Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session

One of the more surprising hits of the late ‘80s was an album supposedly recorded live to a single microphone in a church. That would explain the title of The Trinity Session, and while Cowboy Junkies got their name randomly, it’s an apt description for their sleepy brand of country and folk. They were made for VH-1, and provided twentysomethings not interested in rap or hair metal with someplace else to go.

The album alternates between originals and covers, and the differences are seamless. The opening a cappella “Mining For Gold” shows off Margo Timmins’ oft-labeled angelic voice, going right into “Misguided Angel”, a sweet love song. “I Don’t Get It” isn’t as successful vocally, but an extra-slow version of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and the sad but pretty “To Love Is To Bury” redeem the side. We don’t even mind the accordion.

“200 More Miles” builds slowly and effectively, leading nicely to a cover of “Dreaming My Dreams With You”. But it was their intriguing take on “Sweet Jane”, modeled on the lesser-known slower version from the Velvet Underground 1969, that brought them all the attention (in the States, anyway). “Postcard Blues” mostly sits there, but their version of “Walkin’ After Midnight” does a nice job of showcasing several musicians and ending the program, complete with ambient post-gig audio-verité. (Typically for the time, those of us who bought it on vinyl were cheated out of two extra tracks: the rambling, rumbling “Working On A Building”, and a clever arrangement of “Blue Moon” that adds some original verses.)

They’d turn up the volume on future releases, but nothing they’ve done since has seemed to resonate with the public as much as The Trinity Session did, and still does. It’s a great one for late-night listening, not so much for driving on a sunny day.

Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Session (1988)—4