After paying tribute to one of the most infamous concerts in music history, Cat Power will now be sharing the performance with the world as a live album. Dubbed Cat Power Sings Dylan, the LP is a live recording of the American singer-songwriter’s 2022 re-enactment of Bob Dylan’s iconic 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert.
Power’s song-for-song recreation of Dylan’s fabled live set includes15 timeless classics by The Bard, with two of them – ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ and ‘She Belongs To Me’ – out today.
Cat Power – ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’
“More than the work of any other songwriter, Dylan’s songs have spoken to me, and inspired me since I first began hearing them at 5 years old,” Cat Power, real name Chan Marshall, explained in a press statement.
“I had and still have such respect for the man who crafted so many songs that helped develop conscious thinking in millions of people, helped shape the way they see the world,” Marshall continued. “So even though my hands were shaking so much I had to keep them in my pockets, I felt real dignity for myself. It felt like a real honor for me to stand there.”
Dylan’s 1966 concert was a major landmark amid an ongoing controversy the singer endured during the mid-’60s. Having made a name for himself as an acoustic folk musician throughout the early years of the decade, controversy emerged on 25th July, 1965, when Dylan performed an electric set at the Newport Folk Festival.
Much of the controversy was stirred up by purists who saw Dylan abandoning his protest singing roots. The controversy came to a head during his performance in England the following year when, ahead of a performance of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ with backing band The Hawks, an audience member called Dylan “Judas” for his supposed betrayal of the folk scene.
Dylan’s Royal Albert Hall concert is also the source of confusion for many fans. Despite the famous show being described as having taken place at the iconic venue, it actually took place at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall, with bootleggers mislabelling the show in subsequent years.
As Dylan did on 17th May, 1966, Cat Power performed acoustically for the first half of her own show, before being joined by an electric band for the remainder.
The Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert live LP will reach our ears on Friday, 10th November.
Further Reading
Love Letter To A Record: Emma Russack On Cat Power’s ‘You Are Free’
Bob Dylan Sells Unique Version Of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ For $2.6 million
