The Cat Empire - Other Australian releases - The Sun (2002)

The Sun was The Cat Empire's first studio recorded 'EP'. It was recorded at Adelphia Studios in June/July 2002, and mixed by "the carpenter of music, Angelo Andrianakis". The album wasn't ever released for retail sale, with a rumoured 1200 copies being independently produced and sold (mainly) on their 2002 US tour, but also at some shows in Australia. As such, very few authentic copies of the album are available. The price is seen to be increasing (with the exception of the 2009 copy - as it had been damaged):
- 2004: one copy sold for $80, another for $227.50
- 2007: $450
- 2008: signed copy for a staggering $900 (you crazy woman, Michelle), a non-signed copy for $680.
- 2009: $261
- 2010: signed copy with 'Sampler' promo for $1006.

The artwork is (in my opinion) Ian McGill's best, and was quite 'rare' to actually find it on the internet up until recently (with many websites using a fan-made picture of The Cat Empire logo emblazened on a picture of the sun).

Some of the albums' tracks are found on other recordings:
- The Chariot and Two Shoes appear in their original form (albiet with different bits added in the middle and at the end, respectively) on 2003 release, Tapes, breaks and out-takes.
- Rhyme and Reason appears as a bonus track on the iTunes version of So Many Nights (with the label (Demo) added after the track name)
- The Sun appears on various recordings - Live @ Adelphia, On the Attack and the newly released Fishies digital single.

Most, if not all of the songs have been re-recorded onto different albums:
- The Mother Place and Rhyme and Reason were re-recorded at Sing Sing Studios in January, 2005, ready for release on The Car Song and Two Shoes singles (respectively)
- The Rhythm, The Chariot, The Crowd and Hello were all re-recorded for the debut album released in 2003
- Two Shoes and The Night That Never Ends were re-recorded for 2005 release, Two Shoes (with the latter track dropping the 's' off the word 'ends')
- Wanted to Write a Love Song has been re-recorded for Tapes, breaks and out-takes, and subsequently used as a b-side on 2003 single release, Days Like These
- Song for the Day was re-recorded for 2006 release, Cities (note: the version of Tapes, breaks... was recorded BEFORE the version on The Sun and Live @ Adelphia - it is a trio recording).

The track listing is as follows:
1. The Mother Place - 3:19 - F Riebl
2. The Rhythm - 4:18 - F Riebl
3. Rhyme and Reason - 5:14 - F Riebl
4. The Chariot - 5:27 - F Riebl
5. The Crowd - 5:27 - H Angus (contains a quotation from a poem by Ezra Pound)
6. Two Shoes - 5:31 - F Riebl
7. Wanted to Write a Love Song - 6:49 - F Riebl
8. Song for the Day - 4:48 - F Riebl
9. The Night That Never Ends - 4:38 - F Riebl
10. Hello - 5:07 - F Riebl (not credited in the booklet as there is actually no page for Hello)
11. The Sun - 6:55 - F Riebl



Pictures:


Front cover (of booklet)



Back of booklet



Disc



Insert - Back



Signed cover - 30 or so copies were signed by all of the band members at Dizzy's Jazz Club in Melbourne upon the release of the recording.


As The Sun is a 'black-spined' release (jewel case with a black disc holder thingo), there is no Insert - Inlay for where the disc is held.