Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies是來自加拿大的布魯斯搖滾樂隊，他們的音樂中還融合了民謠搖滾的元素。這支樂隊在北美地區乃至世界范圍內都可以說是大名鼎鼎。 主唱Margo Timmins在加入Cowboy Junkies之前甚至沒有在公開場合唱過歌，但是首次出聲就折服了所有的聽眾。她的樂聲飽含力度，堅韌而不失女性特有的敏感。他們的現場專輯“Open”更是表現出了Margo Timmins聲音的穩定性和張力。雖然不是那種甜美的溫文爾雅，但是充滿了故事的歌聲能夠立刻抓住你的耳朵，并將音樂直接寫進你的心靈。在專輯“One Soul Now”中，最成功的作品當屬“He Will Call you Baby”，一個悲傷的歌手和著悲傷的旋律唱出悲傷的歌曲，讓你在歌聲中體會這種源自心靈深處的傷感。。這曲“He will call you Baby”也將Cowboy Junkies寫入了民謠搖滾的名人殿堂。 如果用一個比喻來指代這支樂隊和Margo Timmins的“超級女聲”，最貼切的是一支香煙。讓人感覺到香，也讓人感覺到嗆，但就是無法戒除。點燃一支煙，打開Cowboy Junkies的音樂，讓Margo Timmins的歌聲充滿你的耳朵。感受著這種Blues式的自由旋律和歌聲中飽含的滄桑，心里的回憶不斷地被歌聲翻起。這種感覺帶領我們走過春夏秋冬，有傷感，有快樂，點點滴滴都在Margo Timmins的歌聲中被再次喚醒。 Although it didn't originally have anything to do with their sound, the Cowboy Junkies' name wound up seeming pretty accurate: their music was grounded in traditional country, blues, and folk, yet drifted along in a sleepy, narcotic haze that clearly bore the stamp of the Velvet Underground. The vast majority of their songs were spare and quiet, taken at lethargic tempos and filled with languid guitars and detached, ethereal vocals courtesy of Margo Timmins. Over the late '80s and '90s, the group recorded a succession of critically acclaimed albums that found favor in the alternative rock community. The Cowboy Junkies were founded by guitarist/songwriter Michael Timmins and bassist Alan Anton (born Alan Alizojvodic), who first played together in a Toronto-based band called the Hunger Project in 1979. They later moved to the U.K. and played with an avant-garde instrumental outfit called Germinal, but eventually grew weary of the group's style and returned to Toronto in 1984. They started jamming with Timmins' brother Peter on drums, and in 1985 they recruited a vocalist in sister Margo, at the time a social worker who'd never sung publicly before. Dubbing themselves the Cowboy Junkies simply because the name had a ring to it, they formed their own independent label, Lament, and released their debut album, Whites Off Earth Now!!, in 1986. Featuring only one original song, the album was recorded using only one microphone, and although it was initially available only in Canada, it helped them land a major-label deal with RCA. Their first widespread release was 1988's The Trinity Session, which was recorded inside Toronto's Holy Trinity church in the span of one night -- again using only one microphone. The Trinity Session became a cult hit, earning rave reviews from critics and substantial college radio airplay for tracks like "Misguided Angel" and their cover of "Sweet Jane." Now an underground sensation, the Cowboy Junkies decided to concentrate more on Michael Timmins' original material for the bigger-budget follow-up, 1989's The Caution Horses. The album didn't cause quite as much of a stir, although it helped maintain their cult fan base. 1992's even more countrified Black Eyed Man found Timmins settling more comfortably into his songwriting voice, which set the stage for 1993's Pale Sun, Crescent Moon. Hailed as their finest effort since The Trinity Session, the record bore more influence from rock and blues, and returned the Junkies to critics' darling status. However, it also proved to be their final album of new material for RCA. As the band left for Geffen, RCA issued the two-disc live compilation 200 More Miles and the best-of Studio. Meanwhile, the Junkies debuted for Geffen in 1996 with Lay It Down, a relatively high-volume effort compared to their shimmering early work. Following 1998's Miles from Our Home, the group parted ways with Geffen and revived their own Latent label. Their first release was the 2000 live album Waltz Across America, which was initially available only through the band's website. They followed it a year later with an album of all-new material, Open. One Soul Now followed in 2004. In 2005, the group released Early 21st Century Blues, a collection of covers -- and two originals -- that dealt with "war, violence, fear, greed, ignorance and loss." Recorded in just five days, it harkened back to The Trinity Session. Later that year, the band was featured on the Beatles tribute album This Bird Has Flown, which was produced by Jim Sampas and featured various artists including the Donnas and Dar Williams. Meanwhile, the band was busy collaborating with visual artist Enrique Martinez Celaya on a commemorative art book. Released in 2006, Cowboy Junkies XX was a retrospective piece intended to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. It featured original watercolors by Celaya, handwritten song lyrics, and photographs gathered from the bandmembers' personal collections. The band released a new album called At the End of Paths Taken in the spring of 2007.