Cockburn Bruce - Youve Never Seen Everything +Album Reviews

Music is first rate, but Bruce is stuck.

K. Eames | Down in the valley, the valley below | 08/28/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am serious Bruce Cockburn fan. I've seen him several times in concert, and have most of his albums. His music is thoughtful and literate, and it seemlessly crosses genres. His blues cover "Nothin' But a Burnin' Light" and the cover of "Blueberry Hill" are just phenomenal. This album is no exception musically. It has moments of brilliance and turn-it-up-loud good music. However, I found myself noticing that the subject matter, or more precisely Bruce Cockburn's take on that subject matter, has a stagnant feel to it -- as if he's stuck. The rage of "All our Dark Tomorrows" has a rehearsed, obligatory feel to it. This is an anger he's managed to maintain through "The Trouble with Normal", "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", "Call it Democracy" and "Gospel of Bondage." By now, he's said all that he can say about the greed and corruption of power and doesn't add anything new, nor does he offer any solution. The title track "You've Never Seen Everything" has this same quality about evil. His coffeehouse narrative recounts everyday horrors committed by everyday people, but again, there's a stale feel to it. He's said this before, and often through better vehicles (e.g., Grim Travelers, Dancing in Paradise, Down Where the Death Squad Lives). His anger has hardened into a passive bitterness that comes perhaps from seeing too much hopeless misery (as he himself said on "Civilization and its Discontents", too much pathos just makes you angry). If he has any answers, he's not sharing them with us in any substantial way. In short, he emphasizes the Fall at the exclusion of Redemption. Perhaps I am looking for him to offer some expression of redemption, wisdom, and hope even in the face of total depravity, and perhaps that is unfair of me. Bruce Cockburn is at his best when he's personal, reflective, and hopeful. This is where we catch a glimpse of his heart, and it makes the music that much better. My criticisms notwithstanding, it is still a marvelous album."

Another Solid Effort

J. Ems | Houston, Tx United States | 06/10/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Bruce Cockburn has never been a pop artist or one that demands public attention. But, unfortunately he should be. Cockburn sings his conscious and brings to light those things that people would rather be kept dark. You would think the way people love watching reality shows that Cockburn would be more popular. Cockburn melds excellent folk/rock guitar with reggae, rock, jazz or world beat rhythms in order to make his real life observances more palatable. Whether singing of distant far off lands of brutal regimes "You've Never Seen Everything" and "Postcards from Cambodia" or one's closer to home "Trickle Down" the man sees the truth we should all see but either are ignorant of, or worse elect to ignore. I guess some would enjoy his rough Audio paintings but can't complete the circle when he tries to make sense of it all and provide the answers in "Wait no More" or "Celestial Horses". I have never heard anyone sing of love so honestly or earnestly. So many people look for answers in the wrong places, Cockburn leads us into the dark but at least has the decency of showing us where the light switch is. Another fine effort from this eclectic artist which ranks up among his best work. As a Cockburn fan this is a must...As a person just starting their journey of enlightenment you might be better served with starting with Breakfast in New Orleans and working their way back in his catalog before appreciating this tapestry of beauty."

A Rewarded Listening

benjamin | USA | 01/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a difficult one that has taken me well over a year to get into. The excursions into world beat that were present on Cockburn's last album, "Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu", are here thrown into overdrive and one is left with a very world-oriented folk album. It is a rather left-of-center departure given his work over the last decade and its unexpectedness is likely to leave more than one listener scratching her/his head wondering what exactly Cockburn is doing.

It isn't just world beat that Cockburn uses in considerable doses on this album; jazz-esque dissonance shows up on songs such as "Trickle Down" and "Don't Forget About Delight". The latter has just enough dissonance to be memorable and even hummable; the stripped-down-jam feel of "Trickle Down", however, suffers from a lack of melody. Cockburn seems to have spent far more time working on the music itself on this album and less time on his own vocal instrumentation; the musicianship is absolutely stellar, but a bit more singing than spoken word would have been appreciated by this listener. Nonetheless, songs such as "Open" and "Put it in Your Heart" are genuinely refreshing folk-rock songs, while "Celestial Horses" and "Messenger Wind" show Cockburn in a more traditional, stripped-back role.

