Help with Bruce Cockburn

Subject: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: Auggie
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 07:43 AM

I recently re-discovered my old, vinyl copy of "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws". I had forgotten how much I liked this, my only Bruce Cockburn LP.

Which of Bruce's twenty or thirty releases do I look to next for similar sounding (i.e. non-electric) music?

If you've got the time, I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: NormanD
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 08:05 AM

He has a new one out right now, released in the UK on Cookin Vinyl - I forget the title. It's an all-instrumental acoustic album that shows off his under-rated guitar work. Not so good, though, if you prefer his vocals and lyrics; it's picked up very good reviews.

norman

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: PaulBobbyBuzz
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 01:02 PM

"Nothing But A Burning Light" 1991...my favorite Cockburn. Not exactly totally acoustic, but great!   "Cry Of A Tiny Babe"..not your grandfather's Christmas carol...we love it!!!
pbb

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 01:29 PM

It's the perfect time to pick up his Christmas CD. Better now than in June.

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: GUEST,william
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 09:04 PM

Bruce has gone through many changes as a musician. I started buying his records in the 70's. "Dancing" is an incredible record. Others from that late 70's period, before he got into his really political phase, were "Further Adventures" (the one after Dancing I think), and some before; "In the Falling Dark" (one of my all time favorites), and "Joy Will Find A Way". Those records are still mainly acoustic, but with a great band behind him. The ones preceding "Joy" are simpler acoustic albums, and very beautiful; "Night Vision", "Sunwheel Dance", "Salt Sun and Time" are great. In the 80's Bruce went electric and political. "Humans" is a terrific record. Some of the other 80's stuff sounds a bit dated now but the songs are very good (but maybe that's the "Burn-head" in me talking; pretty indiscriminant when it comes to Cockburn's work). In the 90's he reinvented himself once again. "Nothing But A Burning Light" and "Dart To The Heart" kind of have a more country feel to them, back to more acoustic stuff (though not exclusively)and edgy; still distinctively Cockburn. And I agree; the Christmas album is terrific. Oh yeah; if you like the earlier stuff, you might like the live "Circles In the Stream", and if the later stuff floats your boat, there's another live one in the late 80's that's good too.

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: GUEST,william
Date: 08 Nov 05 - 09:19 PM

Hey Auggie, just one other suggestion. There's a great Cockburn site where you can check all his albums. it's cockburnproject.net
One I hadn't reccommended earlier is "Stealing Fire" which is maybe the best from that period. Have fun. w

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 06:33 AM

When I was in Canada in the seventies I met somebody who used to play with Cockburn - a young fella (then) who went by the name of Sky . Sky was a great guitarist himself and I often wondered whatever happened to him . Does anyone at Mudcat know anything about Sky? (sorry if you think I'm thread creeping -I prefer to call it the folk process)

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: Auggie
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 01:46 PM

Thanks Guest William,
I really appreciate the in depth answers. Makes it easier to know where to start.

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: Auggie
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 01:49 PM

Damn
Hit the button to soon. Thanks also to Pbb, Wesley & Norman.

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: GUEST,william
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 02:00 PM

No problemo. Always glad to talk about Cockburn. He's really the guy that made me want to play and write. If you get a chance to catch his show, do it. His solo act is terrific; he's a helluva guitar player. Shows with a band are spectacular too. Great musicians, though I'm not sure who "Sky" is. The only guitarist I've seen him with as part of his band was Colin Linden during the '90's (Burning Light, Dart, etc.) w

Subject: RE: Help with Bruce Cockburn
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 09 Nov 05 - 06:36 PM

A second vote for "Humans" which has the gritty Tokyo, plus Fascist Architecture, which is one of the bravest confessional songs I've ever heard, and The Rose Above the Sky, which I believe to be Cockburn's best song. There are a lot of pretenders who call themselves poets because they can rhyme "action" with "connection", but Bruce is the real deal.