathy Dennis :: Move to This

Much more than a great dance album

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 02/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cathy Dennis has spent most of her musical career behind the shadows, primarily as a song-writer, but she made a huge splash in 1990 with Move to This, her debut solo album. This is one of the best dance albums of that decade, but it is much more than just another dance album.During the four years that went into this album's production, Dennis worked with D Mob to record the song C'mon and Get My Love, and this served as the introduction of her voice to the public. Some have called this song a dance anthem, and there can be no doubt that it gets the body moving with its intense energy and unflagging beat. More great dance songs were to come, significant hits in the form of Just Another Dream, All Night Long (Touch Me), and Move to This. Dancin' Danny D of D Mob backs Dennis up on Just Another Dream (although he sounds a little too much like Rick Astley here for my comfort); this is the song that made me a fan, although Dennis' most memorable hit is probably All Night Long (Touch Me). The dance songs that didn't see release are really just as good as any on the album: Everybody Move bursts with energy, Got to Get Your Love takes a backseat to no track, and Taste Your Love finishes the album off with great pep and emotion.Some critics were never won over by Cathy Dennis' voice, but I cannot agree with their oftentimes negative assessment of the few stray ballads on this CD. Too Many Walls paints a poignant picture of a love that could have been, and its run up the singles charts was none too shabby. My Beating Heart makes for a second ballad that does much to disprove Dennis' lack of range. You won't find any poetic musings to philosophize over in these lyrics, but Dennis' soulful delivery is a far cry indeed from throwaway pop. The only weak track on the CD, as far as I am concerned, is Tell Me - this song basically just lies there giving few signs of life. The other nine tracks more than make up for this one lackluster effort, however.Cathy Dennis remains a force in music today, writing such hits as Can't Get You Out of My Head for Kylie Minogue. While her solo career faded in the mid-1990s, Move to This stands as a lasting testament to her talent. She co-wrote nine of the album's ten songs, was heavily involved in the mixing and production of the album, and created something that holds up remarkably well all these years later."

I'm still "moving to this" now!

Anthony Morelli | Montreal, Canada | 10/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love the cd. Miss Dennis likes to make people move with songs like "Move to this", "c'mon & get my love", "All night long(touch me)" and "Just another dream". These songs have remained my favorite 4. When I bought it, I was crazy to pay[the price]for 10 songs, but I really wanted the disc. Only 2 days ago, did I record her music onto a mini-disc. It brings back good memories to hear her dance club hits. I'll never tire of her energy packed music and her cute British accent. "Move to this" is better than her follow up cd, "Into the skyline". Cathy Dennis won my heart then and she still wins it now. The reason why I rated the cd only 4 stars, is because I was disappointed in the sound-alike quality of the first 3 tracks. Cathy should have changed the tone of the background music, to differ the songs altogether. But then again, artists usually take a sound and stay with it for an album or two.I'll say it again. I love the cd. I think you'll appreciate it too."

Marvellous dance and pop music, criminally overlooked.

D. Mok | Los Angeles, CA | 10/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cathy Dennis' debut, Move to This, is one of those head-scratching anomalies in pop-music history. Ever since the market became albums-driven, four Top 10 singles from one album would usually get the album at least a platinum record. Instead, the singles from Move to This were all over the airwaves in 1990 and 1991, but the record itself barely dented the charts. The album climbed as high as the 50s on Billboard's Albums chart, I think, and a search of the RIAA's database yields no records of gold or platinum awards.



To this day, people remember songs like "Touch Me (All Night Long)", "Just Another Dream" and "Too Many Walls", but the album languishes in the out-of-print wasteland. Perhaps it was Dennis' slightly kitschy Louise Brooks haircut, or the cheesy colour scheme of the album cover.



It's a shame, because Move to This was just an excellent dance/pop record. D-Mob's "C'mon and Get My Love" (rightly included here), with lead vocals by Dennis, already heralded a dance vocalist of remarkable confidence, and "Just Another Dream" was one of those singles that grabbed your ear with a few notes. And "Too Many Walls" remains a radio staple today, with its spritely beat, memorable melodies, and Dennis' knowingly innocent lead vocal making for a perfect pop ballad. The moody Europop of "Tell Me" and the pulsating club beat of the title track are also highlights.



On a musical front, the only drawback is that the uptempo dance songs sound a little similar arrangement-wise, with the heavy club beats and '80s-pop keyboards permeating all the tracks. However, they are certainly no more repetitive than any other club-style dance record, and Dennis' singing is just superlative. So now, almost 15 years after this record was released, I remain baffled as to why it's more a cult hit than the evergreen hits trove it really is.

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