Search - Caroleen Beatty :: You're Only as Pretty as You Feel

The one and only caroleen (sf)

mark weiss | Palo Alto | 09/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Caroleen Beatty is a singer/songwriter and rock musician/vocalist from San Francisco. She leads a band called Waycross with two poorly distributed self-released cds out. She also sang for and co-led a slightly better known political folk-rock group from San Francisco called Bedlam Rovers. Her Waycross bandmate Doug Hilsinger struck something like indie gold when his love-letter to Brian Eno, in the form of a part by part, a-to-z remake of "Taking Tiger Mountain" found its way first to Eno then to a little (nationally-distributed) label run by his friend Pat Thomas of the band Mushroom, Runt/DBK -- Caroleen sings the vocal parts on that cd which was reviewed favorably in the U.S. and UK by both indie and some mainstream press. You're Only as Pretty as You Feel is sort of a follow-up to the Eno tribute project (which performed at The Fillmore and a rock festival as Enorchestra) but also a follow-up to Mushroom's work with Gary Floyd (from The Dicks, Sister Double) on a multi-cd session of covers from the 70s, on which Caro sang some backing vocals, duets. Get it?



In any case, she's quite the performer if you get the chance to check this cd or catch her live -- her loyal fans are awaiting better distribution for her original work and a solo cd of her own writing. (And then there's her caught-in-self-turnaround co-led project with Jon Langford of Mekons called Pre War Jewel...)



This release, basically an ep of Caroleen's interpretations of some 70s chestnuts, might end up as prologue to her true blossoming as an artist and voice of her generation and scene.



"

Caroleen is the greatest!

LisaLisa | Clifton, VA USA | 11/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can I say, I'm biased. She's my sister-in-law! As you would expect, her brother and I own all of her CDs. Great voice, even nicer in person, all around talented woman."