COWBOY JUNKIES

Trinity Revisited

2008-02-15

19 years ago I was sitting in my dorm room at Aquinas College trying to find a decent radio station here in my new town of Grand Rapids. I stopped on a sparse, beautiful song that put me in a trance. It turned out to be Blue Moon, by the Cowboy Junkies. This moment was my first exposure to the band (as well as to this unique little radio station called WYCE). While nothing will ever compare the Junkies original, quiet, sleepy recording of Blue Moon, hearing it done now in Vic Chesnutt’s voice gives the song a whole new mournful element with an unsettling draw. The original Trinity Session was recorded in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto 20 years ago. This recording is responsible for creating many of the Junkies’ current fans. For this album and DVD (this session was filmed) they headed back to that same sacred place and recorded those same songs in a single day…just like they did 20 years ago. So what has been added? 20 years of music making experience and some extremely noteworthy artistic additions. These additions are Vic Chesnutt, Natalie Merchant, Ryan Adams and Jeff Bird; all four artists participate fully throughout. The quality is seamless. Natalie’s vocals weaving with Margo’s have resulted in a version of Misguided Angel that has never sounded better. The lovely, lonely innocence of the original session cannot be replaced, but the songs wear maturity well. Becky Kenny February 2008