Cat Power - The Covers Record

Chan Marshall devised the Cat Power moniker in order to put a degree of separation between herself and the often-twisted individuals who inhabit her songs. Here, she takes another step back while also taking a step forward. As the album title indicates, these are covers of other people's songs. Yet she sings them with no less intensity than if they were her own. Mick Jagger may have snarled the definitive "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," but Marshall takes a different tack. She removes the chorus and returns it as elegant slow blues. The Velvet Underground's "I Found a Reason" becomes a near-wordless cry. She relies only on her sufficient guitar picking and likeably amateurish piano tinkling, creating an isolated web not unlike that of Neil Young at his most deserted. Most appropriately, she covers "Red Apples" by Smog, whom she resembles in approach. Obscure (traditional and early) Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, and Michael Hurley tunes complement the bruised but not buried surroundings. --Rob O'Connor Amazon.com

 Smooth n' sultry
I arrived at Cat Power from her two tracks on the WKW soundtrack for 'My Blueberry Nights'. Inspired by what I heard I ordered her catalogue from Amazon. It is arriving in instalments and so this is my first 'full' experience of what Cat Power is all about. Having played the CD ten times since it arrived yesterday I can say with absolute clarity that this is a CD of great worth and utmost originality; a rare CD that actually contributes and shapes the greater musical consciousness - that is the antithesis to the majority of 'music' that either stalls progress or reverses it. And all this from an album of covers; singing the words of others. Amazing. The strength of this CD lies in three areas, firstly in the choice of her song selection, secondly obviously in her voice and thirdly in the desire the singer has to say something, to make a statement, to add her wash of colour over some pretty well-painted tunes. To follow up on the last point, what she succeeds in doing is essentially erasing that which went before and starting anew. Take for example track #1, the Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction'. The idea of covering that is a pretty daunting one, how does one make it original, yet pay homage to one of the worlds' most listened to songs? an enigma of immense difficulties. Yet, what she has done is to take that song, and to make it her own, and dare I say it (as with other tracks), she has actually BETTERED the original. Bettered the original of 'Satisfaction'? - I would argue so. She has achieved the impossible. And she has achieved all this with a very sultry, down-tempo offering which would be easy to mistake for elevator music or filler if you weren't properly paying attention.

I would suggest that if you have arrived at this page, they you should not hesitate to buy this CD, I can't see how anyone with a genuine interest in either music - real music, or self-expressive musical artists, could not find this CD anything other than enthralling and enigmatically wondrous.

Personal favourites:
Track #1 (I can't get no) Satisfaction
Track #2 Kingsport Town

N.B. People often draw the mis-conclusions between Cat Power and Natalie Merchant or Feist. Whilst I love all three I think there are no real similarities, save the quirky female and the penchant for good ballads. Each one has their own style and should not be 'boxed' or compared. April 13, 2008

 True and Honest
The goal of this CD is to distill the beauty from others' songs, and expose it, unhidden and unobscured to the world. From these songs, you can tell that this woman has identified and captured the heart of the songs, the little nuggets of truth nestled within layers of confusion, and it is beautiful. The album is trying to be transparent where everyone else is trying to hide the musical ball. If you have ever listened to songs looking for these nuggets, for the real purpose and source of a song, you will hold this album deep in your heart and can ease the loneliness of feeling like you are the only one who can see. February 17, 2008

 Chan shines in her first covers album
Since falling in love with The Greatest, I've found it difficult to really enjoy her earlier albums. It seemed to me that they were more avenues for her own catharsis than adequate representations of her talent. The focus-being completely independent the first two albums, and on a rather small label up until her newest release-did not seem to be primarily on the music: her lyricism was good-at times astounding-but her musicianship was only moderately interesting and her voice did not sound like it does today. Although there are a few gems in her back catalogue that truly shine, most of the songs are too raw, hard, or unpolished to create a pleasant listening experience (they seem to work on some level in the background, or if you're really down, but they're difficult to love). The nature of her (past) music makes sense, considering her battles with alcoholism and depression.

After taking a couple years off from music after her 1996 album What Would the Community Think, she released a collection of covers she'd played on the road between 1998 and 1999. It's very interesting how much different the sound of this record is from her prior releases, and even You Are Free, which came out three years later. Perhaps the main difference is that there is no evidence of any other musicians: it's only Chan. She mostly plays her guitar, sometimes the piano, which allows her gentle, smokey voice to be heard as it should without detracting from its almost unnverving intimacy. She covers The Rolling Stones (I don't know if I've ever heard a more radically satisfying cover of a song than her version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"), Lou Reed, her (ex?) boyfriend Bill Callahan of Smog, and even herself, transforming each song into something nobody else ever could. The most similar song on The Greatest would have to be "Where is My Love," but somehow the songs on this album each have a weighty significance, like she inspected each of them with her heart and expects us to (i.e. knows we will) do the same. Chan's "Wild is the Wind" is perhaps the most hauntingly poignant, soul-piercing song I've ever heard. I absolutely love this album. It is a supremely satisfying listen straight through, and is best suited for listening at night, with quiet stillness, disturbed only by Chan's hauntingly beautiful voice. January 22, 2008

 Chan the (Wo)man Marshal makes another hit!
The Covers Record is an album that is typical Cat Power: subtle melodies underneath Chan Marshal's quiet, yet powerful vocals. I would venture to say that this is one of the most unique albums of covers that anyone will come across. June 11, 2007

 melancholy
I love this album. Her renditions of these classics are so unique to her style and melancholic. I love it. January 12, 2007

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