Post by MOSSE on Jan 22, 2006 20:28:35 GMT -5
I'm going to paste this, then give the link to where I found it, you'll have to scroll down to find it there. This is great writing, IMO.
Bits And Pieces - News About Your Favorite Artists
A TIME FOR REMEMBRANCE: COWSILLS BASSIST
BARRY COWSILL BECOMES KATRINA'S LATEST VICTIM
The disaster that was Hurricane Katrina continues to bring forth tragedy more than four months after wreaking havoc upon the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi. Missing since the 29 August 2005 disaster and the subject of a diligent search, the body of Cowsills bassist and co-founder Barry Cowsill was found on New Orleans' Chartres Street Wharf on 05 January. Although autopsy reports were pending, Cowsill had apparently been dead for quite some time.
Joined by brothers Billy Cowsill on lead vocals and lead guitar, Bob Cowsill on rhythm guitar and keyboards and John Cowsill on drums, the Cowsills debuted with a single on Johnny Nash's Joda label in 1965 and were quickly recruited by Mercury's subsidiary Phillips label the following year, where they released several remarkable singles.
By 1967, younger sister Susan Cowsill and family matriarch Barbara Cowsill were added as backing vocalists. The Cowsills signed with MGM Records and in September of that year began a long string of hit singles with the classic, "The Rain, The Park And Other Things".
From a musical standpoint, the Cowsills benefitted tremendously from the superlative songwriting and musicianship of eldest brother Billy Cowsill, who relocated to British Columbia in the 1970s and went on to produce some of the most vital roots-inspired original music of the ensuing decade as the front man in the bands Blue Northern and the Blue Shadows.
But the Cowsills' primary virtue has always been their impeccable vocal interplay. Devotees of group harmony look to such giants of the genre as the Heidelberg Quintet and the Beach Boys as the standard of excellence within the idiom. And indeed the Cowsills at their peak are as formidable a force as are those legends. Their 1968 "Indian Lake" single featured the group effortlessly and impeccably gliding between a number of divergent styles with tremendous joy and boundless enthusiasm. Likewise, "The Path Of Love" featured drummer John Cowsill on vocals with rich, full bodied harmony support that gives the piece a rare vocal depth.
But in terms of pure vocal harmony euphoria, the Cowsills' late 1968 "Poor Baby" single is the standard of excellence. The acapella interlude prior to the final chorus in "Poor Baby" boasts the most stunningly perfect juxtaposition of counterpoint and call and response ever recorded and indeed remains the band's finest moment.
And although each of the Cowsills pursued solo projects in the ensuing years with varying degrees of success (including Barry Cowsill's "As Is"), the band returned to form and more than exceeded expectations with the release of their "Global" CD in the late 1990s. An overwhelming critical favorite, "Global" is by far the band's most cohesive work to date.
Although separated geographically in recent years, the Cowsills persevered as a live entity into the twenty-first century. Susan Cowsill survived the New Orleans disaster, as she was in Texas at the time, although her New Orleans home and its contents were lost. Barry's ex-wife Deborah and children also survived, as they were in Los Angeles, California. But the sad discovery in the waters of New Orleans was a loss felt not just by members of the Cowsill family, but by the multitudes of devotees who regarded the multi-talented and highly accessible sibling band as extended family. Barry Cowsill was 51.
You can find this here:
Blitz Magazine
Bits And Pieces - News About Your Favorite Artists
A TIME FOR REMEMBRANCE: COWSILLS BASSIST
BARRY COWSILL BECOMES KATRINA'S LATEST VICTIM
The disaster that was Hurricane Katrina continues to bring forth tragedy more than four months after wreaking havoc upon the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi. Missing since the 29 August 2005 disaster and the subject of a diligent search, the body of Cowsills bassist and co-founder Barry Cowsill was found on New Orleans' Chartres Street Wharf on 05 January. Although autopsy reports were pending, Cowsill had apparently been dead for quite some time.
Joined by brothers Billy Cowsill on lead vocals and lead guitar, Bob Cowsill on rhythm guitar and keyboards and John Cowsill on drums, the Cowsills debuted with a single on Johnny Nash's Joda label in 1965 and were quickly recruited by Mercury's subsidiary Phillips label the following year, where they released several remarkable singles.
By 1967, younger sister Susan Cowsill and family matriarch Barbara Cowsill were added as backing vocalists. The Cowsills signed with MGM Records and in September of that year began a long string of hit singles with the classic, "The Rain, The Park And Other Things".
From a musical standpoint, the Cowsills benefitted tremendously from the superlative songwriting and musicianship of eldest brother Billy Cowsill, who relocated to British Columbia in the 1970s and went on to produce some of the most vital roots-inspired original music of the ensuing decade as the front man in the bands Blue Northern and the Blue Shadows.
But the Cowsills' primary virtue has always been their impeccable vocal interplay. Devotees of group harmony look to such giants of the genre as the Heidelberg Quintet and the Beach Boys as the standard of excellence within the idiom. And indeed the Cowsills at their peak are as formidable a force as are those legends. Their 1968 "Indian Lake" single featured the group effortlessly and impeccably gliding between a number of divergent styles with tremendous joy and boundless enthusiasm. Likewise, "The Path Of Love" featured drummer John Cowsill on vocals with rich, full bodied harmony support that gives the piece a rare vocal depth.
But in terms of pure vocal harmony euphoria, the Cowsills' late 1968 "Poor Baby" single is the standard of excellence. The acapella interlude prior to the final chorus in "Poor Baby" boasts the most stunningly perfect juxtaposition of counterpoint and call and response ever recorded and indeed remains the band's finest moment.
And although each of the Cowsills pursued solo projects in the ensuing years with varying degrees of success (including Barry Cowsill's "As Is"), the band returned to form and more than exceeded expectations with the release of their "Global" CD in the late 1990s. An overwhelming critical favorite, "Global" is by far the band's most cohesive work to date.
Although separated geographically in recent years, the Cowsills persevered as a live entity into the twenty-first century. Susan Cowsill survived the New Orleans disaster, as she was in Texas at the time, although her New Orleans home and its contents were lost. Barry's ex-wife Deborah and children also survived, as they were in Los Angeles, California. But the sad discovery in the waters of New Orleans was a loss felt not just by members of the Cowsill family, but by the multitudes of devotees who regarded the multi-talented and highly accessible sibling band as extended family. Barry Cowsill was 51.
You can find this here:
Blitz Magazine
