posted by all-musicrecords
The Caution Horses is the third studio album by the Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies, released in 1990.
The first album following their 1988 breakthrough The Trinity Session, The Caution Horses features a more conventional, polished sound than the earlier album's spare, haunting country blues.
As a consequence, the album received average reviews from music critics, who said that the band had sacrificed their distinctive style
With the ethereal voice of Margo Timmins gleaning the lyrics "The phone rings, but I don't answer it/Good news always sleeps till noon" on the opener ("Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning), listeners rest assured -- the Junkies haven't compromised their comfortable, country-twanged, folk-rock style to cater more to the trends of the masses.
Mellow, honest, and provocatively reticent at points, their melancholic tone might seem bland to those with more aggressive tastes, or to simply more mainstream palettes, but for those whose tastes float serenely upstream, and for Junkies fans in general, this album is a treat.
As usual, brother and lead guitarist Michael Timmins has created narratives that make poetry of everyday observations and anecdotes.
Not as rocking as later releases, but offering more originals than earlier ones, this, their third full-length, brings back the mandolin and fiddle playing of Jeff Bird, the accordion stylings of Jaro Czerwinec, and pedal & lap steel guitar from Kim Deschamps -- all of which gracefully complemented the Trinity Sessions recordings.
Their arrangements seem simply planned, and it's the combination of such a consistently minimalist quality with Michael Timmins' delicate songwriting that evokes ghost-story moods ("Witches") and sunset-beyond-the-porch-swing moments.
Aside from the Neil Young cover "Powderfinger," The Caution Horses marks the Junkies' gradual shift toward more original work, and stands as the calm before the more rocking, commercially successful storm of material that followed. Highlights include "'Cause Cheap Is How I Feel," "Rock and Bird," and "Escape Is Simple."
Track listing
1. Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning - 3:56
2. Cause Cheap Is How I Feel - 4:13
3. Thirty Summers - 4:15
4. Mariner's Song - 6:20
5. Powderfinger - 5:46
Written-By – Neil Young
6. Rock and Bird - 3:30
7. Witches - 2:44
Written-By – Margo Timmins
8. Where Are You Tonight? - 5:07
9. Escape Is So Simple - 5:15
10. You Will Be Loved Again Mary Margaret O'Hara - 3:26
Written-By – Mary Margaret O'Hara
All tracks are written by Michael Timmins except where noted
Cowboy Junkies
- Margo Timmins – vocals
- Michael Timmins – guitar
- Alan Anton – bass
- Peter Timmins – drums
Additional Musicians
- Jeff Bird – mandolin, harmonica, fiddle
- Jaro Czerwinec – accordion
- Kim Deschamps – pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar
- David Houghton – percussion
Production
- Produced by Peter Moore and Michael Timmins
- Mixed by Peter Moore and Cowboy Junkies
- Engineered by Peter Moore and Tom Henderson
- Assisted by Jeff Ham and Martin Lee
- Studio Monitor Mix by Ricardo Caltagirone
- Digitally Mastered by Peter Moore
- Artwork Concept – Cowboy Junkies
- Art Direction by David Houghton
- Cover Photo by Graham Henderson
Notes
Released: March 1, 1990
Recorded: December 1989
Genre: Alternative country, blues rock
Length: 44:32
Producer(s): Peter Moore, Michael Timmins
Label - RCA Records
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