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Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Stranraer Americana - The Walkabouts


Not the most photogenic of album covers but it is the one which graces this week's slice of Stranraer Americana namely Trail of Stars by The Walkabouts their ninth album from 1999 on the great German Glitterhouse label.
The mainstays of the band are Carla Torgeson and Chris Eckman and I would describe them as a cross between Calexico and The Cowboy Junkies.
They are responsible for the greatest album of covers of all time Satisfied Minds from 1993 on  Sub Pop.

Nothing else of theirs which I have heard  or have comes remotely close to matching that album but Trail of Stars is not bad at all particularly on the ones on which Carla sings.

Two more to go

The Walkabouts - Straight To The Stars

The Walkabouts - Gold

5 comments:

  1. Satisfied Mind is one of the BEST ALBUMS of all time (as well as being the greatest album of cover versions). This Stranraer series is very good, whoever chucked these out made a huge mistake. One that you are lucky enough to have benfitted from.

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  2. Only know Carla from her duet on a Tindersticks song

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moxF6OjD8xI

    so looking foward to plsying these.

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  3. I have seen them live at least a dozen of times. They delivered a series of very fine albums. Especially noteworthy are the live albums they sold after their concerts. Satisfied Mind is great and together with Yo La Tengo's Fakebook one of the best cover albums of all times. The cover of Satisfied Mind is great too.

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  4. 'New West Motel' is my favourite.

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