Im suprised you didnt like "From a Compound Eye", its not his best work but its got some great songs on it "Love is Stronger than Witchcraft" "Dancing Girls and Dancing Men", "Blessed in an Open Head", it takes rather a lot of listens to get into though.
In fact a lot of the versions from that live gig on the site above are better than the recorded ones.
Cat Power
"Bright Paper Werewolves" is ok, not one of their greatest songs, but I like it just fine, "Under the Bushes, Under the Stars" the record its from is one of their best though.
GBV definitely seem to be a love em or hate em band, I know lots of people that literally can't stand them, think Pollards a wanker etc etc , and yet others who think they're the bee's knees. The latter of course are correct.
I am truly puzzled by those who don't get Pollard, the songs are full of hooks, I think the sheer number of songs on the records may put some off, or the production on some of the records, but it really is worth persevering. Try listening to "Game of Pricks", "Chasing Heather Crazy" or "Echoes Myron" if you want to hear one of their classics. Or better still just get the "Human Amusments at Hourly Rates" Best of, which is fantastic and leave it on heavy rotate for a while and you will be hooked, if not, well there is no hope for ya!
GBV definitely seem to be a love em or hate em band, I know lots of people that literally can't stand them, think Pollards a wanker etc etc , and yet others who think they're the bee's knees. The latter of course are correct.
I am truly puzzled by those who don't get Pollard, the songs are full of hooks, I think the sheer number of songs on the records may put some off, or the production on some of the records, but it really is worth persevering. Try listening to "Game of Pricks", "Chasing Heather Crazy" or "Echoes Myron" if you want to hear one of their classics. Or better still just get the "Human Amusments at Hourly Rates" Best of, which is fantastic and leave it on heavy rotate for a while and you will be hooked, if not, well there is no hope for ya!
echos myron like a siren
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
with endurance like the liberty bell
and he tells you of the dreamers
but he's cracked up like the road
and he'd like to lift us up, but we're a very heavy load
-
bambooneedle
- Posts: 4533
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:02 pm
- Location: a few thousand miles south east of Zanzibar
-
Otis Westinghouse
- Posts: 8856
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 3:32 pm
- Location: The theatre of dreams
Enjoying The Greatest. though the two songs I heard on Later (title track + Lived In Bars) do appear to be the most striking. Some of them are just a bit limited songwise, but I love the sound, the band, her voice, the overall vibe. It's both a late night record and a Sunday morning one.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
-
guidedbyvoices
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 1:14 pm
- Location: back to saturn x
-
bambooneedle
- Posts: 4533
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:02 pm
- Location: a few thousand miles south east of Zanzibar
Some cool pictures of Cat Power here: http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2006/ ... power.html
Thanks bambooneedle...
These ones are good too:
http://www.chromewaves.net/concertPhoto ... certID=387
These ones are good too:
http://www.chromewaves.net/concertPhoto ... certID=387
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
-
bambooneedle
- Posts: 4533
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:02 pm
- Location: a few thousand miles south east of Zanzibar
Cat Power blows away audiences
Now sober and confident, the singer delivers a powerful performance
By JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:00 p.m. ET Sept 28, 2006
NEW YORK - Somewhere between the piano and stage left, Chan Marshall turns to the audience and raises her fists, flexing her slender arms like a prizefighter.
The triumphant posture, seen in concerts throughout the summer, has symbolized the new, confident and sober Marshall. The sold-out shows by the singer-songwriter — who performs under the name Cat Power — have been a revelation.
Backed by the 12-piece Memphis Rhythm Band, Marshall — once famous for stage fright and breaking down in the middle of songs — now struts back and forth, coos to the audience and sometimes even changes her wardrobe at mid-set.
Critics have hailed the transformation. And David Byrne, the former Talking Heads singer, wrote on his Web site that a June concert in New York was "one of the best shows I've ever seen."
