Dear Sir

Cat Power

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 3, 2001)
• Original Release Date: October 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Plain
• ASIN: B000035X73
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,563 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Cat Power's first full-length album, Dear Sir, spotlights Chan Marshall's demanding but rewarding songwriting. Her distinctive blend of blues, country, folk and punk creates songs like the dark, noisy "Itchyhead" and "Rockets," which mixes tension and hope, and tops it with Marshall's earnest, expressive vocals. Though the album needs the listener's complete attention, Dear Sir more than keeps it with nine of Marshall's searching meditations on life. -Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should appeal to non-Cat Power fans, November 25, 2000

By	Anthony Grzeskowiak (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

When I first heard Cat Power, it was her song "Rockets" (although I didn't know it at the time). Immediately turned on to the sound, I started to listen to anything I could by her, but they were all songs from her various other albums. I didn't really like what I heard - her other songs still have her haunting vocals but with a finger-picking style guitar in a more "folky" vain. Eventually, I was able to hear the songs on "Dear Sir" and it was exactly what I was attracted to in the first place. The music has more sparse, heavier distorted guitar work, slightly reminscent of early Sonic Youth. The resulting music is like hearing a ghost wail over the grindings of machinery.

If you've heard of Cat Power vicariously from interviews of other artists or other plugs in print, I highly recommend this album to be your first excursion.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars where do the the rockets find planets?, November 23, 1999

By	K. de Vriend "Jeditor" (NYC, NY, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Spare and scratchy, this album is rougher and less even than the later efforts of Miss Marshall. Absolutely amazing is "Rockets" -- still one of her best in it's sweetness and sing-along-ability. "Headlights" is tragic and pained, and more driving (sorry about the pun) than most Cat Power songs. This is a wonderful rainy day album probably better suited to people who are already fans of her music, but absolutely necessary in a CP fan's library. Also: she's backed by Tim Foljahn and Steve Shelley, who add a whole different set of sonic youth-ey influences.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eh c'mon you negative music critic wannabe's! Cat Power rocks this album, August 26, 2007

By	Kelly Howle "Strange Timer" (Craig, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm gonna go off the same facets that previous reviewers, "Jeditor" and "A Music Fan" have already said. This may not be Cat Power's most interesting, ground breaking, or ingenious piece of work, but it is still highly entertaining and enjoyable. Whiny or wailing? No way. I can hear some of the Sonic Youth undertones in it but certainly not a post punk album. (Want good post punk? Check out Fugazi). The musical style is quite a bit, agreed, but there's no way anyone can mistake Chan Marshall's delicious voice. Her voice is supreme on this album and I can jam to her voice at any time of day. I don't need a "mood" to listen to this album (but maybe I'm always moody?) whereas some of her newest stuff, I really have to be somewhere... like ready to just chill. This album a one trick pony? No. Way.

I got into Cat Power after her "You Are Free" album was released, and it was Moon Pix that I first heard, specifically the track 'American Flag' which prompted me to get her album and listen to the whole thing. I now have all the CDs after that, and am just now getting into her older stuff. When first listening to the new experimental stuff, and rather "groundbreaking" material, like "The Greatest", it's hard to imagine that she got her roots in anything but that. If you're used to her newest stuff, yeah, the old stuff is going to sound rather simplistic and basic. But sometimes that's not so bad.

Released first in 1995, her debut album may not have been ground shattering on any level of music genres, but it is still a force to be reckoned with. The new stuff really focuses on Chan's voice and not so much musically, though on many tracks throughout the 2000's material, you'll find pockets of just explosive instrumental pieces. It seems that Moon Pix and before, the music is more present along with her voice. You really notice it. Honestly, I think her early albums (Dear Sir-Myra Lee-What Would The Community Think-Moon Pix) are the best because while you can't deny the power and amazing talent of Chan's voice, the musical/instrumental pieces really only enhance her voice more so.

I guess I'm slightly inclined to harder music and I think the songs from the "Covers" album are rather stagnant, and it took me a long time to get into. So I think the harder clips from Dear Sir, with some loud guitar riffs from Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar and awesome drums from Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth. If you're used to her more softer tones and voice focused music, then yeah, this might be a bit too much for you. Who knows. I can't say this CD will please everyone but has a single record ever done that at any time in history. Nah.

Being Chan Marshall, and knowing her eclectic taste in music and style, it's no surprise the way she's moved about from 1994 to 2006. Some would say she's matured by going to the more softer stuff (critics tend to call it that. I think that's B.S.) but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she went off the wall and infused some kind of reggae with folk music. That's Cat Power and I can only hope that "Dear Sir" gets listened to enough for people to see where she's been and where she's going.

And actually, I was thinking, her older stuff might be easier for new fans to get into. Her new stuff is hard to listen to if you don't know what to expect. It took me a long time to get into when I first started. I highly recommended for fans and newbies alike. It's not to pass up.