Cat Power (aka, Charlyn Marie “Chan” Marshall) produced two very different albums of cover songs. Back in 2000, she released The Covers Record with 12 songs performed with minimalist precision. Trust me: you’ve never heard “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” performed this way! My favorite song on The Covers Record is the “Sea of Love.”
In 2022, Cat Power brought out another album of covers. This time she’s backed by a band. My favorite song on Covers is an early Jackson Browne song–I first heard it on Nico’s Chelsea Girl album in 1967. There’s plenty of variety on Covers with songs by The Pogues, Bob Seger, Iggy Pop, The Replacements, and even Bille Holiday.
Are you a fan of cover albums? GRADE: THE COVERS RECORD: B-; COVERS: B
TRACK LIST:
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Bad Religion” | Christopher Breaux Monte Neuble Charlie Gambetta Kevin Risto Waynne Nugent Chan Marshall | Frank Ocean | 4:20 |
| 2. | “Unhate” | Marshall | Cat Power | 2:44 |
| 3. | “Pa Pa Power” | Ryan Gosling. Zach Sheilds | Dead Man’s Bones | 3:10 |
| 4. | “White Mustang” | Lana Del Rey Rick Nowels | Lana Del Rey | 3:00 |
| 5. | “A Pair of Brown Eyes“ | Shane MacGowan | The Pogues | 3:42 |
| 6. | “Against the Wind“ | Bob Seger | Bob Seger | 3:13 |
| 7. | “Endless Sea” | Iggy Pop | Iggy Pop | 3:35 |
| 8. | “These Days“ | Jackson Browne | Nico | 3:44 |
| 9. | “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels“ | J. D. “Jay” Miller | Kitty Wells | 2:33 |
| 10. | “I Had a Dream, Joe“ | Nick Cave | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 4:39 |
| 11. | “Here Comes a Regular” | Paul Westerberg | The Replacements | 5:14 |
| 12. | “I’ll Be Seeing You“ | Sammy FainIrving Kahal | Billie Holiday | 3:22 |
| Total length: | 43:15 |
TRACK LIST:
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction“ | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | The Rolling Stones | 3:05 |
| 2. | “Kingsport Town” | Traditional | Bob Dylan | 4:54 |
| 3. | “Troubled Waters” | Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow | Mae West with Duke Ellington‘s Orchestra | 3:29 |
| 4. | “Naked, If I Want To” | Jerry A. Miller Jr. | Moby Grape | 2:47 |
| 5. | “Sweedeedee” | Michael Hurley | Michael Hurley | 3:53 |
| 6. | “In This Hole” | Chan Marshall | Cat Power | 4:26 |
| 7. | “I Found a Reason“ | Lou Reed | The Velvet Underground | 2:00 |
| 8. | “Wild Is the Wind“ | Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington | Johnny Mathis | 4:10 |
| 9. | “Red Apples” | Bill Callahan | Smog | 4:24 |
| 10. | “Paths of Victory” | Bob Dylan | Bob Dylan | 3:24 |
| 11. | “Salty Dog“ | Traditional | Papa Charlie Jackson | 2:07 |
| 12. | “Sea of Love“ | Philip Baptiste, George Khoury | Phil Phillips | 2:19 |
I like covers when the singer tries to do something new with the song, otherwise I would just as soon listen to the originals. I’m heard most iof Cat Powers covers. My favorites are A Pair of Brown Eyes, Here Comes the Regulars, I Found a Reason and Sea of Love. Have never liked Wild is the Wind. Rickie Lee Jones has done a similar album. . And yes that is Ryan Gosling the actor.
Steve, Diane and I are going to see Ryan Gosling in THE FALL GUY tomorrow.
I think I have the earlier CD around here somewhere—I’ll have to dig it out—and I’ll look for the more recent one. I suppose any song, unless performed by its songwriter, is in its own way a cover. As Steve said, I like covers if they bring something new to the party. There are some songs (Jimmy Buffett’s Southern Cross, Howard Jones’s IGY, REM’s Superman, and of course Jimi Hendrix’s All Along the Watch Tower) that are so identified with the artist who performed the cover, people tend to forget theirs is not the original version.
Deb, I’m with you and Steve when it comes to covers sounding better than the original song. “All Along the Watchtower” is a prime example. I’m also fond of Annie Lennox’s MEDUSA album of all cover songs.
Van Morrison thanked Jimmy for his “Brown Eyed Girl” bringing Van a ,lot of money. Buffett also covered James Taylor (Mexico), The Grateful Dead (Uncle John
s Band and Scarlet Begonias), and many others, including Dylan (Rainy Day Women #12 & 35).
Jeff, I have Van Morrison’s MOVING ON SKIFFLE CD in my LISTEN TO REAL SOON pile. It’s an album of covers of older songs like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Oh Lonesome Me.” Apparently Morrison is lonely. “Cold Cold Heart” is also on this CD so that might explain the loneliness…
We have a LOT of covers CDs because Jackie really likes them. Let me list some of them. I should add that certain artists are known as much for their covers as their originals, like Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Rivers.
First, Cat Power is NOT on the list, partly because … I’ve never heard of her.
Anyway, remember Jackie chose a lot of these:
The Beach Boys – Stars and Stripes Vol. 1. Country singers cover the Beach Boys . Toby Keith doing “Be True To Your School,” Lorrie Morgan does Jackie’s favorite Beach Boys song, “Don’t Worry Baby,” Willie Nelson does “The Warmth of the Sun.” Timothy B. Schmit does “Caroline, No,” Not bad.