"I can't even describe it. I've never felt this way before," Marshall, 34, said during a recent interview. "I mean, the way I feel now on stage singing is the way I felt when I was 6 years old singing for my grandmama."
Charlyn Marie Marshall (Chan is pronounced "Shawn") was raised in Georgia and shuffled among relatives for most of her childhood. After dropping out of high school and moving to New York, she collaborated with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and guitarist Tim Foljahn.
After her first two albums in the mid-'90s, Marshall was signed to the indie label Matador Records. More discs followed, including 1998's "Moon Pix," 2000's "The Covers Record" and 2003's acclaimed "You Are Free."
All the while, Marshall's morose stage presence, with bangs hiding her eyes, seemed to only enhance fans' appreciation of her darkly personal songs. At the concerts that ended prematurely with her crying on stage, many would try to comfort her.
Often, alcohol or pills — or both — had something to do with it. Filmmaker Vincent Gallo, who knew Marshall from years ago, happened by during the interview at a downtown Manhattan hotel and related the story of when he met Marshall.
Before she was a full-time musician, Marshall lived briefly in New York and worked at a copy shop in Greenwich Village. When Gallo, who lived nearby, came in one day, he says: "She had men's shoes on, a non-matching set, and both of them on the wrong foot — but she wasn't kidding. You understand? It was no joke. And I thought, `Oh, that girl is the greatest.'"
But his infatuation soon dissipated when the two went for a walk, and Marshall skipped into bars for shots of tequila. She was an alcoholic, it turned out.
It's perhaps a not atypical tale of both how charming Marshall can be, and how she can disappoint. Alluding to her inconsistency as a professional musician, The New York Times wrote earlier this year that she possesses "a beautiful voice that is at times ineptly handled."
But many believe her latest album "The Greatest," released in January, is her finest yet. The disc, her seventh, has sold more than 100,000 copies and was recently reissued by Matador.
Recorded with Memphis soul legends such as guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges (who played with Al Green for years), Marshall's mournful, sparse ballads are buoyed by soft horns, background singers and an overall fullness of sound.
Though Marshall wrote the songs expecting to play them solo, the collaboration with the Memphis band worked immediately. Hodges says: "It was like eating apple pie and ice cream — a la mode! It's just that simple."
He maintains the band's support on stage has had a lot to do with Marshall's newfound confidence.
"I can understand because I started playing at 12 years old and even today when I walk on stage, I'm nervous until the first eight bars," says Hodges. "Only she was playing by herself, so I think it just lasted."
Just as "The Greatest" was being released, Marshall was bottoming out. Locked away at her home in Miami, she sank into a deep depression.
"I just wanted the best record release and to do really awesome shows — and there I was, three months later in the bottom of hell," she says. "I couldn't even count, just ... brain dead."
Her friend Susanna Vapnek found Marshall in that state and promptly cleaned her up, tossed out her liquor bottles and realized that Marshall's scheduled winter tour would have to be canceled.
"I would have killed myself," Marshall says, had Vapnek not helped her and taken her to a rehabilitation clinic for a weeklong stay.
"I was so depressed for such a long time," she says, explaining that she remained distraught from breaking up with the love of her life four years earlier.
Marshall says she's now sober and will excitedly tell most anyone she meets. That's not to say she's exactly rigid now, either.
Over the course of a meandering interview, the ever-distracted Marshall discusses the particulars of Atlanta's streets with a neighboring stranger, hops outside for a smoke, whistles at passing models and (beautifully) sings the hip-hop tune "I Feel" by the Hot Boys.
Though on record Cat Power is a lonely, resilient voice, in person Marshall is a ham. Despite no acting experience, she intends (seriously) to audition for "Saturday Night Live," and has even hired an agent from Hollywood agency CAA.
