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Knox's Can-Con Gems (That You've Probably Never Heard) - Volume 3 - The Blue Shadows
There's been a great deal of hype lately about the recent re-issue of the deluxe edition of the Blue Shadows' debut album - On The Floor Of Heaven. While I was delighted to see the Shadows, an "ahead of their time" Canadian alt-country band, get their due, I've been a little disappointed that their best work has remained largely unheralded. That best work, obviously, was the Blue Shadows' Lucky To Me album.
Sure there was some degree of critical acclaim back in 1995 and a young Knox Harrington grabbed the album while in his undergraduate university days, but for most critics, Knox included, the gravity of this album went unrecognized. It was a catchy toe-tapping album at the time and Billy Cowsill (God rest his soul) and Jeffrey Hatcher impressed right off the bat, but I have to admit that while I enjoyed the album, I didn't really, fully get it back then. That has changed.
While this post is shorter than most of my usual droning rants (a good thing to some I'm sure), I just need to tell you all to get your hands on the album's best tracks - "Let The Cowboys Ride", "Riding Only Down" and "Lucky To Me". Better yet buy the whole damn thing. I goddamn guarantee you that it will be some of the best stuff you have ever listened to. Here's the trick - it's hard to find. It may even be out of print. From Lucky To Me, branch out to the rest of Cowsill/Hatcher's great harmony vocals, stellar guitar work and downright catchy numbers on On The Floor Of Heaven and the other stuff that's out there.
Enjoy. Happy hunting.
PS - for more on the Blue Shadows and the amazing Billy Cowsill in particular, start here.
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