- Dancing In the Dragon's Jaws (Deluxe Edition) · 1978
- Anything Anytime Anywhere · 1996
- Anything Anytime Anywhere · 2002
- Breakfast In New Orleans Dinner In Timbuktu · 1999
- Waiting for a Miracle · 1987
- Anything Anytime Anywhere · 2002
- Stealing Fire (Deluxe Edition) · 1984
- Bruce Cockburn · 1970
- Crowing Ignites · 2019
- Crowing Ignites · 2019
- Big Circumstance (Deluxe Edition) · 1989
- Stealing Fire (Deluxe Edition) · 1984
- The Charity of Night · 1996
Essential Albums
- After tacking towards American roots-rock in the early ‘90s, Bruce Cockburn embraced a cosmopolitan jazz-folk sound on The Charity of Night (1996). In some ways, the album returns to the sparkling rhythms of 1979’s Dancing In the Dragon’s Jaws. The musical reach of these songs is truly impressive —– Cockburn makes surprising connections between muscular rock pieces (“Night Train”), delicate jazz instrumentals (“Mistress of Storms”) and slinky beatnik-style narratives (“Birmingham Shadows”) without straining. Injustice and oppression is a reoccurring theme, stated with particular power in “The Mines of Mozambique” and “Get Up Jonah.” In “Pacing the Cage” and the title tune, Cockburn confronts the world’s suffering and achieves a measure of acceptance and forgiveness. His guitar work is as eclectic as his songs, running the gamut from sharp electric slashes to elegant acoustic embroidery. Bassist Rob Wasserman and vibes player Gary Burdon add shimmering accompaniment throughout the album. All told, The Charity of Night ranks high in Cockburn’s catalogue, a mature work by an artist still infused with youthful fire.
- After years of sublimating his folk-based instincts in favor of synthesizer sounds, Cockburn returns to his formidable strengths as a guitarist here. He dives into acoustic blues (“Soul of a Man”), neo-rockabilly (“A Dream Like Mine”) and surf-rock (“Actions Speaks Louder”) with verve and bite. His lyrics are even better — from the angry Western balladry of “Kit Carson” to the Springsteen-like political thrust of “Mighty Trucks of Midnight” and the spiritual wonder of “One of the Best Ones,” this is Cockburn at his poetic peak. His explicitly Christian-rooted songs — especially “Great Big Love” and Cry of a Tiny Baby” — use personal imagery to illuminate eternal themes. Producer T-Bone Burnett surrounds Bruce with an exceptional combo, including legendary organist Booker T. Jones. Cockburn has released many fine albums over the decades, but Nothing But a Burning Light deserves special notice for its masterful songwriting and effortlessly fluent musicianship.
Music Videos
- 2017
- 2004
- 2004
- 2004
Artist Playlists
- This singer/songwriter's impressive career spans more than five decades.
Singles & EPs
Compilations
About Bruce Cockburn
A songwriting hero in his Canadian homeland and abroad, Bruce Cockburn is a well-schooled guitarist who studied at Berklee and played in a series of rock bands in the late ’60s before starting his solo singer/songwriter career in 1970. Born in 1945 in Ottawa, Cockburn spent most of the ’70s in a folk-rock mode, bringing his sophisticated acoustic-guitar work and poetic lyrics to the fore. Toward the end of the decade, he began pursuing a more rock-oriented sound, breaking through to the U.S. in the process with “Wondering Where the Lions Are.” In the ’80s, his music embraced New Wave, world music, and more, and his lyrics took a political turn, as evidenced by tracks like his 1984 hit “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” Over the years, Cockburn has earned countless awards and honors in Canada, has had his material copiously covered, and has been the subject of a documentary, 2012’s Pacing the Cage.
- HOMETOWN
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- BORN
- May 27, 1945
- GENRE
- Singer/Songwriter