For now, though, it's back to the road, which next includes a short European tour. At those concerts, it's likely that Marshall will again — as she often does — raise her cup of tea to the crowd and say simply and proudly, "Sober."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15046401/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2006 MSNBC.com
Now sober and confident, the singer delivers a powerful performance
By JAKE COYLE
AP Entertainment Writer
The Associated Press
Updated: 1:00 p.m. ET Sept 28, 2006
NEW YORK - Somewhere between the piano and stage left, Chan Marshall turns to the audience and raises her fists, flexing her slender arms like a prizefighter.
The triumphant posture, seen in concerts throughout the summer, has symbolized the new, confident and sober Marshall. The sold-out shows by the singer-songwriter — who performs under the name Cat Power — have been a revelation.
Backed by the 12-piece Memphis Rhythm Band, Marshall — once famous for stage fright and breaking down in the middle of songs — now struts back and forth, coos to the audience and sometimes even changes her wardrobe at mid-set.
Critics have hailed the transformation. And David Byrne, the former Talking Heads singer, wrote on his Web site that a June concert in New York was "one of the best shows I've ever seen."
"I can't even describe it. I've never felt this way before," Marshall, 34, said during a recent interview. "I mean, the way I feel now on stage singing is the way I felt when I was 6 years old singing for my grandmama."
Charlyn Marie Marshall (Chan is pronounced "Shawn") was raised in Georgia and shuffled among relatives for most of her childhood. After dropping out of high school and moving to New York, she collaborated with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and guitarist Tim Foljahn.
After her first two albums in the mid-'90s, Marshall was signed to the indie label Matador Records. More discs followed, including 1998's "Moon Pix," 2000's "The Covers Record" and 2003's acclaimed "You Are Free."
All the while, Marshall's morose stage presence, with bangs hiding her eyes, seemed to only enhance fans' appreciation of her darkly personal songs. At the concerts that ended prematurely with her crying on stage, many would try to comfort her.
Often, alcohol or pills — or both — had something to do with it. Filmmaker Vincent Gallo, who knew Marshall from years ago, happened by during the interview at a downtown Manhattan hotel and related the story of when he met Marshall.
Before she was a full-time musician, Marshall lived briefly in New York and worked at a copy shop in Greenwich Village. When Gallo, who lived nearby, came in one day, he says: "She had men's shoes on, a non-matching set, and both of them on the wrong foot — but she wasn't kidding. You understand? It was no joke. And I thought, `Oh, that girl is the greatest.'"
But his infatuation soon dissipated when the two went for a walk, and Marshall skipped into bars for shots of tequila. She was an alcoholic, it turned out.
It's perhaps a not atypical tale of both how charming Marshall can be, and how she can disappoint. Alluding to her inconsistency as a professional musician, The New York Times wrote earlier this year that she possesses "a beautiful voice that is at times ineptly handled."
But many believe her latest album "The Greatest," released in January, is her finest yet. The disc, her seventh, has sold more than 100,000 copies and was recently reissued by Matador.
Recorded with Memphis soul legends such as guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges (who played with Al Green for years), Marshall's mournful, sparse ballads are buoyed by soft horns, background singers and an overall fullness of sound.
Though Marshall wrote the songs expecting to play them solo, the collaboration with the Memphis band worked immediately. Hodges says: "It was like eating apple pie and ice cream — a la mode! It's just that simple."
He maintains the band's support on stage has had a lot to do with Marshall's newfound confidence.
"I can understand because I started playing at 12 years old and even today when I walk on stage, I'm nervous until the first eight bars," says Hodges. "Only she was playing by herself, so I think it just lasted."
Just as "The Greatest" was being released, Marshall was bottoming out. Locked away at her home in Miami, she sank into a deep depression.
"I just wanted the best record release and to do really awesome shows — and there I was, three months later in the bottom of hell," she says. "I couldn't even count, just ... brain dead."
Her friend Susanna Vapnek found Marshall in that state and promptly cleaned her up, tossed out her liquor bottles and realized that Marshall's scheduled winter tour would have to be canceled.
