Cowboy
      Junkies
     
     
      BMG)
     
     
      by
      Kirby
      Ferguson
     
     
      The
      Cowboy
      Junkies
     
     
      1988
      release
      The
      Trinity
     
     
      Session
      is
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      most
      unique
      albums
      of
     
     
      recent
      years.
      Fearlessly
     
     
      intimate
      and
      provoca-
     
     
      tively
      quiet,
      the
      album
      is
     
     
      held
      near
      and
      dear
      by
      many
      people
      and
      is
      certainly
     
     
      essential
      mood
      music.
      Black
      Eyed
      Man
      is
      the
      sound
     
     
      of
      a
      more
      mature,
      musical
      act.
      Adding
      new
      detail
      and
     
     
      animation
      to
      the
      same
      musical
      idea,
      the
      Junkies
      have
     
     
      taken
      their
      brand
      of
      very
      Velvety
      worldweariness
      toa
     
     
      new
      level,
      and
      in
      doing
      so
      have
      created
      the
      best
      album
     
     
      Ive
      heard,
      possibly,
      since
      Sinead
      O’Connor’s/
      Do
     
     
      Not
      Want
      What
      I
      Haven't
      Got--which
      gives
      me
      an
     
     
      Opportunity
      to
      leap
      off
      the
      beam
      fora
      while.
      If
      you
     
     
      want
      to
      hearan
      incredibly
      beautiful
      piece
      of
      music,
     
     
      ;
      sheck
      out
      Sinead’s
      version
      of
      Elton
      John’s
      “‘Sacri-
     
     
      ice’’
      on
      the
      Two
      Rooms
      tribute:
      when
      the
      two
     
     
      overdubbed
      Sinead
      vocals
      intertwine
      for
      the
      cre-
     
     
      scendo,
      it
      is
      to
      die
      for.
      You
      gotta
      hear
      it;
      it’s
      abso-
     
     
      lutely
      fantastic
      (don’t
      buy
      that
      album
      though,
      it’s
      got
     
     
      ns
      of
      turds).
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Back
      to
      the
      Junkies--Black
      Eyed
      Man
      is
      the
      work
      of
      a
     
     
      dramatically
      advanced
      band
      sporting
      their
      most
      de-
     
     
      failed
      musical
      palette
      and
      anew
      confidence,
      as
      we
      can
     
     
      arin
      Margo
      Timmins’
      most
      assured
      singing
      yet
      and
     
     
      brother
      Michael’s
      eloquent
      guitar
      work.
      Featuring
     
     
      porgeous
      textures
      of
      mandolin,
      harmonica,
      fiddle
      and
     
     
      bello,
      this
      is
      a
      country
      album
      with
      a
      heart
      (anda
     
     
      rain).
      Several
      of
      the
      album’s
      many
      high
      points
     
     
      melude
      ‘Oregon
      Hill,’’
      with
      its
      New
      Orleans
      horns
     
     
      nd
      Margo
      Timmins
      dual
      vocals,
      ‘‘Murder,
      Tonight,
     
     
      Nthe
      Trailer
      Park’’
      and
      the
      two
      Townes
      Van
      Zandt
     
     
      or
      positions,
      ‘‘Cowboy
      Junkies’
      Lament’’
      and
      ‘‘To
     
    

    
     
      |
      ve
      Is
      To
      Fly.’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ically
      the
      album
      bears
      remarkable
      similarities
      to
     
    

    
     
      tuce
      Springsteen's
      Nebraska
      (one
      of
      rock’s
      lyrical
     
    

    
     
      1
      asterpieces);
      ‘livin’
      smostly
      wastin’
      time,’’
      ‘‘this
     
     
      1
      rld’s
      lost
      its
      mystery’’
      and
      many
      more
      sound
      like
     
     
      u
      teasts
      from
      that
      album.
      Though
      he
      may
      notbe
     
     
      @zlingly
      original,
      Michael
      Timmins’
      folky
      romanti-
     
     
      mia,
      broken
      dreams
      and
      yearning
      for
     
    

