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22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
the old and the new, February 1, 2008
The album to compare this to is her first covers album The Covers Record; that was from 2000, and the young singer has grown and changed a lot since then. Her stunningly stark, almost gothic (but spare) setting of some familiar and lesser known songs was raw and powerful then. Now she's working with experienced musicians, and is more experienced herself, and the sound is warmer, more assured, more rock and blues oriented. I like the new disc fine, but only a few tracks really stand out: a new version of "Metal Heart" that is moody and acoustic, and her love song to Aretha Franklin, whom you can really cite as an influence on her current retro-rock sound. Chan Marshall is feeling her Southern Soul roots.
The point of this review, however, is to say that if you're a fan of her earlier albums, be sure you get this deluxe version with the extra E.P., because it's actually better than the main album. Here you find the Patsy Cline classic "She's Got You," but Chan's delivery makes even Patsy's version sound happy in comparison, plus an epic and meandering and devastating version of "Angelitos Negros." The EP has an overall downbeat vibe that recalls the stripped down and minimal Cat Power of old.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get the deluxe edition, February 16, 2008
That's right indie kids, Chan is less depressed and therefore able to express a greater range of emotion, in music that will likely appeal to more people. And that, of course, makes the music inferior to stuff that only you and your hipster friends appreciate--I mean, what the hell's the point of listening to something that doesn't make you feel like the coolest kids in the dorm? Alright, enough sarcasm. This may be Cat Power's best album yet, with its trippy tortured version of "Blue" and the original "Song for Bobby" which just might have Mr. Zimmerman seeking a restraining order. The real point of this review, however, is to point out that the songs on the bonus disc in the Deluxe Edition are NOT the usual "bonus" crap that was rightfully left off of (or not even considered for) the actual album. So, it's the one to get, especially considering that, last time I looked, the Deluxe Edition was actually selling at a lower price than the non-deluxe version (and even if that's changed, it's worth whatever extra couple of bucks makes up the difference).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cat Power - Jukebox, August 12, 2008
Jukebox (2008, Matador) Cat Power's eighth studio album. ****
Chan Marshall has always been an enigma in the music community. Her raspy, deep voice, her strange performance at concerts, etc. Either way, she's had her fair share of brilliant moments and miserable misses, but thankfully Jukebox is a hit.
This is not the first time Marshall has done a covers album. In fact, she was brave enough to tackle "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones, a song successfully covered by only one band before her (Devo, in case you're wondering). On Jukebox, Marshall again displays her eclectic taste in music, tearing each song down and giving it a new structure, a new sound, and most importantly, a new view. She opens by covering Frank Sinatra's "New York," with a slow drum easing the song off. It's a brooding affair, certainly Chan's style and a complete opposite of the uplifting version we know from Frank too well. It isn't a bad cover, rather, it's just strange, almost unrecognizeable. It begs the question of why she even bothered to cover it when she could have written her own lyrics. Only a few tracks make you ask that question, as many of these are excellently done, most notably George Jackson's "Aretha, Sing One For Me." The soft keyboards and Hammond organ accompany Marshall's voice, with a soft bouncy and soulful yet eloquent keyboard line.
The same style is applied to James Brown's "Lost Someone," a very risky choice. This cut is more mellow than "Aretha," but Marshall's strutting vocals make it a sincere moment. She also manages to work in a cleverly executed Dylan cut, "I Believe in You." The tempo is slowed and adds an echoing guitar riff. These and all the songs are fairly minimalist, and all are turned into flok, blues, or jazz-leaning renderings. It isn't a perfect way to do things, in fact, cuts like "Metal Heart" could have been left in the studio. I'd be interested to see if Marshall took any clues from Vanilla Fudge's self-titled debut, an album that consisted solely of covers, all brilliantly done. If she hasn't, she might want to brush up on them to see masters in action (Aretha, Sing One For Me, Lost Someone, I Believe in You, Song For Bobby).
-Stephen
www.politicianrock.blogspot.com
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