Rosanne Cash, The List. Dad gave her a list of “essential” songs and she did a bunch of them here, including “Sea of Heartbreak” (with Bruce Springsteen; also was covered by Jimmy Buffett), “Take These Chains From My Heart,” “Long Black Veil,” and “She’s Got You” (Buffett did “He’s Got You”).
Jim Croce – A Nashville Tribute. “I Got a Name” by Sammy Kershaw, “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)” by REodney Crowell, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by JKim Carnes, etc.
Love for Levon: A Benefit to Save the Barn (we also have a DVD). Two CD live set as a tribute after Levon Helm’s death, with Warren Haynes, Gregg Allman, Joe Walsh, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Mavis Staples, et. Terrific, we play this a lot.
Coal Miner’s Daughter – A Tribute to Loretta Lynn. Soso, we don’t play it much.
Raul Malo – QUARANTUNES. The lead singer of The Mavericks put out a double CD of solo covers during the pandemic. Spanish Eyes, Ramblin’ Rose, Wooden Heart, Jersey Girl (he’s done several Springsteen songs over the years), Those Were the Days, All of Me, Every Little Thing About You. I prefer the regular Mavericks stuff.
Joni 75 – A Birthday Celebration (of Joni Mitchell).
Joan Osbone – How Sweet It Is. She does I’ll Be Around, Think, Smiling Faces Sometimes, Only You Know and I Know, The Weight.
James Taylor – Covers. Wichita Lineman, Why Baby Why (George Jones song!), Suzanne, Hound Dog, On Broadway.
Lucinda Williams: Lu’s Jukebox xollections –
Vol. 2 – Southern Soul: From Memphis to Muscle Shoals and More.
Vol. 4 – Funny How Time Slips Away: A Night of 60’s Country Classics
Vol. 6 – You Are Cordially Invited…A Tribute to the Rolling Stones
‘Enjoy EVery Sandwich’ – The Songs of Warren Zevon. Jackson Browne & Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Don Henley, David Lindley & Ry Cooder, Bruce Springsteen.
Jeff, I own the cover CDs by James Taylor, Lucinda Williams, and Joan Osborne. I, too, have another dozen or so cover CDs that I have yet to listen to like that Van Morrison album.
Let me add one more, the most recent purchase (as we just discovered it):
Laura Nyro (backed up by Labelle) – Gonna Take a Miracle. I Met Him on a Sunday, The Bells, Monkey Time/Dancing in the Streets, You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (a favorite Smokey Robinson song of mine), Spanish Harlem, Jimmy Mack, Nowhere to Run, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.
Jeff, I have that Laura Nero cover CD and play it often. Great stuff!
Peter Gabriel has an interesting double CD (iirc, they were originally released as separate albums): SCRATCH MY BACK…AND I’LL SCRATCH YOURS. The first CD (SCRATCH MY BACK) has Peter Gabriel doing covers of other artists’ songs, like Bowie’s Heroes and Randy Newman’s I Think It’s Going to Rain Today. The second CD (AND I’LL SCRATCH YOURS) features other artists doing covers of Peter Gabriel’s songs, like David Byrne doing I Don’t Remember and Lou Reed (one of his last recordings) doing Solisbury Hill. Good stuff!
Deb, thanks for the heads up! I just ordered SCRATCH MY BACK…AND I’LL SCRATCH YOURS. Reviews to follow in a few weeks!
George, I showed the post to Jackie, and of course she came up with a few more that we own:
The two Motown cover CDs by Michael McDonald (which I believe you reviewed at some point)
The two Ally McBeal tie-in CDs by Vonda Shepard
Aaron Neville, My True Story. The title song and other soul & R&B classics, like Under the Boardwalk, Ruby Baby, Gypsy Woman, Be My Baby, This Magic Moment.
Neville, Bring It on Home…The Soul Classics – Rainy Night in) Georgia (a favorite, I have many versions, including Boz Scaggs, Lucinda Williams, and Conway Twitty and Sam Moore), Ain’t No Sunshine, Stand By Me, You Send Me, When a Man Loves a Woman, People Get Ready, My Girl.
Jeff, tell Jackie I have the two Michael McDonald CDs, the two Vonda Shepards, but I didn’t have the others so I just ordered them! Thanks for the recommendations!
In 1966, the Boston-based bluegrass group The Charles River Valley Boys issued BEATLE COUNTRY, presenting blip-kicking covers of songs by the Fab Four. It was one of the few cover albums I owned, playing it often. People in the Boston-Cambridge area often wondered where exactly the Charles River Valley was located; the most logical explanation was that it referred to the Park Station Under subway station.
Jerry, The Charles River Valley Boys re-issued BEATLE COUNTRY in 2006 and now it’s going for $50!
I got lost down a Spotify rabbit hole of cover songs, where I came upon an album titled WHEN PIGS FLY featuring some of the most, um, unexpected covers ever. This being the most delirious:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xBNXckc1_Fg&pp=ygUXRG9uIGhvIHNob2NrIHRoZSBtb25rZXk%3D
Don Ho’s “Shock the Monkey” is something. all right.
Todd, you can count on Deb to be involved in some musical Monkey Business!
Deb, you had to go way, way down the Rabbit Hole to find Don Ho’s version of “Shock the Monkey”! Wow!
Dig them, and am a Cat Power fan, if not quite as much as I am of Susanna Hoffs (who has recorded some covers with the Bangles, solo and in albums with Matthew Sweet (I’ve just realized I haven’t heard more than a song from their third, released last year).
Of course, as a jazz and folk and blues listener…Lambert, Hendricks and Ross (and slightly less L, H & Bavan) are the major inspirations of my own (amateur) singing, and theirs were most adaptations of instrumentals…
Todd, I did not get the Singing Gene, but I sure got the Listening to Music Gene!