I Own That CD! - Cowboy Junkies

I Own That CD! - Cowboy Junkies

Browsing through my CD collection last night, trying to decide what to pick for today’s post, I glanced up at the window and saw branches on the tree outside my house swaying in a gentle (cold) evening breeze. It relaxed me a bit, coming off of a busy weekend. That relaxed feeling conveyed to my pick of a CD.

The Cowboy Junkies second release, The Trinity Session, is one of the most relaxing grouping of songs ever recorded. And it’s today’s feature on I Own That CD!

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, the Cowboy Junkies recorded The Trinity Session in the Church of Holy Trinity in Toronto in 1987, with the band circled around a single microphone. It was recorded in (almost) a single session with no mixing, overdubs or edits.

The star of all of this is lead singer Margo Timmins. So much so that the first track is an a capella song, “Mining for Gold” with Timmins’ vocals dipped in blues and country.

By the time the second track, “Misguided Angel”, kicks in, you know you’re in for something special. The band’s minimalistic approach to performing and recording is comforting. Like a warm blanket or a good glass of whiskey. Michael Timmins’ guitar shimmers, at times sounding like The Edge from U2 and at times like Hank Williams.

Speaking of Williams, the band mixes a number of covers into their originals, including their interpretation of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Other covers include Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight”, and a rewrite of “Blue Moon”, written as a paen to Elvis. However, it’s their slowed-down version of “Sweet Jane” by The Velvet Underground that shines the most on this album. Lou Reed even endorsed their version.

The song is perfectly recorded - a simple cymbal and snare drum with the familiar jangly guitar riff. Listen closely at how Margo’s voice shines on this song. Especially when she sings the words “Sweet Jane” - it’s gorgeous and truly sexy.

The album was released when country was country, there was no alt- about it, which left the conundrum of what exactly you were listening to. They took blues, country, folk, rock and jazz and slowed it right down and in the process they made something new. It is albums like this that began the ‘alternative’ description. It’s a CD worth listening to, and if you’d like, you can borrow mine.