~Cat Power
Cat Power’s new album, THE GREATEST is not a compilation of greatest hits,
though there are a couple of new versions of songs from previous albums. ‘WILLIE’ is a
shorter and more musically fleshed out version of ‘Willie Deadwilder’ from the
Speaking for Trees DVD + CD, while ‘THE MOON’ is from the
MOON PIX CD of 1998. The CD takes its name from the first song.
Chan Marshall aka Cat Power has produced a body of work the last 10 years
that can only be compared to Bob Dylan’s early folk albums and Blonde on Blonde,
for its authentic intimacy and quiet yet playful intensity. The problems she had
in her early live shows were the result of her trying to recreate that painful intimacy
in front of large audiences, after the Indie success of Moon Pix. Her
live performance (one set with acoustic guitar, second set with piano) at the smaller
Knitting Factory in the late 90’s just blew everyone there away.
For devouted fans of Cat Power, this latest CD might at first listen seem a bit uneven,
due to the introduction of alot of other instruments into the mix. Not to worry,
this is only another creative step in Chan Marshall’s relentless quest to conquer
the world of the heart.
CAT POWER, THE GREATEST, 2006 MATADOR RECORDS
Chan Marshall at CANADA, NYC, Sept 9, 2004
Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, at the opening of: ‘The Somnus Collection, 2005’,
a multimedia exhibit by LILY LUDLOW & MARCELLA MULLINS, CANADA, NYC, Sept 9, 2004.
Photo: Nancy Smith