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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
+ 1/2 stars...Cockburn Shines In Live Setting, June 6, 2003
This review is from: Live (Audio CD)
Over the course of 75 minutes, Canada's best-kept secret Bruce Cockburn shares two decades' worth of songs recorded over two nights in Ontario in August of 1989. Most of the material reflects Cockburn's humanitarian concerns (like "Tibetan Side of Town") and/or political ideology (like the bonus track "If I Had a Rocket Launcher"), but he also includes his lone stateside hit "Wondering Where the Lions Are" and the tongue-in-cheek "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," written by Eric Idle for the crucifixion scene in Monty Python's "The Life of Brian." In addition to being a terrific songwriter, Cockburn is a helluva guitar player as well. And with his backing band at a minimum--Fergus Marsh on stick and Michael Sloski on drums--his guitar playing is featured prominently. At age 58 and with more than 33 years of recordings to his name, Cockburn is never going to become a household name (and that's a damn shame), but it's nice to see that Rounder has begun reissuing his late-seventies and eighties output--including bonus material. The neophyte fan might better be served by the singles collection Anything Anytime Anywhere, but long-time fans will find much to enjoy here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful live set by a true artist, March 31, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Live (Audio CD)
This is a terrific document of Bruce Cockburn's live powers from his 1989 world tour, and the stripped-down approach to his small band and the material itself - some of it wildly reworked - are great. With the crisp remastering, one can now see where the great Monte Montgomery got his ideas for complex, compelling and simply jaw-dropping guitar technique. Bruce is a monster on the guitar, but he never dips into self-indulgence on his six-string. He's more in the vein of the thoughtful Mark Knopfler and Lindsey Buckingham rather than the mindless hair-metal style most people are familiar with. If you love Cockburn, buy it. If you want a fabulous introduction to his strong work, pick it up. It does not disappoint. Bruce ranks with Rush and The Band as some of Canada's finest musical exports. Cheers to Rounder Records!!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful summing up., June 24, 1999
By A Customer
This collection of live tracks from Bruce's 1989 Big Circumstance tour is short on the obvious (no "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", or "Trouble With Normal", even though "Wondering Where the Lions Are" shows up), and long on the obscure. So much the better, because the album is packed with good-to-great performances of little heard gems.Highlights are "See How I Miss You", "After the Rain", and "Tibetan Side of Town", all featuring Bruce's breathtaking fingerpicking.All in all, a nice way to introduce your friends to a consummate artist.
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