Cockburn remains a master of the poetic. He is certainly one of the greatest poet-lyricists alive today, inhabiting a sphere entirely his own. The lyrics on this album are just as stunning as any of his prior releases and are worth reading in addition to listening to just for the sake of taking all of Cockburn in. Cockburn is well-known for his own socio-political commentary, as well as for the role that a rather left-wing Christianity takes in informing Cockburn's worldview. It also seems that he has been spending a bit of time studying Sufism, given the liner notes (by no means a bad thing!); the influence of both of these pervade the lyrics.

Cockburn's albums tend to be rather thick - perhaps "dense" is a better word - and this album is no exception. Yet, it seems to be far more tightly wound than any of his more recent work. To get into the core - the kernel - of it one must listen to it repeatedly; only upon repeated listens do the musical and lyrical subtleties begin to emerge. It is a truly rich kernel, though; the meat of this album takes time to get to but to finally reach that point is sweet. Let Cockburn take you there."

Bruce's White Album

Blair B. Frodelius | Syracuse, New York United States | 06/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bruce Cockburn's latest album not only grabs you immediately with his intense lyrics, but with the amazingly diverse musical styles. It's as if he put his hand in a musical grab bag and pulled out all of the stops. You've never heard everything, until you've heard this album. For those who have grown to expect incendiary and world weary lyrics from Bruce, you will certainly get enough of that here. But, the musical soundscape that the lyrics are laid upon, is amazing. I hear references to almost all of Bruce's musical catalogue and more so in these tunes.

When I heard Bruce play the majority of these songs live and solo, I was not impressed. But, the album carries these songs much better in the context of a musical ensemble. Rather than taking the usual lead with his intricate guitar work, he sets each song to rhythms which are colored by the diverse musicians on this album. Lovely violin work by Hugh Marsh and sweet harmonica by Gregoire Maret offset the melodies of Bruce's words. The percussion and drumming by Stephen Hodge and Ben Riley respectively, is some of the best you will hear on any album.

"Tried and Tested" is a great song to lead off the album. Bruce has always leaned towards an organic and acoustic sound for the majority of his work, but the first instrument we hear is a synthesized drum track loop. This only serves to support the hazy drug-like drone of the swirling guitar riffs in classic electric Cockburn style. This track could easily have been from his last project, "Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu (1999)". There are many lyrical references to past Cockburn songs ranging from "In the Falling Dark", to "Somebody Touched Me".

"Open" is definitely the obvious choice for a single. I was reminded of the delicate guitar work from "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (1979)". It seems a rumination on the mysteries of love and chance.

"All Our Dark Tomorrows" is a direct follow up to "Feast of Fools" from "Further Adventures Of (1978)". There is a deep and slow burning anger at the injustices being done by those in power. The future is clouded with uncertainty, but as Bruce sees it, could be preventable if only we would open our eyes.

"Trickle Down" shows the jazz influence of co-writer and pianist Andy Milne. It has the overall feel of the classic, "Night Vision (1973)" album. An extremely jazzy piece that borders on improvisation, this is one of the few songs that leaves you feeling happier than it should.

"Everywhere Dance". Wow! What can I say? This sounds like it was written for the "Salt, Sun & Time (1974)" album. For those acoustic guitar players out there, this is one to listen to. Amazing guitar work and uplifting, spiritual lyrics. Life is a dance, and we can't help but be drawn into to it, if we have any life in us at all.

"Put it in Your Heart" is the dark B-side to "Last Night of the World". Of course, the subject matter is way too big for anyone to lyrically do justice to. But, in the few words he's crafted, Bruce is able to put a human response that sees much more of the bigger picture than most of us are capable of. "A soul that's turned it's back on love", indeed. We are all still part of the human family in spite of what we do to each other.

