
Rate it!
Avg: 4.5 (262 ratings)
- Date Released: September 25, 2001
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Contemporary Folk
- Label: Nettwerk Records
This 2001 debut was ahead of the curve on the string band revival.
-
We Say...
Canadian all-female trio the Be Good Tanyas were a fair bit ahead of the curve on the string band revival; Blue Horse, their debut album, came out in 2001. Banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin figure prominently in their mix of traditionals (including the oft-covered "Coo Coo Bird" and the not-enough-covered gem "Lakes of Pontchartrain") and originals. The cut that leaps off the album is neither traditional nor original, but rather a song called "Light Enough to Travel," which was written by their Vancouver contemporary Geoff Berner. (Berner's solo-accordion original version is also available on eMusic, for the curious.)
-
They Say...
Since the advent of CDs, reviewers ceased using phrases like, "From the moment the needle hit the vinyl, it was clear that Blue Horse had a beautiful, layered sound." Whatever the medium, the Be Good Tanyas have a knack for recharging traditional pieces with a sonic twist. Who would even think to take on a warhorse like "The Coo Coo Bird" or add electric guitar and drums to "Rain and Snow?" Frazey Ford, Samantha Parton, and Trish Klein sing, play multiple instruments (acoustic and electric), and, now and then, write their own material. They fill out their sound with a number of guests who add bass, drums, and a few other embellishments. Guest Jolie Holland adds her vocals to the breezy opener, "The Littlest Birds," a song that borrows, and puts to good use, a few lyrics from Syd Barrett's "Jug Band Blues." A pure country sound washes over "Broken Telephone," at least until an electric guitar takes a break about mid-way, while a jaunty banjo and mandolin energize "Lakes of Pontchartrain." Ford and Parton capably handle most of the vocals but what makes these singers special is how their voices mix and mingle in songs like "Up Against the Wall" and on the latter part of "Only in the Past." The same is true of their instrumental approach. Their motto might be "If it's kind of different and sounds cool, let's see if it will work." The production isn't neutral. Everything has been brightened a bit, and while this might have been distracting on a traditional album with a traditional approach, it perfectly balances the more experimental approach here. Blue Horse is a lovely debut, full of promise and great tunes.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 12 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 12 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
12 Total Tracks, 53:53 Total Length
Loading...

![]()
Playlists If you like The Be Good Tanyas, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by The Be Good Tanyas fans
Credits
- Paul Clifford - Drums // Jean-Francois Chicoine - Mastering // The Be Good Tanyas - Producer // The Be Good Tanyas - Main Performer // Samantha Parton - Banjo // Samantha Parton - Guitar // Samantha Parton - Mandolin // Samantha Parton - Vocals // Frazey Ford - Guitar // Frazey Ford - Vocals // Trish Klein - Banjo // Trish Klein - Guitar (Electric) // Trish Klein - Harmony Vocals // Trish Klein - Cover Art // Jolie Holland - Fiddle // Jolie Holland - Guitar // Jolie Holland - Arranger // Jolie Holland - Vocals // Jolie Holland - Harmony Vocals // Jolie Holland - Harmony
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.


Post Album to Facebook
