In the Falling Dark (Columbia)

Bruce Cockburn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 16, 1993)
• Original Release Date: 1976
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002858
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,284 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lord of the Starfields

2. Vagabondage

3. In the Falling Dark

4. Little Seahorse

5. Water into Wine

6. Silver Wheels

7. Giftbearer

8. Gavin's Woodpile

9. I'm Gonna Fly Some Day

10. Festival of Friends

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bit of everything, April 12, 2002

By 

S. D Fassbinder "ammianus_marcellinus" (Claremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Falling Dark (Columbia) (Audio CD)

This is possibly Bruce Cockburn's best album -- folks who really love _The Charity of Night_ might enjoy hunting down this one. There are a lot of different moods here, within a mellow acoustic folk-jazz medium. Everything flows into one attitude. "Lord of the starfields," "I'm gonna fly some day," and "festival of friends" are Christian mysticism, "vagabondage" is sung in French, "in the falling dark" and "gavin's woodpile" are brooding tunes with great poetic lyrics. "Little seahorse" is a quaint love song. All of the instrumentals are innocuous. "Giftbearer" has a waterfall sound to it. The best song on this album is a sung travel poem, "silver wheels". A classic.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Bruce Cockburn music!, July 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Falling Dark (Columbia) (Audio CD)

Though this album has been around a while and Bruce Cockburn has many albums in his discography, this is a fine representation of his earlier work. An artist of conscience and compassion, this album demonstrates the wide scope of his thought and heart...

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Literate, Relaxing and Laid Back, September 26, 2000

By 

dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Falling Dark (Columbia) (Audio CD)

During the past three decades, Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn has undergone several stylistic progressions from Christian Folkie to Rocker. In The Falling Dark, originally released in 1976, is a work of literate folk music. The Christian overtones are here, but Bruce's devotion is more mystical rather than secular.

The album opens with the acoustic and melodic `Lord Of The Starfields.' Bruce's poetry is in top form: "Oh Love that fires the sun/Keep me burning." The composition includes a peculiar fluttering in the background which sounds like the blades of a helicopter, but on close listening, it's actually a set of bongos. `Little Seahorse' is light and whimsical with a gently dancing flute. `Silver Wheels' (track six) is the first song featuring a full band. A simple acoustic guitar line pushes the hypnotic song forward, Bruce's voice seems far in the distance, and the song includes an improvised "jazz" trumpet. Trumpets again introduce the vocals harmonies of `I'm Gonna Fly Someday.' The flute (or is it a piccolo) prances lightly in and around the song's lovely melody. Although melancholy, the final track (Festival Of Friends) is lyrically inspiring.

No particular song from In The Falling Dark jumps out of the speakers and forcefully grabs my attention: that's one of the key reasons I enjoy the album. Like Bruce's masterful guitar work, everything is understated and balanced - from the subtle trumpet notes to the unconventional stand-up bass playing. Overall, the album is relaxing and laid back, and Bruce's poetry is intelligent and memorable.