Customer Rating: 
Summary: Cat Power does it again
Comment: Cat Power has created another beautiful album. Even though half the album is covers, she makes those songs her own, just like on her Covers Record. If your a Cat Power fan, its a must buy. If your not, its a great introduction to her music and you'll probably end up buying her older albums after hearing this one.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Sympathy for the cover version
Comment: The cover version has unfortunately become much maligned over the years. Whereas bands were once judged by how well they could perform certain blues, R&B, Lennon/McCartney or Dylan songs and could gain kudos from picking up early on an up and coming songwriting talent, the rise of the singer/songwriter (and the extra profits from the publishing royalties) has meant the proliferation of home-grown material to the near total exclusion of pre-existing songs.
Thankfully, Cat Power, though with a proven pedigree as an accomplished songwriter, notably on her previous album of original songs The Greatest, has always peppered her live appearances and recording sessions with songs that she has felt a connection with, regardless of who wrote them, and began a whole album of them a decade ago, The Covers Record, released in 2000.
This album was conceived as a sequel, and was originally going to be called Covers 2 (and still is, on the CD Text of my copy at least). Its final title Jukebox still modestly places the emphasis on the song rather than the singer, but its major difference from The Covers Record, which was mostly Cat Power on her own, is the presence of a band, the Dirty Delta Blues Band, featuring major players including Judah Bauer from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Jim White from the Dirty Three. The sound of the band, fleshed out on some tracks by guests of the calibre of Mabon Hodges (an integral part of The Greatest) and Spooner Oldham, session veterans from Memphis and Muscle Shoals respectively, is not a million miles from that on The Greatest, though there is a deliberate ragged informality in the proceedings here that sets it apart.
It would be quite a jukebox, too, if it featured the versions that inspired Chan, with artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Jessie Mae hemphill. Not all the songs were known to me, but favourites such as James Brown's Lost Someone and Joni Mitchell's Blue, a brave choice, become revitalized through her translucent performances. A Woman Left Lonely, too, is wonderful, and as it was written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn, that is presumably Spooner that we can hear on it. The shortlist for this album included the Dan Penn-Chips Moman song Dark End Of The Street, and I cannot be alone in thinking how wonderful that must have sounded, and as Spooner Oldham was the pianist on James Carr's original version, it is likely he would have played on that one, also. I'm not familiar with George Jackson's original of Aretha, Sing One For Me, but as it was recorded for Hi Records back in 1972 it is quite likely that Mabon Hodges was the guitarist on it, and it is good to see Chan recognizing and acknowledging the heritage these guys bring to her record.
I don't see Cat Power as a keen follower of rules and regulations, so on this album it is no surprise to find, on this album of covers, two of her own songs. I suppose one of these, Metal Heart, is technically a cover, since she had previously recorded it on Moon Pix. The other, Song To Bobby, an album highlight, neatly follows Dylan's I Believe In You.
A reviewer in (I think) Mojo, wrote of The Covers Record that Cat Power doesn't cover songs, she uncovers them, and despite the less sparse settings of this album this happily remains the case.
A limited edition of this CD exists with a second 5-track disc, which you may wish to consider as an alternative.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interpretations
Comment:
These interpretations are more than covers; every one is transformed into something unique and special. In addition there are two of her own compositions: Song To Bobby and Metal Heart, both great songs. My favorites include Blue (Joni Mitchell) that Chan makes into a torch song, I Believe In You (Bob Dylan), Breathless (Nick Cave), Ramblin' Person (Hank Williams) which sounds different but equally desperate, Noo Yawk (Frank Sinatra) which becomes introspective and Joplin's A Woman Left Lonely which gets a soulful treatment. The familiar is made new again in a blend of blues, country, soul and even a bit of jazz, for a most enjoyable listening experience. If you like this one you'll also enjoy here Covers album.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Reason To Love Chan Marshall...