    
     
      a.
      stand
      up
      as
      one
      of
      music's
      more
      interesting
     
     
      s.
      (Lcan’tleave
      this
      comparison
      alone,
      butif
      you
     
     
      nt
      nt
      to
      hear
      a
      devastating
      poetic
      statement,
      check
      out
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nebraska;
      the
      man
      is
      without
      pretension.)
      (Speaking
     
     
      of
      Bruce,
      did
      you
      know
      he
      has
      two
      albums,
      Human
     
     
      Touch
      and
      Lonely
      Town,
      coming
      out
      in
      the
      early
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2
      ,
      Spring?
      Supposedly
      they
      are
      actually
      two
      separate
     
     
      some
      albums,
      unlike
      Use
      Your
      Illusion,
      which
      was
      really
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      double
      album.)
      (Speaking
      of
      new
      releases,
      Sonic
     
     
      Youth
      should
      have
      a
      new
      one
      out
      by
      the
      summer.
      Oh
     
     
      yeah,
      Neil
      Young’s
      gota
      new
      one,
      supposedly
      a
     
     
      Harvest
      sequel
      [oh
      joy!],
      coming
      out
      real
      soon.)
      (And
     
     
      where
      did
      all
      this
      fascinating
      info
      come
      from?
      Yes,
     
     
      that
      glossy,
      cologne
      smelling,
      hypocritical,
      sixties
     
     
      worshipping
      magazine:
      Rolling
      Stone.
      Did
      yousee
     
     
      their
      critics’
      picks
      of
      91?
      Bullshit,
      I
      say!
      Where’s
     
     
      Storyville!
      And
      what’s
      Nevermind
      doing
      there!
      And
     
     
      Out
      Of
      Time
      number
      one!
      And
      who
      are
      the
      American
     
     
      Music
      Club?
      Never
      heard
      of
      ‘em.
      Terrible
      name.)
     
     
      (What
      was
      I
      talking
      about?
      Nebraska!
      Fantastic
     
     
      album.
      When
      it
      comes
      to
      the
      writin’
      lyrics
      thing,
     
     
      Bruce
      is
      the
      king
      of
      ‘emall
      y’all.
      Wait
      a
      minute...)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Yes,
      the
      Junkies!
      Black
      Eyed
      Man
      isa
      wonderful
     
     
      album
      (and
      Canadian);
      buy
      it.
      And
      don’t
      forget
      Ne-
     
     
      braska
      (Bruce
      should
      be
      paying
      me
      for
      this);
      it’d
     
     
      make
      a
      great
      companion
      piece.
      In
      case
      you
      haven't
     
     
      noticed,
      this
      review
      is
      completely
      spontaneous.
      This
     
     
      buck
      shot
      approach
      to
      journalism
      must
      be
      really
     
     
      tedious
      reading,
      so
      I’Il
      just
      end
      it.
      (But
      speaking
      of
     
     
      tedious
      reading,
      the
      new
      Alter
      Ego
      is
      out
      [may
      as
     
     
      well
      cover
      everything
      while
      you’re
      here]
      ,
      and
      it’s
     
     
      pretty
      sharp.
      It’s
      available
      in
      very
      limited
      quantities
     
     
      around
      campus
      and
      at
      various
      businesses
      around
     
     
      town.
      Shit,
      you'll
      have
      Nebraska,
      Black
      Eyed
      Man,
     
     
      Alter
      Ego--oh
      yeah,
      and
      Sinead’s
      ‘‘Sacrifice’’...
      wow,
     
     
      what
      life
      affirming
      culture!)
      (1
      apologize
      for
      this
     
     
      verbal
      vomit.
      I
      hang
      my
      head
      in
      shame.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fora
      listen
      to
      the
      Cowboy
      Junkies’
      Black
      Eyed
      Man,
     
     
      tune
      in
      to
      the
      Island’s
      only
      alternative,
      CIMN,
      104.5
     
     
      FM
      cable
      or
      700
      AM
      on
      campus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HATE
      TAXES
      ??
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      WILL
      FILL
      OUT
     
     
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      ENTIRE
      TAX
     
     
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      ONLY
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      10.
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      MORE
      INFORMATION
     
     
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      THE
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      ,
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      5,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      33