"I would have killed myself," Marshall says, had Vapnek not helped her and taken her to a rehabilitation clinic for a weeklong stay.
"I was so depressed for such a long time," she says, explaining that she remained distraught from breaking up with the love of her life four years earlier.
Marshall says she's now sober and will excitedly tell most anyone she meets. That's not to say she's exactly rigid now, either.
Over the course of a meandering interview, the ever-distracted Marshall discusses the particulars of Atlanta's streets with a neighboring stranger, hops outside for a smoke, whistles at passing models and (beautifully) sings the hip-hop tune "I Feel" by the Hot Boys.
Though on record Cat Power is a lonely, resilient voice, in person Marshall is a ham. Despite no acting experience, she intends (seriously) to audition for "Saturday Night Live," and has even hired an agent from Hollywood agency CAA.
For now, though, it's back to the road, which next includes a short European tour. At those concerts, it's likely that Marshall will again — as she often does — raise her cup of tea to the crowd and say simply and proudly, "Sober."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15046401/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2006 MSNBC.com
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
-
Who Shot Sam?
- Posts: 7097
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: Somewhere in the distance
- Contact:
Cat Power's new album, Jukebox, comes out on January 22. It's essentially a second covers album, but brooklynvegan posted one of two originals, "Song To Bobby", which is beautiful.
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2 ... _song.html
The full tracklist:
1. New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
2. Ramblin' (Wo)man (Hank Williams)
3. Metal Heart (Cat Power) (new version)
4. Silver Stallion (The Highwaymen)
5. Aretha, Sing One For Me (George Jackson)
6. Lost Someone (James Brown)
7. Lord, Help The Poor And Needy (Jessie Mae Hemphill)
8. I Believe In You (Bob Dylan)
9. Song To Bobby (Cat Power) (new song)
10. Don't Explain (Billie Holiday)
11. Woman Left Lonely (Janis Joplin)
12. Blue (Joni Mitchell)
Limited-edition silver foil deluxe package bonus disc:
1. I Feel (Hot Boys)
2. Naked, If I Want To (Moby Grape)
3. Breathless (Nick Cave)
4. Angelitos Negros (Roberta Flack)
5. She's Got You (Patsy Cline)
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2 ... _song.html
The full tracklist:
1. New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)
2. Ramblin' (Wo)man (Hank Williams)
3. Metal Heart (Cat Power) (new version)
4. Silver Stallion (The Highwaymen)
5. Aretha, Sing One For Me (George Jackson)
6. Lost Someone (James Brown)
7. Lord, Help The Poor And Needy (Jessie Mae Hemphill)
8. I Believe In You (Bob Dylan)
9. Song To Bobby (Cat Power) (new song)
10. Don't Explain (Billie Holiday)
11. Woman Left Lonely (Janis Joplin)
12. Blue (Joni Mitchell)
Limited-edition silver foil deluxe package bonus disc:
1. I Feel (Hot Boys)
2. Naked, If I Want To (Moby Grape)
3. Breathless (Nick Cave)
4. Angelitos Negros (Roberta Flack)
5. She's Got You (Patsy Cline)
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
"Song To Bobby" is really a gorgeous song. It's Dylanesque without being too much of a parody and manages to come off as really heartfelt. It's clear that Chan Marshall is a huge Dylan fan.
The lyrics, too, are pretty top notch. I transcribed them for my own interests and decided I may as well share them. There's just one part of one of the early lines that I couldn't figure out:
"Song to Bobby" by Cat Power
I wanna tell you
I've always wanted to tell you
But I never had the chance to sing
what I feel in my heart from the beginning to (???)
I was fifteen, sixteen maybe
In the park I was waving my arms
You were aware I could swear
and you sang the song that I was screaming
I wanted you to
Another time was in South Carolina
It's always been the third encore
Who's wind came blowin' in?
Can you tell me who were you singing for?
Oh my god can you tell me who you were singing to?
