Customer Reviews

200 More Miles: Live Performances 1985-1994

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Margo Timmins' incredible rendition of "Lost My Driving Wheel." It's as good as anything the band has ever done. Bonus: Some of the live versions of the Junkies' favorites are more powerful than their studio counterparts. This album would be the place to start for newcomers.

In 1990, I saw the Cowboy Junkies in Lausanne, Switzerland. They weren't popular then but nevertheless 500 people showed up for the concert. The design of the scene was post-apocalyptical, the four members of the band acted like Bill Wyman's clones and didn't move an inch during the show. At the end of the concert, there were about 50 survivors among the public who, I'm sure of this, have become Cowboy Junkies fans for life.

200 MORE MILES : LIVE PERFORMANCES 1985-1994 will please the fan of the first period of the band with a superb " State Trooper " recorded in october 1986 in front of friends and family members or an hallucinated " I'm so lonesome I could cry ". If you prefer the electrical period of the band, don't worry ! Guitarist Ken Myhr appears as invited guest on numerous performances and delivers two or three great guitar solos specially in " Murder, tonight, in the trailer park ".

The two CD's offer only one until then unrecorded song " Lost my driving wheel " and present a few spoken intros of Margo Timmins that are accurate and very funny. There are no overdubs on the record, the songs are really presented live and the band sounds terrific. I hope you will have the same pleasure that I had with 200 MORE MILES : LIVE PERFORMANCES 1985-1994 and soon consider it as

a CD for your library.

I'm usually not a big fan of live albums but I like this one. If you're a new llama I recommend it. You won't hear a lot of the songs on this album in concert anymore.

This two disc, live retrospective won't disappoint anyone who is a fan. Margo Timmons rocks the world in this genre and this album keeps that confidence in artistic and concert integrity maintained.

Her vocals were particularly chilling on Springsteen's "State Trooper". Their cover of Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is worthy. Their restrained rendition of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" is still in my mind, the definitive one, years since purchase.

Also included, are definitive performances of their own songs. "Floorboard Blues," Murder, Tonight In The Trailer Park," "Hunted," and the very popular "Misguided Angel," which are superbly performed, in case anyone forgets this is a top-notch musician's band too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, as a gift (for fan and non-fan alike), and as an introduction to the band in general.

Hearing the Cowboy Junkies live fulfills all the promise found on their studio albums. Whereas the band tends to take a toned down approach in the studio, they unleash their secret weapon on stage: Margo Timmins' achingly powerful voice. Songs such as "Sun Comes Up It's Tuesday Morning" highlight the brilliant connection between the singer and her songwriter brother, Michael. The nuances of hearing the song live might be missed by the first time listener, but long time fans of the band should really appreciate the live recordings. Hearing Margo wail through "Murder Tonight in the Trailer Park" is utterly frightening compared to her somewhat reserved studio rendering. On stage, the Junkies command respect in their ability to transform songs by the likes of Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, and Robert Johnson into their own unique creations. Add that to the power of Margo's voice and you have the rarest of treats: a great live album.

This is the one to buy. I was at two of the performances they recorded for this album, and you can just close your eyes and there it is again. awesome stuff.

Granted, Cowboy Junkies do a lot of covers, but by the time they're done with a song, they have made it their own. This album is no exception, revisiting musical history to create a sound that is uniquely Cowboy Junkies.

If you like them, it might be worth your while to check out Over the Rhine, a Cincinnati-based band that will be opening for them on their next tour. Over the Rhine's sound is exquisite, with poetic lyrics, lush vocals, and the attention to detail most band's forego. They're one of the few art-pop bands that deserve a larger audience.

This live album by the Cowboy Junkies
is nothing less then outstanding. Just about all of their hits are on this double disc. But they have a whole different sound and feel to them from the studio recordings. They are the same songs you have heard before but presented in a new perspective.

This live album by the Cowboy Junkies
is nothing less then outstanding. Just about all of their hits are on this double disc. But they have a whole different sound and feel to them from the studio recordings. They are the same songs you have heard before but presented in a new perspective.

A perfect live album in most of the important ways: good quality versions of the songs, amusing dialogue between some of the songs and the band finding innovative ways of bringing the most life to the music.

There are most of the songs you want to hear from this band and a few surprises along the way. That dreamy, sultry voice singing such thoughtful lyrics to the accompaniment of harmonious strings is music to die for.