Cowboy Junkies - Black Eyed Man
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Free Music Notes for Black Eyed Man
Free Music Review: On par with Trinity Session
Hit: 5 Stars
(What the heck does the tag "appropriate" mean, anyway? As in, "no F-word in the lyrics"?)
_Black-Eyed Man_ is more conventional and polished, and has more of a Townes Van Zandt/Lyle Lovett feel overall, than _the Trinity Session_ but the songwriting is as good. Even though the songs, overall, are classic Cowboy Junkies mournful, there is still some range in the themes and moods of the individual tracks.
Free Music Review: Great Album
Hit: 5 Stars
The Cowboy Junkies burst on to the music scene with their album "The Trinity Sessions" which contained the hit single cover version of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" done very differently from the original. To my knowledge that was the band's only radio hit, but they developed a loyal following that has remained to this day. The band's music is mostly mellow with bits of folk, rock, blues, torch song, and country that combine to make a sound like no one else. Margo Timmons sultry vocals are at the center point of the band's work. Timmons is backed up ably by her brothers Michael on guitar and Peter on bass. Alan Anton rounds out the quartet on drums. The majority of the band's material is written by Michael. "Black Eyed Man" is an excellent album telling stories of its characters in a mostly slow drawn out manner. I once heard a reviewer describe the Junkies as "lonely" music, and I think the tag fits quite well. Every song here is good. "Southern Rain", "Oregon Hill", "Murder Tonight In The Trailer Park", "Black Eyed Man", "Winters Song", "The Last Spike" are all solid. "If You Were The Woman And I Were The Man" is a duet with John Prine. The last three songs on the disc are all related to Townes Van Zant. The band covers two of his songs "Cowboy Junkies Lament" and "To Live Is To Fly". The middle song of the three is a tribute to Townes called "Townes Blues" written Timmons. "Black Eyed Man" is a great album and a must have for any Cowboy Junkies fans.Free Music Review: The Best Cowboy Junkies Album? - Regardless, This Is An All-Time Personal Favorite
Hit: 5 Stars
A really special record. Not all CJ albums have clicked with me, but this one makes a major connection. THE TRINITY SESSIONS often gets the credit for being their best, but as beautiful as that one is, it's also really slow, stark, and depressing. I really have to be in the mood for it. But I delight in hearing BLACK EYED MAN nearly any ol' time. All the tracks were written by guitarist Michael Timmins (brother of drummer Peter Timmins and ethereal-voiced sister Margo Timmins - bassist Alan Anton rounds out the quartet) save for two tracks written by the late, great Townes Van Zandt. These are gorgeous slice-of-life songs, rich and melodious with lots of colorful instrumentation from some great guest musicians. Several of these tracks are actually pretty upbeat and rockin' (at least as far as the Junkies' standards are concerned) but the band is truly at the top of its game on the sad songs. All around, the musicianship here is top-notch, first rate, absolutely impeccable.
My personal impressions of BLACK EYED MAN:
"Southern Rain" - a laid-back, easy going country-ish rocker and a rather melancholy tale of a woman's grateful return home to Georgia after leaving life on the West coast with an unfaithful lawyer. *****
"Oregon Hill" - this one has a great country/blues shuffle with intriguing elements mixed in including New Orleans jazz horns. Great lyrics on this one, on each of these songs in fact. *****
"This Street, That Man, This Life" - Margo's arresting voice is at once ghostly and sexy. So incredibly seductive. She shines on every tune, including this low key track about a place with a dark past. *****
"A Horse in the Country" - another sad tune about a woman who's become disillusioned with her man, but she finds solace in getting to visit her horse every few weeks; the song is ultimately uplifting. *****
"If You Were the Woman and I was the Man" - a great, vaguely kinky duet with John Prine. One guest artist that really shines on this album is pianist Spencer Evans, but on this particular track he contributes a delightfully woozy clarinet. *****
"Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer Park" - one of those laid back tunes of theirs that manages to be totally rockin' in its own way, thanks especially to Ken Myhr who guests on lead guitar, adding its soulful yet subtle bite to quite a few of these songs in fact. *****
"Black Eyed Man" - a very good song even though it's my personal least favorite here (just a question of taste, really). This is essentially a loping, bluesy country tune and, apparently, a rather sinister story about a man who gets set up by a vindictive woman. ****
"Winter's Song" - a gorgeous song with wonderful, expert accompaniment on harmonica, mandolin, accordion (not normally my favorite instrument, but I love it on BLACK EYED MAN), cello and fiddle. The only problem I have with this song is that it seems unfinished, both lyrically and musically. Right when the song starts to take off into a dramatic direction, it abruptly ends. ****1/2
"The Last Spike" - Stunning. Heartbreaking. Powerful. Soft. Naked. One of their very best. *****+
"Cowboy Junkies Lament" - written by Townes Van Zandt, this is another one of their best songs. Has such an infectious shuffling rhythm and a fantastic vocal melody. *****+
"Townes' Blues" - a great country rocker full of humor and sass. Cool guitar licks from Ken Myhr. This is an amusing tale of a train ride from the point of view of a dedicated craps player. *****+
"To Live is to Fly" - Van Zandt wrote the insightful, wise and glorious final track. It begins quietly and sweetly, building in intensity from there up to swirling heights and back again. Closes the album on a real high, save for the brief coda from the New Orleans-style horn players. *****+
Free Music Review: The best place to start your journey with Cowboy Junkies
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm writing this review to encourage readers who might have heard of Cowboy Junkies and want a good place to start. This is your album. Black Eyed Man is wonderful, soulful, perhaps even visual music that is bound to please you. The music here is very easy to listen to, has tracks that are easily distinguished from each other, and is memorable for the amblin' mood it creates. This is not "easy listening" in the elevator sense of the phrase - you can rest assured that you will find intelligent constructions and complex lyrics. For another fantastic place to start, try their album "Trinity Sessions" along with this one. The two together give you a strong foundation to explore the other styles of this talented band.Free Music Review: a quite underated gem
Hit: 4 Stars
this entire album is exhilerating!i will take you through the highlights.they are:southern rain.the chick singer has a vaery pretty voice.also,they have a very unique sound.sort of too mellow to be alternative but too deep to be country.alison krauss like.the first song i really liked was the opener southern rain.a lot of country fans i know like this song.oregon hills is all about prison breaks,rednecks,wild teens and cheating wives.a porch-side look at small towns.a very bob dylan like lyrical gem this man,this street,that life.its very beautiful.the best song,i think is,if i were the woman and you were the man.on my favorite movie,natural born killers,it was micky and malloreys love theme.[it played as they were wed]it is a precious love song.it is a great album.