Slice O Life: Bruce Cockburn Live Solo

Bruce Cockburn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 31, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Rounder / Pgd
• ASIN: B001T6OPA0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,192 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Specially-priced 2-CD set! Bruce Cockburn's first-ever live solo album, Slice O Life, showcases a cross-section of the acclaimed artist's finest songs and some of his most dazzling guitar work. Slice O Life features such hits as "If I Had a Rocket Launcher," the classic "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" and Cockburn's breakthrough hit "Wondering Where the Lions Are." Originally recorded with a full band, all of the album's songs have been rearranged and performed on acoustic guitar with stunning results. The album also includes one new song, "The City is Hungry," plus three tracks recorded at soundchecks on the tour and some between-song banter that shows Cockburn to be both a quick wit and an engaging storyteller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, But Mainly For Fans, April 12, 2009

By 

Robert Szarka (Norwich, CT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slice O Life: Bruce Cockburn Live Solo (Audio CD)

What It Is: 2 discs with 20 of Cockburn's songs performed live and solo, plus some soundcheck noodling and between-song chatter.

Why To Buy It: You're a die-hard fan who wants to hear a new take on some of your favorite songs, as well as new material like "The City Is Hungry". Sure, Bruce's voice is getting a bit rough; but the material hangs together well and if you close your eyes it's like a house concert without the annoying guests.

Why To Avoid It: You're new to Cockburn and don't already own the best of his three dozen other albums. Try Humans, Inner City Front, Stealing Fire, Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, or his first live album Circles in the Stream and come back to this one later. (Another good place to start is the accessible sampler Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979-2002.)

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing, April 1, 2009

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Bornintime (The East Coast) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slice O Life: Bruce Cockburn Live Solo (Audio CD)

The first time I saw Bruce Cockburn live was at the Town Hall in New York City in March of 1988. I was a big Cockburn fan but was definitely also still in my youth in the 1980's and enjoyed the big, glossy, heavy drum sound that influenced (now slightly marred?) my favorite records of the times like Born In The USA, Infidels, and even Stealing Fire. Bruce was appearing solo that night, just him and his guitar. This was a little disappointing to me, whose idea of a great concert was something big like U2 or the other Bruce. This disappointment melted away within the first 2 minutes of Bruce's first song, "Creation Dream". I had never seen someone in total command of an audience with just a guitar and voice as I did that night. The amazing sounds he could make on that acoustic guitar; you would swear it was more than one person. Bruce has a way of playing that is different from everyone else, where he almost creates a backbeat in addition to the incredibly intricate guitar work he is capable of. I've seen Bruce 9 more times since then and thereafter whenever I heard he was touring with a band I felt a little disappointed that he wasn't solo. Nothing has changed since then. Bruce has continued to dazzle audiences when he decides to tour solo. If you've never seen one of these shows or heard an unofficial recording then you are in for a particular treat with Slice O Life. This is Bruce's first live album where he performs solo. You already know from the studio albums what a great songwriter Bruce is; here you will find out just what he can do with just a guitar. I was a little disappointed that Bruce didn't include more songs from the 70's, but with a prolific 40 year career to choose from there is bound to be many songs here that you will like. Even in his 60's Bruce is still captivating.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cockburn's Acoustic World of Wonders, April 9, 2009

By 

William B. Jones - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slice O Life: Bruce Cockburn Live Solo (Audio CD)

Bruce Cockburn's "Live Solo" Album is a marvelous collection of songs which range from early hits ("Wondering Where the Lions Are," "Rocket Launcher") to mid-career highlights ("Kit Carson," "Soul of a Man") to more recent gems such as "Celestial Horses" and "Last Night of the World." That his songwriting and performing skills continue unabated is given evidence by songs making their live recording debuts here, such as the beat-driven "Wait No More" and the soulful, socially conscious "The City is Hungry."

Cockburn's "Slice O Life" is more than a "Best of" studio-recorded collection with a couple of new items tossed in (for that, pick up his unsurpassed "Anything, Anytime, Anywhere" collection), as it draws on a series of one-man acoustic concerts given across the northeastern states and Quebec. Presented in live format on two CDs, it includes such in-concert moments as pre-show sound-checks, guitar tunings which meander into improvisation, and stories which illumine the singer's world and life.