Comment: Jukebox, $[...] Amazon.com, is the latest release from Cat Power. The band is composed of the chestnut-haired beauty Chan Marshall (vocals), and of Judah Bauer (guitar), Jim White (drums), Erik Paparazzi (bass), and Gregg Foreman (piano & organ). Five special guests - Spooner Oldham, Teenie Hodges, Larry McDonald, Dylan Willemsa, and Matt Sweeney - also appear. The ten featured cover songs and two originals on this lux album were captured by Stuart Sikes at Hit Factory in Miami, at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn, and at Sikes Studio in Dallas. `Jukebox' is the first (and probably only) CD that I'll buy in all of 2008.
Understanding the formula behind the cover selections is simple; for example, Kander & Ebb (known chiefly for `Cabaret') wrote `New York, New York,' but everyone associates the song with Frank Sinatra. Therefore, Marshall takes the song and inhabits it with all the conviction of Sinatra, but she deconstructs it, adding her own lyrical flourishes and shorthand, bending it in the process. Not content to stop there, she does the same thing to an old revered Hank Williams song, `Ramblin' (Wo)man,' inverting the gender.
Keeping in mind Marshall authored `Metal Heart' in 1998, it's nice to hear she's retooled it - this jauntier version runs just under 4 minutes, and is more energetic, with piano accompaniment from Gregg Foreman of the Dirty Delta Blues. Marshall contributes one other original song called `Song To Bobby,' to Jukebox. This long track is an ode to Bob Dylan, Chan's musical idol. Granted, there is a sweet nostalgia to the lyrics, but this is actually my least favorite track. (For more info on Bob Dylan, visit [...])
Everyone that I've talked to about this album seems to gravitate to a particular track, and about a dozen of us seem to agree that `Silver Stallion,' clocking in just under 3 minutes, is the standout track most likely to receive radio airplay. The song is credited to Lee Clayton, whose musical career I'm unfortunately not all that familiar with; whoever is playing the slide guitar on this number is truly remarkable though. Marshall's vocals are casual, sly, melancholy, and tender all at once.
Beautiful songs like `Aretha, Sing One For Me,' - an ode to pop singer, rhythm-and-blues singer, and soul singer Aretha Franklin - are perfect for Chan's emotive expressive voice. I took pleasure in the old style intro that launched the song with a drum roll. Marshall follows this with a soulful version of `I Lost Someone,' - a rhythm-and-blues song originally penned by the late great James Brown - that should have also included some horns. Marshall then rescues an old traditional song `Lord, Help The Poor & Needy,' - by Jessie Mae Hemphill - from the public domain.
One of the most inspiring songs on `Jukebox' is the robust inclusion of `I Believe In You,' a somewhat more obscure song from the Bob Dylan discography. The bass on this track is just plain excellent; I also wonder how the track would sound if Chan sang it accompanied solely by a piano. `Don't Explain,' - track ten - is a cover of a legendary Billie Holiday song, and the mournful keyboard playing by Gregg Foreman or Spooner Oldham that accompanies the songbird is a real knockout.
Xtra love and attention were poured into the final two songs on `Jukebox.' `Woman Left Lonely,' is a heartfelt rendition of an old standard (written by Spooner Oldham) that exposes Chan Marshall's emotional landscape. Spooner was kind enough to grace the keyboards on this particular track. `Blue,' is a dour, faithful but melancholy version of the legendary Joni Mitchell song that was made famous back in 1971. Remember, if you buy the deluxe gatefold edition of *Jukebox - you'll get five extra songs on a bonus CD; `I Feel,' `Naked, If I Want To,' `Breathless,' `Angelitos Negros,' and `She's Got You.' It should also be noted that Marshall currently has tracks available on two soundtracks - I'm Not There and Juno.
Customer Rating:
Summary: amazing, once again.
Comment: I can't stop listening to this record. chan did it again.
my favorite track on the record is, undoubtedly, her cover of bob dylan's "I believe in you." she captures it as her own, and, let's face it, it's hard to cover dylan. she does it with ease and grace and some raw rock n' roll.
I adore this record, through and through.
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