What Would the Community Think

What Would the Community Think
Studio album by Cat Power
Released	September 10, 1996
Recorded	February 1996 at Easley Studios in Memphis, Tennessee
Genre	Alternative rock, indie rock, folk rock, blues
Length	47:48
Label	Matador
Producer	Steve Shelley
Cat Power chronology
Myra Lee (1996) What Would the Community Think (1996) Moon Pix (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Alternative Press	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	(A)[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Mark Groeschner	(positive)[5]

What Would the Community Think is the third album by American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, also known as Cat Power. It was released in 1996 on Matador Records, and was produced by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. The album has been noted for its array of musical styles, ranging from alternative rock to folk and blues.^[6] Though not a commercial hit, the album received unanimous critical acclaim.

History

What Would The Community Think marked Cat Power's third studio release, and has been noted for its blend of blues, alternative rock, and country tracks, as well as for its largely melancholy lyrical subject matter.^[6]

The album's lead single, "Nude as the News" was Cat Power's first song to receive an official music video in 1997, directed by Brett Vapnek.^[7] In retrospect, Marshall has divulged that the ambiguous lyrics to the song were written about an abortion she had in 1992, and the names "Jackson" and "Jesse" in the song are references to Patti Smith's two children.^[8]

The cover artwork for the album was created by Chan Marshall out of a postcard: "I just needed a cover and I had this postcard that I've had for a long time. It's this woman from the '70s in New York and they did this collage of cigarette ads and she whited out the eyes and instead of a cigarette she had a whistle. It's no big deal, I just cut out the center of her face and put mine on top. It made it look more real."^[9]

Track listing

1. "In This Hole" – 4:59
2. "Good Clean Fun" – 4:46
3. "What Would the Community Think" – 4:30
4. "Nude as the News" – 4:23
5. "They Tell Me" – 2:53
6. "Taking People" – 3:25
7. "The Fate of the Human Carbine" (Peter Jefferies) – 2:58
8. "King Rides By" – 4:03
9. "Bathysphere" (Bill Callahan) – 3:01
10. "Water & Air" – 4:43
11. "Enough" – 4:25
12. "The Coat Is Always On" – 3:34

Notes

1. Allmusic review
2. Alternative Press review
3. Entertainment Weekly review
4. Rolling Stone review
5. Mark Groeschner review
6. "Cat Power: What Would The Community Think?". Nude As The News. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
7. "Nude as the News — Director: Brett Vapnek — 1997". Vimeo. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
8. Frere-Jones, Sasha (10 December 2007). "Wonder Woman". The New Yorker. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
9. "Interview With Chan Marshall". Cool Beans. 2 May 1997. Retrieved 26 December 2010.: "I just needed a cover and I had this postcard that I've had for a long time. It's this woman from the '70s in New York and they did this collage of cigarette ads and she whited out the eyes and instead of a cigarette she had a whistle. It's no big deal, I just cut out the center of her face and put mine on top. It made it look more real."