A good rule of thumb is that the original version is usually best. The book is better than the movie, the painting is better than the print and the original version of a song is better than a cover.
That was, however, until Cat Power came along. Chan Marshall - a.k.a. Cat Power - delighted fans in 2000 with her album _The Covers Record_ and this year she did it again. Contrary to the title, _Jukebox_ is not simply a mix tape of favorites hand chosen by Marshall. Marshall revamps music from seemingly different artists and genres to create a unique and cohesive sound.
Drawing from Frank Sinatra to James Brown to Janis Joplin, Marshall's songwriting talent is evident. She combines diverse genres from funk to country to the blues and twists it all into a dark and soulful album you wouldn't be surprised to hear in a dark and somber country bar.
It would be easy to pick up the album, listen straight through and remain unaware that the majority of the album is comprised of covers. She strips the songs down to its bones and rebuilds them with powerful and melancholy undertones.
The album opens with New York"" made famous by Frank Sinatra. The percussion pounds out a smooth and heavy beat, the guitar croons a sultry melody and the song has never sounded so gritty and raw. This is a no-frills, tell it like it is song that gives the simple tune some real emotional power. Marshall gives a whole new meaning to lines like, ""These vagabond shoes / Are longing to stray."" She let's you know that they are going to stray right into a bar and order a stiff drink.
Marshall presents only two original tracks on the album, the brand new ""Song to Bobby"" and true to form, a cover of her own song ""Metal Heart"" off her album _Moon Pix_. Even in ""Metal Heart"" she borrows material and makes it her own, apparent in the lyrics, ""I once was lost but now I'm found was blind / But now I see you/How selfish of you to believe in the meaning of all the bad dreaming.""
Marshall proves very comfortable with the country songs and what she does with the soul covers is striking. She instills a bluesy grit, digging deeper into the meaning of songs like Hank Williams' ""Ramblin'(Wo)man.""
The one thing that is missing from _Jukebox_, however, is Marshall. She's in there, but it is hard to hear. ""Song to Bobby"" is really the one place where we actually can see her. Marshall has an amazing ability to channel the sentiments of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams but she often leaves out her own. We don't get to know her better as an artist. While this is a very important aspect of an album, we can still take this covers record for what it is worth, a shadowy and soulful album, but a covers album nonetheless.
