Customer Reviews

Humans

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was BC's "Late for the Sky," his "Shoot the Lights Out," the passionate chronicle of a dissolving marriage. There is not a wasted word or note on the album: The songs, at times angry, at times sad, are suffused with astonishingly lyrical images--this is the music of transcendence. "Rumours of Glory" encapsulates the ironic tension between the mundane and the eternal; "More/Not More" seeks to stave off, for one more evening, the loneliness of a broken relationship; "Fascist Architecture" reveals the kind of bitter triumph that can only be won through humility. One of the most literate albums of all time--Bruce has never since scaled such heights.

Just revisited the vinyl last night. Needed to hear the context of this couplet: "You get bigger as you go...bales of memory like boats in tow." For, of all things, a sermon I'm giving. It was good to revisit this early-middle album of his. I saw him around this time at the Paradise in Boston. The late Hugh Marsh, in a canadian military jumpsuit, wailing away at an electric violin. He did "The Strong One" in total darkness at first. Very stark chorded melodies. His skills as a wordsmith would overwhelm a lesser guitarist and he would be called a rock poet, a Canadian Leonard Cohen. If he weren't such a good writer he'd be lumped with guitar virtuousos like Al Dimeola, fellow Berkeley School of Music student.

But here, in Humans, you have the insufficient hope of reconcilliation in marriage "Gonna tell my old lady gonna tell my little girl there isn't anything in the world that can lock up my love again." It fell apart anyway, even though it was "sealed in the presence of the father". Here he has to take his estrangement along with his faith and struggle, much as Amy Grant, another Christian songwriter did later in Behind the Eyes. There are the great challenges to faith expressed in Festival of Friends earlier confronting murder, suicide, the guerillas, pulling cars out of rivers, despair..."at at certain point, you can only die." If art is born of agony, here it is. A quarter century later, I can still count on one hand the songwriters who have risen to his equal in moral vision, in insight and in skill. "I wonder if I'll end up like Bernie in his dream
A displaced person in some foreign border town Waiting for a train part hope part myth While the station changes hands
Or just sitting at home growing tenser with the times Or like that guy in "The Seventh Seal" Watching the newly dead dance across the hills Or wearing this leather jacket shivering with a friend While the eye of God blazes at us like the sun

Musically, he's growing with an ensemble here, further experimentations with Reggae, "something shining like gold, but better." The music is ecelectic, world music before there was a name for it. There's intensity even in the ballads, or should they be called slow laments. I could go on, but you can't learn more about this CD without listening.

Still in a period of transition, Cockburn's music and lyrics were moving from the contemplative to an engaged Christianity. "How I Spent My Fall Vacation" foretells the observational analyses of US politics that would reach an extraordinarily angered pitch with STEALING FIRE. Here, though, Cockburn is just beginning to assess the political fallout from the overeaching by developed nations upon the world's poor.
Musically, Bruce continues on the trajectory of incorporating more world influences beyond European, Celtic, that was certainly present on DANCING. While this is not quite as strong as DANCING, it is nonetheless full of terrific songs: the aforementioned "How...", "Tokyo", "Fascist Architecture." Bruce had also by this time assembled a crack band: Hugh Marsh on violin, Dennis Pendrith on bass, Bob Di Salle (who, with Pendrith, came from Murray McLaughlin's remarkable Golden Tractors band)on drums, Kathryn Moses on vocals and reeds, Jon Goldsmith on keyboards. Live, they were formidable! They gave Bruce that push to examine new textures and to take more chances with his own guitarcraft. There is a lot of greta and subtle displays on this disc. The bonus track is a great out-take from the trio tour with Ferguson Jemeson Marsh on Chapman Stick, and Michael Sloski from the Ontario Place concert that was the source material for his live CD of 1989. Perhaps, Rounder will convince True North, Bernie Finkelstein and Cockburn to release a DVD of that show. It was incredible - perhaps the best show I've ever seen in Toronto. In any case, another triumph for the remastering team!

