The Covers Record is the fifth studio album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. It was released in 2000 on Matador Records.

The album consists entirely of cover songs, with the exception of a new version of Marshall's song "In this Hole," which initially appeared on Cat Power's 1996 album What Would the Community Think.

Background

The success of Cat Power's fourth album, Moon Pix (1998), led to high expectations for her follow-up, and made it difficult for her to live what she called “a normal life.” She elected to release an album of covers in part because she felt more comfortable playing covers than her own material.

|rev1 = AllMusic

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|rev2 = Alternative Press

|rev2score = 3/5

|rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev3Score = B+

|rev4 = The Guardian

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|rev5 = Houston Chronicle

|rev5score = 4/5

|rev6 = NME

|rev6score = 7/10

|rev7 = Pitchfork

|rev7score = 7.6/10

|rev8 = Rolling Stone

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|rev9 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

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|rev10 = Spin

|rev10score = 7/10

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Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called the album "a stopgap" until the release of her next album of original material, but described her stripped-down version of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" as "powerful." Rhapsody (online music service) praised the album, calling it one of their favorite cover albums.

Dave Grohl, vocalist and guitarist of the Foo Fighters and former drummer of Nirvana, cited the album in a 2000 issue of NME, saying, "'Satisfaction' is the hit off that record, or so everybody thinks. But for me, it's that Velvet Underground song, "I Found a Reason". It's beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. My favourite." Grohl would work with Marshall on Cat Power's subsequent release, You Are Free (2003).

In 2005 the album was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.

Several songs on the album have been used in films, including "I Found a Reason" (Saving Face, Dandelion and V for Vendetta), "Sea of Love" (Juno), and "Wild Is the Wind" (Into the Forest).

Track listing

Personnel

  • Chan Marshall – vocals, guitar, piano
  • Matt Sweeney – guitar ("Salty Dog")

Charts

Album – Billboard

{|class="wikitable"

!align="left"|Year

!align="left"|Chart

!align="left"|Position

|-

|align="left"|2000

|align="left"|Heatseekers

|align="left"|44

|-

|}

As of March 2003, it has sold 52,000 units in the United States. Combined sales of The Covers Record and Moon Pix are 200,000 copies, as of 2001. As of 2023, Sea of Love was certified gold in Canada.

References

  • Notes on Cat Power's The Covers Record @ Lauriston.com