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Cowboys International - Revisted (Original Sin 1979)
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Welcome to the triumphant return of the Cowboys International and their groundbreaking album Original Sin now sporting a new title Revisited, with six tracks to make it more appealing and fuller than the original release. Vocalist Ken Lockie sounds somewhere between David Bowie and Bill Nelson of Be Bop Deluxe, and once you hear him sing you will find identification easily, assuming you can relate to the artists I mentioned.
I found their name interesting in that a cowboy is a maverick, a trailblazing roughshod individual with an undying spirit. I think of them as musical mavericks with an international flair.
This music spawned the “New Romantic” era of the ‘80s and it was bands from Europe that were inspired to reach great heights of success by taking the music one step further with their own embellishments and ideas. Although many of them would come and go quickly, they were around long enough to reap the benefits of what group’s like the Cowboys International started. This album was considered one of the top ten albums of 1979 by many media outlets; even though this was their first and last outing, it certainly is not a one-time flash-in-the-pan career statement. It is not a forgettable assemblage of recorded works; it is in fact a testament to a generation of music, an out-and-out cornerstone of a genre.
Normally I find electronic music shallow and thin lacking any substance or meaning. That is not what I heard and felt listening to this CD. While listening to Lockie sing I could sense the urgency and feeling in his voice, and on top of that were the rich and inviting layers of synthesizers, guitars, bass, horns and drums. The mixture was the key in propelling his voice and the lyrical content. Without a doubt, that is why this album enjoyed so much success and is widely considered as a classic rendering of the electronica genus on the brink of change and growth (that would soon follow). After enjoying tracks 1-16 and “Pointy Shoes” kicked in, it clarified and jelled the entire session for me. What a way to close out an album, with such an energetic rocking tune.
Yes, this one is a real keeper. If you missed it the first time around here is your chance to make up for missing out, if you are aware of it and enjoyed it before, you will find even more enjoyment now, if you miss it this time, shame on you.
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck |
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