So, the bad news in 2004 was that Neko Case’s solo release was
not a follow-up to her excellent 2002 release,
Blacklisted. If you believe that live albums are an excuse
for bands to milk more revenue from their fan’s pocketbooks, then
The Tigers Have Spoken will need to win you over.
The Tigers Have Spoken was recorded in Chicago and Toronto
with her crack backup band, The Sadies. The track list of
The Tigers Have Spoken automatically sets it apart from most
live albums: only one song is from her last two albums. The rest of
the songs are rarities and covers.
The covers include Buffy Saint-Marie’s “Soulful Shade of Blue”
and Loretta Lynn’s “Rated X” (she returns the favor by doing a
cover of the Nervous Eaters’ Loretta Lynn-worshipping “Loretta”).
The final two songs are staples of her excellent live shows: “This
Little Light” and “Wayfaring Stranger.”
Case’s new (or rare) material almost matches the quality of her
covers. “If You Know” is a caution by a woman to her lover not to
see a woman who threatens to ruin their relationship. “The Tigers
Have Spoken” has a good backstory, which Case explains at the end
of the album to the crowd.
Neko Case’s background in punk, country and rock translate into
a memorable concert experience. The Sadies add a loose, low-fi
style, which enables Case to fill in the gaps with her gorgeous
vocals. You may not get the concert experience with a CD, but
The Tigers Have Spoken comes close to capturing a Neko Case
show.
Still,
The Tigers Have Spoken is merely a very good live album.
It’s not as memorable as more definitive albums, such as the Cowboy
Junkies’s
200 More Miles or Johnny Cash’s prison recordings. It’s a
good primer for folks new to Case’s music and a great purchase for
those who have never seen her live. But in the end,
The Tigers Have Spoken is a forgettable album… a
beautiful, euphoric, forgettable album.
