Cat Power covers … covers

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 | musiX

More covers? Chan Marshall has made quite a career interpreting the works of others … and probably the only artist today who can get away with it. Well, most of the time. On some songs she’s brilliant, on others she’ll leave you scratching your head … or dozing off.

I just got my hands on Dark End of the Street, six covers that didn’t make it on to Cat Power’s Jukebox, released in January of this year. Marshall fares well when she puts her soul into soul numbers from Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Her version of Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)” is a sassy stunner. I was actually looking forward to hearing what she would do with CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” which has been covered by everybody (typically keeping with the spirit of the original). Marshall vamps it up here … doesn’t work. Another good example of how Cat Power can melt your heart, but she can also break it. Boo hoo.

Track listing for Dark End of the Street and other notable artists who’ve covered the songs. (Original artist is listed first).

“Dark End of the Street”: James Carr, Flying Burrito Brothers, Elvis Costello, The Afghan Whigs, Ryan Adams, Aretha Franklin, Frank Black.
“Fortunate Son”: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Segar, Pearl Jam, Sleater-Kinney, The Circle Jerks, .38 Special, Bruce Springsteen.
“Ye Auld Triangle”: Dominic Behan (for his 1954 play The Quare Fellow), The Pogues, The Dubliners, Bob Dylan with The Band, Dropkick Murphys, Jeff Tweedy.
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)”: Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, Ike and Tina Turner, Seal, Barbara Mandrell.
“Who Knows Where the Time Goes”: Sandy Denny, Judy Collins, Charlie Louvin, Matthew Sweet, Nina Simone, Kate Wolf, Susanna Hoffs.
“It Ain’t Fair”: Aretha Franklin.

Now, if I can just figure this out: Is it better to cover a mediocre song well, or to cover a great song poorly? Discuss.

“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)” - Cat Power

Tags: Aretha Franklin, Cat Power, Chan Marshall, Dark End of the Street, Jukebox, Otis Redding

4 Comments to Cat Power covers … covers

robby
January 1, 2009

It’s far, far better to cover a mediocre song well–it might make me re-evaluate the original, i.e., is it really mediocre, or is the original just not a good performance? A good song covered poorly only makes me want to hear the original.

devin
January 2, 2009

Definitely a mediocre song well. A poor cover of a great song simply ruins an otherwise…well…great song.

Need an example of a mediocre (ok, awful) song that when covered becomes good? How about travis covering ‘baby, one more time’…

Mark
January 3, 2009

I tend to agree with you both. I guess my thought was an artist should be given a little credit if they choose a great song (even if the result is not so good), rather doing a kitschy (mediocre) song well… like, say, Ben Gibbard covering Avril Lavigne. Sure, it’s going to be better, but why the hell are you covering it in the first place?

Ryan
February 14, 2009

A cover has to be done well or there is no purpose to doing it. If a medicore song is covered well, maybe there was more to it than the general public realized and the artist shows unique insight. Sometimes, I don’t realize what a great song it was until someone re-does it. Take David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. That is not great. (Sorry, Bowie has some great stuff, but that song isn’t.) When M. Ward covered it, I realized how great it can be.

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