One Soul Now is a 2004 album by the Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies. It is their first album of new material since Open in 2001. It was released on Latent Recordings in Canada, and Zoë Records internationally.

One Soul Now
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 8, 2004[1]
RecordedOctober 2002 – October 2003
GenreAlternative country
Length47:14
LabelLatent, Zoë
ProducerMichael Timmins
Cowboy Junkies chronology
In the Time Before Llamas
(2003)
One Soul Now
(2004)
Early 21st Century Blues
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]

Album development

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The album title emerged from a quote from John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath: "Maybe it's all men and all women we love; maybe that's the Holy Sperit – the human sperit – the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body’s a part of."[3] The idea behind One Soul Now is that everyone is interconnected.

While the Cowboy Junkies was touring to support Open, the band members started collecting second-hand recording equipment without a plan or purpose, just a need. When the band was back home, they looked at all the recording studios, and decided to set up the recording equipment in their rehearsal area, eventually turning their space into a recording studio, The Clubhouse. One Soul Now is the first album the band made in their new studio. Having their rehearsal space become their recording studio changed the process of creating their tracks. Previously, they would start in the rehearsal space, determine how the songs would work, then go to a studio when ready. Now, the band recorded everything as they worked through the rehearsal process. Later, when they listened to the recordings, the Junkies could pick out the recording where the songs were most vibrant.[3] Per the band, "For example "He Will Call You Baby" was recorded as the band was learning the arrangement and still unsure; "No Long Journey Home" was a trial run through with embellishments added later; "The Stars of Our Stars" was broken down into individual instruments and recorded piece by piece over the course of many weeks…"[3] The band's ninth studio album is their first album recorded without an outside producer or engineer.[4] One song, "Simon Keeper", was recorded much earlier, during the Open sessions at Daryl Smith's recording studio, Chemical Sound.[5][6]

The Cowboy Junkies also recorded a 5 song bonus EP of cover songs that they labeled 'neath your covers, part 1. They gave away the bonus CD free with every purchase of the One Soul Now CD while supplies lasted.[7]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Michael Timmins

No.TitleLength
1."One Soul Now"4:54
2."Why This One"3:47
3."My Wild Child"3:52
4."From Hunting Ground to City Street"4:41
5."The Stars of Our Stars"4:19
6."Notes Falling Slow"5:56
7."No Long Journey Home"4:17
8."He Will Call You Baby"5:47
9."Simon Keeper"5:52
10."The Slide"3:49
Total length:47:14
'neath Your Covers, Part 1 (bonus EP)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Thunder Road"Bruce Springsteen5:05
12."Seventeen Seconds"Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Laurence Tolhurst, Matthieu Hartley4:46
13."Lungs"Townes Van Zandt3:10
14."Darkness, Darkness"Jesse Colin Young4:56
15."Helpless"Neil Young5:27

Personnel

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Cowboy Junkies

  • Margo Timmins – vocals
  • Michael Timmins – guitar
  • Alan Anton – bass
  • Peter Timmins – drums

Additional musicians[8][6]

  • Jeff Bird – percussion, electronic mandolin (track 9), melodica (track 5)
  • Jaro Czerwinec – accordion (track 9)
  • Linford Detweiler – organ (track 9)
  • Richard Bell – organ, piano

Production[8][6]

  • Michael Timmins – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Peter Moore – mastering
  • Jeff Wolpert – mixing
  • Daryl Smith – engineer, mixing
  • Michael Sponarski – engineer
  • David Houghton – art direction
  • Open Circle – cover design

References

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  1. ^ a b Lankford Jr., Ronnie D. "One Soul Now - Cowboy Junkies". AllMusic. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 368. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Cowboy Junkies One Soul Now". Latent Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  4. ^ "Cowboy Junkies - One Soul Now". No Depression. June 30, 2004. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  5. ^ "One Soul Now - Song by Song". Latent Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "One Soul Now - CD Content". Latent Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  7. ^ "One Soul Now - Covers". Latent Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Cowboy Junkies – One Soul Now". Discogs. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
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