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Tarfumes.com - The Covers Record
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $10.99
Your Save: $ 0.99 ( 8% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Matador Records
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0744861042624
Label: Matador Records
Manufacturer: Matador Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Matador Records
Release Date: 2000-03-21
Studio: Matador Records
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Editorial Reviews:
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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
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Another mostly lobotomized set
Comment: 2 1/2
Another year, another ho-hum-drum offering from the nominally talented songwriter. As with most releases, the vast bulk bores away with monotonous instrumentation masquerading as minimalism, except this time we witness her interpretations of certain cover songs. When she holds back enough out of respect it often works best, but her choices are bland- Sea of Love almost works before it becomes tediously repetitious like most of 'em. One upside: the closest thing to Cat's puurfect song- an atypically self-less and fleshed out "I Found A Reason".
Customer Rating:
Summary: first Catpower CD purchase
Comment: This is my first purchase of a Catpower CD. I choose this one given its good reviews. In general, I like the CD. It is extremely mellow and, overall, the songs sound nothing like the origials. I recommend listening to the song samples if you are unsure about purchasing the CD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Cat Powers Covers
Comment: There are one or two really good cuts, notably, Satisaction. The rest of the CD seems dreary and repetitive. She does have an amazing voice, however. I'd say, just buy the cuts you like.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Smooth n' sultry
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: True and Honest
Comment: 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.
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