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THE REVIEW
After the self-produced debut "Whites Off Earth Now!!" which allowed them to secure a deal with the major label RCA, on the night of November 27, 1987, in the Holy Trinity Church in Toronto, the Cowboy Junkies recorded their masterpiece, practically live and with the aid of an R-DAT recorder and a single microphone.
The "Trinity Sessions" open with the splendid voice of Margo Timmins, who reinterprets the traditional "Mining For Gold" with the firmness and warmth of a pasionaria like Joan Baez and the technique and soul of a crooner like Miss Shirley Bassey, mystically fused together. "Misguided Angel" is the first original piece (written by Margo and her brother Michael, the thinking mind behind the Canadian quartet) that lethargically reinterprets the highest peaks reached by Neil Young and the Crazy Horse, in the vein of that music which over the years accompanied the expansion of the American frontier. "Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)" is a delicate prayer mixed with an ethereal reinterpretation of the hit single "Blue Moon" by the Marcels, while "I Don't Get It" is a narcotic vision of the Velvet Underground. A vibrant reinterpretation is "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," honoring Hank Williams, while "To Love Is To Bury" elevates the country verb to exquisite art, slowed down and stretched to the limit. A limit that is widely broken in the subsequent "200 More Miles" where everything is rarefied and the instruments never dare disturb Margo's soft voice, which becomes a gentle lullaby whisper in "Dreaming My Dreams With You." Here the instruments draw very fine lines of connection between our world and the realm of Morpheus, and in "Working On A Building" (another traditional) they support Margo's voice, which turns out to be the perfect link between the gentleness of Liz Fraser (Cocteau Twins) and the tension of Beth Gibbons (Portishead), an introduction to the superb version of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane." "Postcard Blues" remains suspended in mid-air, just like the smoke layer that can be clearly seen splitting into two the living space of those clubs, rendered as icons of nightlife by many Hollywood films, with a truly moving voice-accordion dialogue. "Walking After Midnight" is the perfect farewell and leads us out, chilly, on the way back home.
The Canadian Cowboy Junkies of "The Trinity Sessions" are the philosopher's stone of the American folk revival.
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Summary by Bot
The Trinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkies is celebrated as a folk revival masterpiece recorded live in a church using minimal equipment. Margo Timmins delivers warm, soulful vocals that blend influences from artists like Joan Baez and Shirley Bassey. The album features delicate and vibrant reinterpretations of traditional and modern songs, creating a haunting, ethereal atmosphere. Critics praise its unique recording style and emotional depth. This album remains an essential work in Americana music.
Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies are a Canadian band formed in Toronto in 1985 by siblings Margo (vocals), Michael (guitar, songwriter), and Peter Timmins (drums) with Alan Anton (bass). They rose to acclaim with The Trinity Sessions, recorded live with a single microphone at Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity, and are known for hushed, atmospheric alt‑country and slowcore-inflected songs across a decades-long career.05 Reviews
