Cowboy Junkie Fans

To my friend Craig and other posters above:

I think that those who have read my posts over the past 2+ years will agree that my listening tastes are pretty catholic. So, please take this question in the spirit it is asked: what SPECIFICALLY do you find interesting about Cowboy Junkie's music?

I am not asking this question to antagonize anyone -- I really am curious and want to know what engages you about their music. I owned a copy of the original LP release of The Trinity Sessions -- purchased after the first rave reviews in one of the audio mags in the late 1980's -- and eventually gave the LP away because it failed to appeal to me in any way.

So, as Joan Rivers used to say: can we talk? What elements of this group's music seems to appeal to so many?

Scott C-

I'm actually with SdC on this-I too own Trinity Sessions and well frankly I find it pretty dull...
In not too disimilar fields I find the following better.
Ophelia-Natalie Merchant-all original songs,laid back,nice voice too.
In terms of covers I would argue (mainstream as she was) Eva Cassidy is better at throwing a different slant on well known songs.......
Anything by either female Fleetwood Mac vocalist circa Rumours/Tusk is on another planet both in originality/songwriting/arrangements and singing and well the band trash the CJ's musically.....
I could go on but it's not a competition...enjoy what you enjoy

At first I didn't care for the Junkies but I listened to it every now and again and eventually I grew to really like it. So it sort of grows on you like mold, but good mold :)

~Tim

Scott & Ben: Other than the overall package I enjoy many of their songs as they are (in my mind) through compositions. Songs that are conceived and then finished on kind of a roll. Songs like these do not sound contrived and have a certain flow to them. Of the few songwriters that I know this type of composition is always their best work and it is a difficult happening to achieve for most in the profession. Just a guess/opinion, but this is what I hear/suspect and enjoy about most of their music. I cannot say this about their second to last release (though it is OK in a dirty sort of way).

I am with Sdc, I am curious as to everyones exuberance when they are mentioned. I just happen to have a friends copy of Trinity Sessions in my possession at the moment and agree it's a fine recording but doesn't seem to do a lot for me. (I will be playing it more though so I reserve the right to change my mind.)

I kind of wonder if the hype isn't much the same as Kind of Blue, they were both done with very few takes, some in one take. Trinity Sessions with one mic, I don't know about KoB. (Did I just open a can of worms?)

I went to CJ's web site last Friday and read the making of Trinity Sessions and it is interesting.