In another review, an author states that this is one of his favorite Bruce Cockburn CD's. I 2nd that including the 1975 CD "In the Falling Dark". I have all of Bruce Cockburns CD's as well as LPs versions. I am missing only a couple "Best Of" & some "Christmas" CD I saw out in the market about 10 years ago. "Humans" is the beginning of a new chapter in the ever changing, multi facet "Canadian Christian Mystic gone Left-Wing Political Protest, Folk/Jazz/Rock, Singer/Songwriter-Guitarist". This CD requires several listens before a general understanding takes hold & will grow for years of enjoyment. The Best is "The Rose Above the Sky" which plays a language game between spiritual growth & the 2nd coming of Christ. It holds such mystery & depth with double or triple meanings. A must for any Bruce Cockburn fan, but for more a folk feel try a few years before, for a more hard rock feel try a few years later.

It is hard to fathom how this remarkable artist remains invisible to so many. Luckily for us B.C. fans he just keeps churning out one masterpiece after another."Humans"is just one of his many creations,but it hit me very personally. I felt his pain and sorrow as only he can portray in his brilliant lyrical and musical style. Do yourself a favor and buy this recording. Don't stop there just buy everything he's done. It's just about impossible for Bruce to write a bad song.The quality control that he puts into his efforts, totally eliminate the need for a "best of" type of purchase.Thankyou Bruce for 30 years of wonders.And thankyou "amazon.com" for helping me obtain some hard to find material!

This is his masterpiece. Lyrically and musically it all comes together. "Fascist Architecture" is a bittersweet poem about spiritual self-liberation and one of my all-time favorite songs. "How I Spent My Fall Vacation" is one of the first of the travelogues that became more frequent through the 80's and 90's. It's still the best one. "Tokyo" always sounds great, and "Rumours of Glory" is a classic. "Guerrilla Betrayed" is only mediocre song on the album.

"Humans" is so aptly titled. After listening to earlier and subsequent albums, I can say the artistry of the lyrics on this album, imbued by the music, is not only one my most coveted Cockburn records but one of my most coveted albums ever -- alongside Michael Hedges "Aerial Boundaries" and Bob Dylan's "Bringing It All Back Home." There are other great albums, but let me not digress into a long list of comparisons.

"Humans" is such a biblical record -- ripe with tragedy, hope, human longing, and exploring each shade of a 64-gray scale. What about the bond? Bruce, tell us more about our problematic marriages.

It is hard to fathom how this remarkable artist remains invisible to so many. Luckily for us BC fans he just keeps churning out one masterpiece after another. "Humans" is but one of his many creations and it hit me very personally. I felt his pain and sorrow as only he can portray in his brilliant lyrical and musical style. Do yourself a favor and buy this recording. Don't stop there, buy everything he's ever done. It's just about impossible for Bruce to write a bad song. The quality control that he puts into his efforts, eliminate the need for a "best of" type of purchase. Thankyou Bruce for 30 years of wonders. And thankyou "Amazon.com" for helping me obtain some hard to find material.

Coming as it did after Dancing In The Dragon's Jaws this was met by high expectations. It delivers wonderfully but don't look for many similarities. There is less joy, more pain - like Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks album. Excellent acoustic guitar playing but the focus again is clearly on the song and the lyrics - and what lyrics! More Not More, You Get Bigger As You Go, and What About The Bond follow each other after the first two songs and seem to deal with Bruce's breakup with his wife Kitty. Incredible and poignant emotion flows through each. But then there is humour in How I Spent My Fall Vacation to lighten things up. Bruce has assembled some great musicians here and makes use of some different rhythms, especially on Rumours Of Glory, that will get you dancing. Buy it!

This CD is one of Cockburn's classics. Songs like dust and diesel really resonate with a passion he has about the subjects of his songs and the powerful political effects music can have.