Phone call from your New York City office
You were supposedly asking to see me
Oh how I wanted to tell you
But I was just only 400 miles away
Who could believe that you were calling, I was in DC, I was 400 miles behind
Backstage pass in my hand, giving you my heart was my plan I wish I could tell you
My chance...
In the middle of a stadium in Paris, France
Can I finally tell you?
Can I finally tell you?
To... be my man.
April, Paris, can I see you, can you please be my man
The lyrics, too, are pretty top notch. I transcribed them for my own interests and decided I may as well share them. There's just one part of one of the early lines that I couldn't figure out:
"Song to Bobby" by Cat Power
I wanna tell you
I've always wanted to tell you
But I never had the chance to sing
what I feel in my heart from the beginning to (???)
I was fifteen, sixteen maybe
In the park I was waving my arms
You were aware I could swear
and you sang the song that I was screaming
I wanted you to
Another time was in South Carolina
It's always been the third encore
Who's wind came blowin' in?
Can you tell me who were you singing for?
Oh my god can you tell me who you were singing to?
Phone call from your New York City office
You were supposedly asking to see me
Oh how I wanted to tell you
But I was just only 400 miles away
Who could believe that you were calling, I was in DC, I was 400 miles behind
Backstage pass in my hand, giving you my heart was my plan I wish I could tell you
My chance...
In the middle of a stadium in Paris, France
Can I finally tell you?
Can I finally tell you?
To... be my man.
April, Paris, can I see you, can you please be my man
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Re: Cat Power
02-29 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
03-04 Auckland, New Zealand - The Powerstation
03-07 Cairns, Australia - Tanks Arts Centre
03-08 Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli
03-09 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
03-10 Adelaide, Australia - The Gov
03-12 Castlemaine, Australia - Theatre Royal
03-13 Melbourne, Australia - The Forum
04-10 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vogue Theatre
04-11 Seattle, WA - Showbox
04-12 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
04-13 Portland, OR - Roseland
04-15 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
04-16 San Diego, CA - 4th & B
04-17 Tempe, TX - Marquee Theatre
04-19 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
04-20 Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
04-22 Houston, TX - Warehouse
04-23 Mexico City, Mexico - Lunario
05-26 Lisbon, Portugal - Coliseum
05-28 Porto, Portugal - Coliseum
05-30 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-01 Paris, France - Olympia
06-08 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
06-09 Bristol, England - Colston
06-10 Birmingham, England - Academy
06-11 Manchester, England - Academy
03-04 Auckland, New Zealand - The Powerstation
03-07 Cairns, Australia - Tanks Arts Centre
03-08 Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli
03-09 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
03-10 Adelaide, Australia - The Gov
03-12 Castlemaine, Australia - Theatre Royal
03-13 Melbourne, Australia - The Forum
04-10 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vogue Theatre
04-11 Seattle, WA - Showbox
04-12 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
04-13 Portland, OR - Roseland
04-15 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
04-16 San Diego, CA - 4th & B
04-17 Tempe, TX - Marquee Theatre
04-19 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
04-20 Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
04-22 Houston, TX - Warehouse
04-23 Mexico City, Mexico - Lunario
05-26 Lisbon, Portugal - Coliseum
05-28 Porto, Portugal - Coliseum
05-30 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-01 Paris, France - Olympia
06-08 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
06-09 Bristol, England - Colston
06-10 Birmingham, England - Academy
06-11 Manchester, England - Academy
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
-
Otis Westinghouse
- Posts: 8856
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 3:32 pm
- Location: The theatre of dreams
Re: Cat Power
Still enjoying Jukebox? Her recent Later performance didn't do much for me, in stark contrast to the mesmerising airing of the two best songs off The Greatest last time round. I especially couldn't see the point/virtue in New York.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
Re: Cat Power
Still very much enjoying Jukebox. Wasn't thrilled with her Later performance either, partially because "New York" is the weakest track on the album. Even "Lost Someone" sounds a lot better on record.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.