Bruce Cockburn

Recorded in Toronto in the summer of 1989, Live is a good collection of Bruce Cockburn's music, presented in a stripped-down setting. Fronting a tight three-piece unit, which sounds bigger thanks to Fergus Marsh's stick, Michael Sloski's eloquent drumming, and his own fingerstyle guitar work, Cockburn delivers a nice overview of his career, dating back as far as the record's opener, "Silver Wheels," from 1976. Amid his usual elements of spirituality and state-of-the-world messages, there's also a lightness and even a sense of humor that is rarely, if ever, seen in his studio work. His choice to close with "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from the crucifixion scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian is both funny and inspired, while "Rumours of Glory," with its playful harmonica, gains a joyful bounce, and his lone Top 40 U.S. hit, "Wondering Where the Lions Are," becomes a crowd-pleasing singalong. Elsewhere Cockburn gives a new look to old tunes, whether it's solo performances of "After the Rain" and "Call It Democracy," the stark power of the bodhran, vocal rendition of "Stolen Land," or the more palatable, jumping blues treatment of "Maybe the Poet." Even though there are no songs, with the exception of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," that are not available elsewhere, there's enough personality in these live versions to recommend the record on its own merit, and not just as a souvenir of a successful tour. [The reissued edition includes the previously excluded "If I Had a Rocket Launcher."] ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide