I am all in favor of turning it up, there is however something magical that happens when you turn it down and record it on one microphone. Whites Off Earth Now is the first album by the Cowboy Junkies. It is mostly a collection of blues standards, a Springsteen and one original.
The claustrophobic, intimate sound of the album turns those blues standards into almost lethargic charged paeans to sex and rock and roll. The pace of the album makes it the perfect soundtrack to the day after the night before. The bass slinks along under Margo Timmins languid slurred vocals and the drums and guitar thread their way through the whole thing.
Damn it’s a dirty album.
Of course the album cover looks like it was recorded by a bunch of nerdy kids one afternoon, it should be full of perky, happy power pop. It should not be wallowing in the muck that is found on the floor of a juke joint the morning after.
nice description of the appropriate listening context – for “the day after the night before”