Customer Reviews

Live

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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!!

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.

like all the great musicians are in a live setting. I'd bet that at least three-quarters of the songs on here are easily better than the studio versions; even the ones that aren't necessarily 'better' are still just as fun to listen to; for instance, a VERY different ska-punk version of "Maybe the Poet", with a harmonica! And it works! Highlights include... well, most of it, but ESPECIALLY "To Raise the Morning Star", which falls into an amazing jam (also, excellent background vocals by drummer Michael Sloski and bassist Fergus Marsh here, and throughout the album); and the opener "Silver Wheels", which dispenses with the somewhat-annoying flugelhorn on the original version, for a liquid-clear guitar solo. And a great, fun cover of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". Works well as a greatest hits collection, to introduce someone to Bruce Cockburn.

I have ten Cockburn albums and this, along with "...Burning Light", is the album I find listening to the most. It might be the finest live album I've ever heard. The band is fantastic and the song choices reflect Bruce's career almost perfectly. I've seen him live several times and this album nearly replicates the spirit of his concert atmosphere. The man is a master. As another reviewer said, this is a desert island album. I've even burned a back up copy. This is one you must have.

Bruce Cockburn is another of those supremely underrated artists. I can't think of a better way to find this out than wearing out this excellent CD.

I was a Bruce Cockburn fan in the early folk days, and didn't follow when he went the route of pop/reggae/disco social/political music. Recently a friend lent me a stack of his CDs, to catch up and re-evaluate. While I like his work much better than I used to (the guy is a very good songwriter and musician and I was overly superficial and critical), I wasn't ready to slap down any money on a particular CD (well, probably Dart To The Heart, I still like his non-political side).

Until I got to this one. This is a wonderful summary of years of his music, stripped of all the extra production values and musical effects. The only instruments are guitar, bass, drums and vocal. The songs are basically the same as the CD, but more alive, easier to see their essence. The sound quality is excellent, the musicianship is excellent (let me repeat, excellent), the song selection is excellent, the vocals are excellent... Sorry, I just can't think of a down side to this CD.

If you haven't discovered Bruce Cockburn already, I think you will find his guitar work and sandpaper-smooth voice are really a pleasure to listen to. And if you have, this album makes it all fresh again.

Bruce's live album from 1989 containing 14 tracks on one CD might be a better buy, but difficult to find. The sound is "electric" like that on the "Stealing Fire" LP.

I had this album 10 years ago and really enjoyed half of it at the time. I just bought it ... and am glad to report that I enjoy all of it now. Uplifting album to listen to when the going gets rough.

This is absolutely one of the best live albums I have ever heard. Of course, you have to be a Bruce fan. But the playing is great and it is hard to believe the band only consists of 3 players. This trio sounds really hot, thanks largely to the great guitar playing of Bruce and the Chapman Stick played by Fergus Jemison Marsh. Since it was recorded in '89, the material is dated. But I found this one in a bargain bin for $5 a few years ago and it has become one of my desert island disks.

(also erroneously known as "Bruce Cockburn Live")(75.3 minutes)

Now if you ask me, and a passel of folk what are interested in live musical recording do now and again, this here Live is about the best live album Bruce Cockburn has done. I reckon I am prejudiced towards this one because it is a whole lot longer that either of the other two so I get to enjoy even more music than in them two offerings. See, whenever I can hear more Bruce -then it's better.

Which brings me to another point, that Bruce Springberg feller, he ain't never accomplished anything quite as monumental as anything Bruce Cockburn has done. He done a bunch of albums where he wails the praises of New Jersey and sings about the plight of the working man... but that gets old fast. The real Bruce, Bruce Cockburn, gets considerably deeper than New Jersey and ephemeral blue collar concerns. He sings songs that are often about the human condition and Mr. Springberg ain't never delved that deep. This entire subject gets my hackles raised.

Another thing what gets my hackles raised is the fact that this here album is clearly marked with a title, and the title is "Live." The title ain't "Bruce Cockburn Live." The title is one simple word. I don't make a habit of correcting folk who insist on mispronouncing things or habitually making the same mistake (even though I find it irritating as all get out) but when it comes to Bruce and the details of his recordings, I am a stickler for the minutiae. Just like that other album he released in 1978 ain't called "The Further Adventures of Bruce Cockburn" as some web-based music retailers insist... all they have to do is look at the blasted thing and see what words on the cover and that pretty much equals the title. That album has the words "Further Adventures of" on the front, and I reckon that pretty clearly indicates that that is the name of the thing.

I know I am wandering down the garden path and departing from the subject at hand and I ask you to forgive me of doing that... I just get worked up sometimes. I have some subjects of great interest that I am particular about, Bruce Cockburn being one, the Designated Hitter Rule being another. I can mark the downfall of our society from 1973 when that blasted rule was forced on Baseball. If a man picks up a bat, then he ought to have enough self respect to fulfill his duty by getting out in to the field with a glove.

There I go again down the garden path, and this time it is steep, slippery, and tenuous. I best return to Bruce. Buy this album. The extra cut doesn't really add much, as it was fantastic already. Crank it up loud and let your double wide trailer start rocking with the music like we Huckabees do. This, therefore, is my endorsement.