Customer Reviews

High Winds White Sky

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one you will play over and over again and never get tired of. Every song is well written and is beautiful in its own way. The music has kind of a dreamlike quality without being too introspective.

informs this CD from the very beginnging of Cockburn's recording career. The music is acoustically driven, and the lyrics more charged by observations of life in Toronto/Ottawa than on a larger world stage. His attentions tend to look and consider the interior spiritual plain as well. As the cover illustrates, this is a winter type of album, to be listened to fireside.
Musically the guitar work is just so sublime and amazing! The songs are essentially just Bruce, with occasional accompaniement, such as the complex and yet deeply spiritual pace of "Ting/The Cauldron." It was this early display of his absolutely spiritual commitment to his craft that let anyone who was on to Bruce early know that they were being taken into the confidence of a man with something very deep to convey about Music itself. And the songs include some truly masterful efforts: "One Day I Walk," "Love Song,", "You Point To the Sky."
A word about the remastering: it is as sparkling as it can be. Of course, that was the case with the original vinyl and the ESD CD from the 80's. Goes to show what care True North and Bernie Finkelstein put into ensuring and endorsing the quality inherent in Bruce's work. The fact that this was first released in 1971 gives you a sense of the commitment that both artist and management have made to the music.
Refreshing, eh?

While this isn't quite up to the standards of masterpieces like *In the Falling Dark" or "Dancing in the Dragons Jaws," it's still a worthy effort with some real moments of intelligence, feeling and transcendent beauty. Some of the songs are starting to sound a bit dated: "Happy Good Morning Blues" should follow Jackie Paper and Puff the Magic Dragon to the Land of Honah Lee, and "Let Us Go Laughing" meanders a bit without ever really picking up steam.

But patience pays off here. "Golden Serpent Blues" is one of Cockburn's best, with a haunting melody bolstered by some gorgeous piano work. Following it is yet another standout, the title track. These are both classic Cockburn; although he wasn't yet identifying as a Christian, the deep mystical strain which would appear through much of his later work (and, sadly, disappear from many of his more stridently political songs) is evident. "One Day I Walk" and "Love Song" show Cockburn's poetical side: the latter evokes St. John of the Cross more than Leonard Cohen or the Cure. He hadn't yet hit his full stride as a musician -- the arrangements remain rather conventional country-folk, without the jazzy rhythms and instrumental virtuosity which grace much of his later work. Still, this is a solid album: if you're a fan of early 70s folk-rock singers, you'll love this CD. Cockburn developing his talent is still miles above most anyone else playing today...

One of Bruce Cockburn's most mellow CDs. Also one of his most beautiful in terms of melodies. High Winds White Sky is quite a good song as is Let Us Go Laughing. I remember listening to this song with my wife (when she was my girlfriend) and she was hooked right away. One Day I Walk may go down as one of Cockburn's most beautiful songs ever. Very good CD for a cold winter day while you are relaxing on the couch in front of the fireplace.

I am in the process of collecting Mr. Cockburn's complete discography and ordered this one after reading the other reviews. This is my first review of any of his work because I feel inadequate to describe his talent. This album does take me back to the 70's but the sound is so far superior to anything else I listen to (or have ever heard) from that time period. The digital remastering amazes me because I can hear his fingers slide along the guitar strings and hear the small inflections in his voice. I don't want to decribe the individual songs but please order this if you are a fan. I cannot imagine you would be disappointed.

This CD has a melodic, almost innocent feel that none of his other offerings have. This is one of his first efforts, and it is so pure. I have never listened to a CD that so completely and richly evokes images in one's mind and sweet memories.
What a rich jazz piano in Golden Serpent Blues! This is an incredible musician.

The 60's style music takes me back to high school days and days of counseling at Ramapo Anchorage.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

I love Bruce. I disagree with the one reviewer that play this recording down by comparing it to his mid-seventies work. Bruce CLEARLY put a lot of effort in the writing of the pieces on this record- His FINEST folk work!

Bruce has had several distinct musical and political transformations in his career. Honest, and on the complex side of the new folk tradition of the late sixties and early seventies, this is melodically dark, somber and intricate: This is his BEST folk work! I am sorry if you don't agree. Yes, there isn't a lot of "commercial " songs on this recording. These are mostly introspective... but there are some fun ones too! Simply awesome FOLK spin (and I listen to a lot of folk music)!!!! Sorry, but this is a masterpiece!

This is one of the earliest Bruce Cockburn CD's, if not the 1st or 2nd release. How can one explain Bruce Cockburn? A Canadian Folk-Rock singer/guitarist with some jazz influence...No, that's not quite right...A Multi-Facet Singer Song Writer with Christian/Political overtones...No, that's not quite right. One thing is for sure; Bruce Cockburn writes songs that make you think, & listen over & over again, & each time the allegory changes meaning. I want the song "Love Song" to be my Epitaph: Though my eyes be close forever still I would find you...it explains the whole meaning of life: to find God even in death.

"One Day I Walk" was the first BC song I ever heard.
The Tom Rush verison it was though. I HAD to find out
about the writer of the song - incredible!

Back in the mid-1970's, it wasn't easy finding alot of
BC music until "DANCING IN THE DRAGON'S JAWS". I worte
to stores in Canada and had friends looking in Japan for
ANYTHING they could find from him. Slowly, the USA discovered
and stocked BC records and tapes. This album was one of the first
3 or 4 I found. Touching, mellow, heartfelt, great playing, great
words, in the best of the singer/song writer tradition!

Bruce showed us all here that there was alot more to come from him!
If you like early BC, this is his first - a great one to get.

This is my first Bruce Cockburn purchase. I bought the Album second hand on Vinyl, too bad it is not available on CD because this is a masterpiece.
A very tight selection of songs, leaves no filler on this album. It's great from start to beginning. The beautiful, melodic mood is constant througout the entire record, and really captures what great "folk" is supposed to be. A quiet arrangement of carefully crafted songs, musically and lyrically.
I have a new found appreciation for Bruce Cockburn. This was released 11 years before I was born, so I don't know what sort of Canadian songs were being written in 1971, but this is simply, great simple and intricate guitar and piano work at it's best! This is not at all like what the radio hits represent him as. I don't know much about his other records, except for his radio hits. I was very pleasantly surprised by this record! Amazon get this CD back in your catalogue!!!