The ol' 2-chord meltdown
2 1/2

Although her debut was a tad more earnestly raw then subsequent releases, the banality of her writing and playing always bored me out of my mind. Even more mysterious is why I invested in her as an artist, constantly wanting to believe critics..Was her one brilliant song, where she managed to combine simplistic, minimalist habits into something sublime, in V for Vendetta? Marshall was always unnecessarily hoisted to the top ranks of indie rock, and was in no small part because she was female and rocking out with a degree of vulnerability that appealed to various demographics, but perhaps the actual songwriting was not as objectively looked at as should be. I'm a fan of minimalist balladry as much as anyone else, but doing that genre justice requires a degree of finesse and subtle flux that Cat Power's clunky sound has never had. It just goes to show how some true charisma can make even the most mediocre of songwriters ascend to levels of greatness-both critically and commercially.

An Old Favorite
I bought this cd haphazardly at Kim's Underground in NYC about 12 years ago at the recommendation of one of the employees, and it has been one of my all-time faves ever since. Chan's voice may not be the most attractive, but it and her music convey an unconventionally sad and beautiful melodic portrait with raw intensity in this melancholic, and oftentimes emotionally fueled album. My favorite tracks? Well, "Bathysphere" is an angrily obvious ode to adolescent angst and delivers with satisfying intensity; "King Rides By" is one of the most gorgeously humble and tragic love songs ever produced. I highly recommend this album if you dig that sort of thing.

Sublime
I came back to this album after a long hiatus. It is wonderful and should be bought by anyone with an interest in alternative music. "Nude as the News" which is one of her all time greats is here, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Listen to track 7 -- so simple and beautiful it makes me shiver and want to cry...."oh come and peep through a hole in the wall just to watch his heart undressing..."

Great Starter Album
The best recommendation for any album is that you buy more albums from that artist. You should buy this album, looking for the right price. Your friends will think better of your music collection when they hear this.

The album moves along at pace. The voice is great. All tracks were good. Nothing from left field leaving you wondering why. You may possibly want a little more variety.

The last track "The Coat Is Always On" left me wanting to listen to the album again, possibly with headphones to hear the background.

There are twelve tracks, good album legnth making it value for your dollar. The only downside was there was no booklet.

Not a huge fan of Cat power but love this album.
Not a huge fan of cat power but a huge fan of this album. I feel like Cat power has raw moments in this album that are divine to herself. I love her cover of Smog's bathyspere. well said by whoever on allmusic.com "and Smog's "Bathysphere" show off Marshall's ability to make any song a Cat Power song." If you listen to Smog's bathysphere it is almost completely different. have to be in the right mood to listen to this. can be boring if not feeling like her. but can be intense if going through her music. Nude as the news is an amazing amazing song. and Steve Shelley's part in the last song reminds me of Sonic Youth and reminds me of his importance and uniqueness often not appreciated that he often doesn't recieve. I am dissapointed at Chan's new stuff and wish the rest of her stuff went here. not for me, like her new stuff is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the corners cut off, but that is just me. Listen to this. I feel like she knew herself better here, even though she didn't seemingly have it all together....but i am not here to talk about that. converse me.