''Relations'' is an album of cover versions by Kathryn Williams, released by CAW Records on 17 May 2004. The album was a BBC Radio 2 Album Of The Week, and peaked at no.76 in the UK albums chart. The two live tracks, 'Hallelujah' & 'These Days' were recorded live at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park, London on 10 August 2003 Williams admitted in an interview with ''The Independent'' newspaper ''"''I don't even like covers albums" but that "I'm not trying to better the originals or debase their talent ....more a case of trying subtly to put your stamp on what you consider a brilliant song" The album received mixed reviews with ''The Guardian'' concluding "The originals were better" and ''UNCUT'' magazine called it "an unusual album of cover versions". The ''MusicOMH'' review acknowledged "this may not be to everybody's taste (but) buy It and prepare to be seduced" with ''Popmatters'' suggesting the album was "partly recognized, partly elusive, offering an irresistible invitation to explore it further."

Track listing

#"In a Broken Dream" (David Bentley; originally recorded by Python Lee Jackson) – 3:37 #"Birds" (

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

) – 2:26 #" Thirteen" (

Alex Chilton William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950March 17, 2010) was an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock bands the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops ...

, Chris Bell; originally recorded by

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...

) – 2:56 #" Hallelujah" (

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

) – 5:08 #" Ballad of Easy Rider" (

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (; born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the band. As a so ...

; originally recorded by

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

) – 2:50 #"A Guy What Takes His Time" ( Ralph Rainger; originally recorded by

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

) – 2:58 #"Candy Says" (

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

; originally recorded by

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

) – 3:33 #" How Can We Hang On to a Dream" (

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk music and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his own success, his songs " If I Were a Carpenter", " Reason to Believe", " Misty Roses" and " ...

) – 2:34 #"

I Started a Joke "I Started a Joke" is a song by the Bee Gees from their 1968 album Idea (album), ''Idea'', which was released as a single in December of that year. It was not released as a single in the United Kingdom, where buyers who could not afford the al ...

" (

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Along with his younger fraternal twin brothers, Robin Gibb, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Maurice, he rose to global fame as a member ...

, Robin Gibb &

Maurice Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician and songwriter. He achieved global fame as a member of the Bee Gees pop group. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb wer ...

; originally recorded by The

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

) – 3:07 #"Easy and Me" ( Lee Hazlewood) – 2:46 #" Spit on a Stranger" ( Stephen Malkmus; originally recorded by Pavement) – 3:23 #" All Apologies" (

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

; originally recorded by

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

) – 3:34 #"Beautiful Cosmos" ( Ivor Cutler) – 1:31 #" These Days" (

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...

) – 4:02

Personnel

* Kathryn Williams - vocals, guitar, electric guitar, glockenspiel, sampler, theremin, backing vocals & percussion * Laura Reid - cello, bass guitar, organ & backing vocals * David Scott - guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar & backing vocals * Johnny Bridgwood - double bass * Alex Tustin - drums * Joe Montgomery - violin

Recording details

*Studio tracks recorded & mixed by Kathryn Williams & Dave Maughan, FMP Studios, Newcastle (October–November 2003) *Live tracks ('Hallelujah' & 'These Days') recorded by John Fortis & mixed by Ed John

References

{{Authority control 2004 albums Kathryn Williams albums 2000s covers albums