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This deluxe, remastered two-disc edition of the original 1993 album - with outtakes, unreleased and live tracks - is a welcome blast from the past. The Blue Shadows were Billy Cowsill, late of the late '60s and early '70s bubblegum band The Cowsills and later still The Co-Dependents, teamed with Jeffrey Hatcher, a Canadian roots-rocker who had a 1980s cult success with Jeffrey Hatcher and the Big Beat. Before his death in Calgary in February 2006, Cowsill told a writer from the also-deceased No Depression magazine that this was the finest work he'd ever produced. This re-release, in a much better form, of a long out-of-print disc proves him correct. A gorgeous mix of roots-rock/ alt-country with gorgeous pop harmonies reminiscent of The Everly Brothers or The Beatles sounds even fresher today than when it was released now that other groups, such as The Jayhawks, Gary Louris, or The Old 97s, have popularized the sound that was either too retro or too modern, depending on which U.S. record executive it was presented to at the time. If you love that style, this is a priceless gem of a record with some great songwriting as well. Accompanying musicians include the likes of Greg Leisz, Gary Comeau and Barry Muir, who have their own histories in Canadian popular music. Classic stuff.
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