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Black Eyed Man

 
Album Review: Black Eyed Man

  • Artist: Cowboy Junkies
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: February 11, 1992
  • Total Time: 46:06
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

The Cowboy Junkies' Black-Eyed Man is an excellent return to form following their disappointing third LP, The Caution Horses. Where Michael Timmins' songwriting was stilted and overly self-conscious on the previous record, here his character studies are literate and finely-etched; like Robbie Robertson before him, Timmins' Canadian roots allow him to view the rural American experience with unique objectivity, and narratives like the opening "Southern Rain" and "Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer Park" are told with compassion and cinematic detail. Black-Eyed Man also broadens the Junkies' musical horizons: "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man," a duet with John Prine, is like a '50s-era love song intercepted from an alternate reality; while tracks like the lilting "A Horse in the Country" push the group closer to the folk-pop territory of 10,000 Maniacs. At the same time, their country roots are further reinforced by a pair of outstanding Townes Van Zandt covers, "Cowboy Junkies Lament" and "To Live Is to Fly"; sandwiched between them is Timmins' own tribute, "Townes' Blues." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Southern Rain (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (4:49)
Oregon Hill (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (4:53)
This Street, That Man, This Life (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (3:13)
A Horse in the Country Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (3:48)
If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (3:11)
Murder, Tonight, In the Trailer Park (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (4:31)
Black Eyed Man (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (3:14)
Winter's Song (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (2:57)
The Last Spike Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (4:22)
Cowboy Junkies Lament Townes Van Zandt Cowboy Junkies (3:06)
Townes' Blues (Lyrics) Michael Timmins Cowboy Junkies (3:10)
To Live Is to Fly (Lyrics) Townes Van Zandt Cowboy Junkies (4:52)

Credits

Ken Myhr (Guitar), Colin Couch (Tuba), Jeff Bird (Harmonica), Tom Henderson (Mixing), Cowboy Junkies (Mixing), Bob Doidge (Guitar (Acoustic)), Dave Houghton (Art Direction), Lewis Melville (Banjo), Spencer Evans (Piano), Peter Timmins (Drums), Michael Timmins (Producer), Rob Summerville (Trombone), Tony Quarrington (Guitar), Spencer Evans (Clarinet), John Oliveira (Engineer), Matthew Cooper (Illustrations), Tom Walsh (Trombone), Peter Moore (Mastering), Bob Doidge (Cello), Margo Timmins (Guitar), Rex Miller (Photography), Jaro Czerwinec (Accordion), Michael Timmins (Guitar), Jeff Bird (Mandolin), John Prine (Vocals), Dave Allen (Fiddle), Alan Anton (Bass), Peter Moore (Mixing), Kathy Robinson (Assistant Engineer), Dave Houghton (Percussion), Bob Doidge (Engineer), John Oliviera (Engineer)
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Wikipedia: Black Eyed Man
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Black Eyed Man
Studio album by Cowboy Junkies
Released February 11, 1992
Recorded 1991
Genre Alternative rock
Length 46:06
Label RCA
Professional reviews
Cowboy Junkies chronology
The Caution Horses
(1990)
Black Eyed Man
(1992)
Pale Sun Crescent Moon
(1993)

Black Eyed Man is a 1992 album by Cowboy Junkies.

The album continues the band's evolution from a spare country blues style (exemplified by 1988's The Trinity Session) to a more mainstream country rock style. However, the album was better received by critics than 1990's The Caution Horses.

American songwriter Townes Van Zandt wrote "Cowboy Junkies Lament" especially for the band. Michael Timmins returned the favor, penning "Townes' Blues" as a tribute to Van Zandt. The band also cover Van Zandt's "To Live is to Fly" at the end of the album.

John Prine appears as a guest vocalist on "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man."

Track listing

All songs by Michael Timmins, except "Cowboy Junkies Lament" and "To Live is to Fly" by Townes Van Zandt.

  1. "Southern Rain" – 4:49
  2. "Oregon Hill" – 4:53
  3. "This Street, That Man, This Life" – 3:13
  4. "A Horse in the Country" – 3:48
  5. "If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man" – 3:11
  6. "Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer Park" – 4:31
  7. "Black Eyed Man" – 3:14
  8. "Winter's Song" – 2:57
  9. "The Last Spike" – 4:22
  10. "Cowboy Junkies Lament" – 3:06
  11. "Townes' Blues" – 3:10
  12. "To Live is to Fly" – 4:52
    Some import versions of the album also include the following tracks at the end of the disc:
  13. "Lost My Driving Wheel" – 6:26, written by David Wiffen
  14. "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" – 3:07, written by Bob Dylan

 
 

 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Black Eyed Man" Read more