The Return of Cat Power...

In creating her new album ‘The Greatest’ [not a greatest hits, but the brand-new studio album], Chan Marshall AKA Cat Power found herself pursuing the slinky Hi Records sound of the 70s. Enamored of the sound’s sensuous feel and beguiling rhythms, Chan recruited a host of legendary musicians to record with her at Ardent Studios under the supervision of Stuart Sikes.

Recording in Memphis is a return performance for Cat Power, who first came to the city of Southern Soul in February 1996 to record her second album, 'What Would The Community Think?' Sikes engineered that session also, and has since leapt from indie-rock notoriety to mainstream prominence with his work mixing Loretta Lynn’s Jack White-produced ‘Van Lear Rose’.

'The Greatest' adds to Cat Power’s singular sound all the elements that make an Al Green record great: Memphis horns, funky string arrangements, smooth background vocals. "Lived in Bars" is a hypnotic song that seems to start in the middle of the night and flow backward like water upstream to the source of a good time. Many songs hearken back to earlier in Cat Power’s career, like the surface simplicity of "Willie"—much more complicated upon deeper listen—and like "Where Is My Love," which sounds like it could be the first song she ever wrote, and also the one to which she has always aspired. "Living Proof," on the other hand, has an almost gospel-like swing that stands in contrast to the quieter songs. The ethereal title track is the missing link between Big Star 3rd and the 21st century; if Alex Chilton were today a beautiful young woman, he’d sound like this.

Credits:
All songs by Chan Marshall
Chan Marshall - guitar, piano, vocal
Mabon "Teenie" Hodges – guitar on all songs except hate
Steve Potts - drums
Leroy "Flick" Hodges - bass on the moon, lived in bars, the greatest, love & communication
David Smith - bass on living proof, could we, empty shell, willie, islands, after it all

Additional Musicians
Doug Easley - guitar, Pedal Steel
Rick Steff - keyboards, Claitone, Piano, Organ
Jim Spake - sax
Scott Thompson - trumpet
Roy Brewer - violin
Johnathan Kirkscey - cello
Beth Luscone - viola

String arrangements by Harlan T Bobo, Johnathan Kirkscey and Chan Marshall

Recorded by Stuart Sikes at Ardent Studios
Mixed by Stuart Sikes and Chan Marshall


Tracklisting:
1. The Greatest
2. Living Proof
3. Lived In Bars
4. Could We
5. Empty Shell
6. Willie
7. Where Is My Love
8. Moon
9. Islands
10. After It All
11. Hate
12. Love And Communication