Romance, despair captured by Junkies

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 23

Romance, despair captured by Junkies

COWBOY JUNKIES “The Trinity Session” (RCA-Vlctor, APLI 6062). Cowboy Junkies is a misnomer as far as the name of this Canadian group is concerned. They are users, not abusers, and in the process have rediscovered country blues.

It is not surprising that Lou Reed was so taken with the band's version of the Velvet Underground classic, “Sweet Jane” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight” are played in such a manner as to be virtually unrecognisable.

This is not an LP to put on to liven up a party. This is an album to be treated with reverence, and not just because it was recorded in a church.

“The Trinity Session” is for dedicated listeners. The heights of passion are scaled with the blues harp playing of Steve Shearer on “I Don’t Get It,’” with the bottleneck guitar on “Walking After Midnight, and with the chilling effect of harmonica on “Postcard Blues,” like the guitar on The Rolling Stones’ version of “Love In Vain.”

The Cowboy Junkies’ own material is just as brilliant as the classics they cover. Margo Timmins’ vocals express the quiet anguish of foolish love on “Misguided Angel,” and “200 More Miles” is “24 Hours From Tulsa.” The big element of this LP is not so much the sound as the silence, which is deafening at times.

This album, recorded for sCan2oo in November, 1987, is worth its weight in gold. It has such appeal; it is quiet and soulful, romantic and despairing, and has such quality as to continue to grow on each spin on the turntable.

It is a country mile from the Nashville scene and it certainly won't be dominating the singles chart, even though the opening track is a traditional folk song at 1 min, 34s long. Better for the late night, brokenhearted sessions.'

— NEVIN TOPP.