Cowboy Junkies
Posted by: ewemon on 23 April 2007
Heres a copy of a post on another forum re the Cowboy Junkies. Used to have a number of their discs but just couldn't get into them. Maybe it is time to re-visit them.
Cowboy Junkies revisit classic album
TORONTO (CP) - It's been 20 years since the Cowboy Junkies set up a solitary microphone in a downtown church and recorded what was to become one of the '80s most revered discs.
The languid, hypnotic tone of "The Trinity Session" launched the Toronto-based quartet to international acclaim and defined their captivating trademark sound, an evocative melange of roots, folk and blues.
Since then, they've put out nearly 20 live and studio recordings and have a dedicated following that keeps them filling venues in the United States and Europe, but it's the impact of that early disc that still astounds guitarist Michael Timmins.
"When we walked out of the church we knew we had recorded something really special but we didn't think that anybody else would necessarily hear it," Timmins says recently by phone during a stop on their U.S. tour in Boise, Idaho.
"We were just an independent band doing our thing. (We thought) we'd get it out there and we'd sell a few thousand copies and move on to the next record. There was no idea that it would connect with so many people."
In celebration of the landmark anniversary, the band - including singer Margot Timmins (his sister), drummer Peter Timmins (his brother) and bassist Alan Anton - returned to the church last fall to re-record the album and film a DVD to be released later this year.
But this time there were a few more microphones, a massive crew and famous friends Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant and Vic Chesnutt joining them in the round to revisit the original tracks, including their acclaimed cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane."
"It was amazing going back into that space," says Timmins, now 45 and the father of three children.
"Going in and plugging in and playing, it brought back a lot of memories and the amazing thing was we suddenly remembered, 'Oh my God, this church sounds so good.' "
He says there was no interest in simply re-doing "The Trinity Session." The Junkies approached the project as a reinterpretation of the songs and added new voices to the mix. Everything was kept "very loose and very unrehearsed," he says.
Chesnutt takes on "Postcard Blues" and duets with Margot on "Blue Moon" and "Dreaming My Dreams With You." Adams performs "200 More Miles" while Merchant sings "To Love is to Bury" and plays piano, accompanied by violin.
Timmins says the DVD is expected to be released in September. In October, the band will perform the disc in its entirety at London's Royal Albert Hall.
There's a chance more anniversary performances could be added, he says, but surprisingly, he says it's unlikely that Canadian dates would be among them.
"Canada's not our greatest market," he says, doubting such a show would sell many tickets even in their hometown of Toronto.
"Anywhere in the East Coast or West Coast of the United States and then the bigger cities in Europe, those would be bigger than anywhere in Canada, that's for sure."
Timmins is appreciative of the dedicated fans that have stuck with the group through the years, acknowledging that their hushed, laid-back style stands in stark contrast to what tends to dominate the charts these days.
Their latest disc, "At the End of Paths Taken," due Tuesday, offers textured melodies that linger, and occasionally buzz with verve on "Cutting Board Blues" and "My Little Basquiat".
Although verve is a relative term when discussing the mostly down-tempo numbers that dominate the Junkies' catalogue, admits Timmins.
"We've stayed very true to what we want to do and I think the people that have followed us, that's what they appreciate, we basically do what we want to do," he says.
"We've never really listened to people's ideas or trends or whatever, it's just basically, it's us, it's our expression and if you like it, you like it and if you don't, well, there's lots of other stuff out there."
Cowboy Junkies revisit classic album
TORONTO (CP) - It's been 20 years since the Cowboy Junkies set up a solitary microphone in a downtown church and recorded what was to become one of the '80s most revered discs.
The languid, hypnotic tone of "The Trinity Session" launched the Toronto-based quartet to international acclaim and defined their captivating trademark sound, an evocative melange of roots, folk and blues.
Since then, they've put out nearly 20 live and studio recordings and have a dedicated following that keeps them filling venues in the United States and Europe, but it's the impact of that early disc that still astounds guitarist Michael Timmins.
"When we walked out of the church we knew we had recorded something really special but we didn't think that anybody else would necessarily hear it," Timmins says recently by phone during a stop on their U.S. tour in Boise, Idaho.
"We were just an independent band doing our thing. (We thought) we'd get it out there and we'd sell a few thousand copies and move on to the next record. There was no idea that it would connect with so many people."
In celebration of the landmark anniversary, the band - including singer Margot Timmins (his sister), drummer Peter Timmins (his brother) and bassist Alan Anton - returned to the church last fall to re-record the album and film a DVD to be released later this year.
But this time there were a few more microphones, a massive crew and famous friends Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant and Vic Chesnutt joining them in the round to revisit the original tracks, including their acclaimed cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane."
"It was amazing going back into that space," says Timmins, now 45 and the father of three children.
"Going in and plugging in and playing, it brought back a lot of memories and the amazing thing was we suddenly remembered, 'Oh my God, this church sounds so good.' "
He says there was no interest in simply re-doing "The Trinity Session." The Junkies approached the project as a reinterpretation of the songs and added new voices to the mix. Everything was kept "very loose and very unrehearsed," he says.
Chesnutt takes on "Postcard Blues" and duets with Margot on "Blue Moon" and "Dreaming My Dreams With You." Adams performs "200 More Miles" while Merchant sings "To Love is to Bury" and plays piano, accompanied by violin.
Timmins says the DVD is expected to be released in September. In October, the band will perform the disc in its entirety at London's Royal Albert Hall.
There's a chance more anniversary performances could be added, he says, but surprisingly, he says it's unlikely that Canadian dates would be among them.
"Canada's not our greatest market," he says, doubting such a show would sell many tickets even in their hometown of Toronto.
"Anywhere in the East Coast or West Coast of the United States and then the bigger cities in Europe, those would be bigger than anywhere in Canada, that's for sure."
Timmins is appreciative of the dedicated fans that have stuck with the group through the years, acknowledging that their hushed, laid-back style stands in stark contrast to what tends to dominate the charts these days.
Their latest disc, "At the End of Paths Taken," due Tuesday, offers textured melodies that linger, and occasionally buzz with verve on "Cutting Board Blues" and "My Little Basquiat".
Although verve is a relative term when discussing the mostly down-tempo numbers that dominate the Junkies' catalogue, admits Timmins.
"We've stayed very true to what we want to do and I think the people that have followed us, that's what they appreciate, we basically do what we want to do," he says.
"We've never really listened to people's ideas or trends or whatever, it's just basically, it's us, it's our expression and if you like it, you like it and if you don't, well, there's lots of other stuff out there."
On tonight in Newcastle but didn't fancy it on me todd.........................................
