Cat Power - Lived In Bars (Matador)
2/5
By: Michael Lewin
PURCHASE FROM ROCKFEEDBACK DIGITAL DOWNLOADSPlease! Indulge a sexist tone from Rockfeedback here - I'm anything but usually, and feel justified in proving that a hint of testosterone exists herein... on occasion.
Anyway -
Dear, sweet, fragile, tortured Chan Marshall: she's sex, in't she? Indie sex, the inspiration for the love glue that ruined your 7" collection by sticking them all together. Admit it, or I'll call you 'Onan' in front of your grandparents - and they'll know, because they, unlike you, have read the Bible. Sinner.
Just listen to any of the opening tracks of Cat Power's seventh studio album 'The Greatest'; or, because it's more relevant, just listen to single 'Lived in Bars'. There's her trademark piano, usually a sign she's about to hit you with the crushing weight of her depressions. Except that brass suddenly leads you to smooth bass, and she's all Jayne Russell singing like Julie London in a tiny black dress in front of rich red velvet curtains. Under a spot light, and there's cigar smoke and you can smell it and see it.
Now she's thumping tight blue jean-clad hips against a bright red juke box, and a motown groupette are shoo-wopping gently. No one else is in the truck stop, just you and her, and you're dancing slowly and you're back in that smoky damn club again, held close and actually floating...
Happy with the image, Onan?
Hopefully not if you're actually listening to the thing. If you are imagining this while listening to it, things are gonna be pretty awkward in a second because you're sitting next to your Mum in the 4x4 and she's bopping along merrily to it on Radio Two. It's all too R'n'B-lite, and I bet those much-vaunted session musos from Memphis were just going through the motions, thinking of the days of Aretha Franklin.
Both song and chorus open with the plaintive reminder, "We've lived in bars and danced on tables..."
We have, Chan. Or at least we did, once. We'd love to do so again. But please, love, not to this.
Artists in this article: Cat Power
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