"Postcards From Cambodia" is an apt title for this spoken word piece. This is the kind of thing we're come to expect from Bruce, but the music, and in particular, the arrangement, sweeps the listener into more than just storytelling. It becomes a resonant mantra for the whole tragedy of what has happened to the Cambodian people.

"Wait No More" is a great surprise! The rhythm of "Stolen Land", with the sentiment of "Pacing the Cage". This is a wonderful blues tune, that could end up becoming a standard for any musicians with ears to hear the possibilities.

"Celestial Horses" is a song that dates back to 1978. It's easy to see the shift in perspective in the lyrics, but the music seems to fit from the "Dart to the Heart (1994)" period. Almost a lazy country song, it feels like a warm Summer's night.

"You've Never Seen Everything". This is Bruce's "Revolution 9". A soundscape of looped instruments and jarring guitar chords, all set to lyrics of such horror that you find the images staying with you for days afterward. This is not a track that can be listened to a few times and dismissed as an experiment. Because, once you grow accustomed to the bizarre musical soundscape, the power of the lyrics crystallizes the sense of impotent and stunned emotions that Bruce is dealing with. The way he phrases the word, "pitchfork" almost sounds like his voice is breaking in emotion because of the mind numbing horror of it all. Thank God this is followed up by...

"Don't Forget About Delight". I am reminded of the album, "Joy Will Find a Way (1975)". And in fact, they express much the same sentiment. This song is a humane and human response to the injustices Bruce sees in the world around him. It is also a reminder of what we often forget, "Anger drips and pools and then it passes".

"Messenger Wind" is the kind of a song that seems to hearken back to the days of "High Winds White Sky (1971)". So simple in it's structure and beautiful in melody, it is a folk song in the truest sense. We can almost imagine ourselves with Bruce "In front of the house where I'm supposed to be born". And the symbol of the wind is of course, the spirit of God. It is in the spiritual that Bruce finds the answers of all of the questions he has put forth in this album. In spite of the darkness around us, the human quality which rises to the surface is hope. A fitting end to an rollercoaster musical and emotional experience.

*****
Five out of Five Stars..."

Add This One to Your Collection

J. Ems | 07/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cockburn is noted as one of the best fingerstyle guitarists on the planet. His songs are intellegent, toughtful articulations of his experiences of all areas of life from political and economic concerns to love and longing. You will find him to be fully at home playing rock, jazz, world beat and ethnic sounds, as well as roots and blues compositions. July 2003 issues of Paste Magazine and Acoustic Guitar Player can give the uninitiated a better sense of the calaber of artist Cockburn is. If you enjoy Richard Thompson, Martyn Joseph, Lou Reed, Ani D'Franco, Dylan, David Bowie, Jonatha Brooke, Chris Smither, Patti Griffen, Greg Brown, Patty Larkin, Joni Mitchell, Keb Mo or Leonard Cohen, you will probably like Cockburn. He and his band are currently touring CA, and the US, UK, ND, and DL as a quartet comprized of Ani D'Franco's keyboardist, bass player Steve Lucas and drummer Ben Riley.He has often challenged the ear with new and intreguing sounds that draw the listener into new musical territory. There are many examples of his gathering from eclectic influences here, from electronica and Toots Thelman-style harmonica to gamalon players. There are other great artists featured on the album, too, from the return of wonderful electric violinist Hugh Marsh (who lit up Cockburn's 80s band) to Tom Waits' rhythm section, and the harmony background vocals of his guests: Jackson Brown, Sarah Harmer, Emmylou Harris, Jonel Mosier, and Sam Phillips. Special treats on this, his 27th album, are two stand-out collaborations with young jazz pianist Andy Milne, the biting "Trickle Down," and the gorgious "Everywhere Dance." Cockburn's compositions are pieces of art that powerfully touch the heart and soul, casting shadows and revealing joy. Over the years he has received countless kudos for his mastery of metaphore and is even quoted in poetry textbooks. His skill with words perhaps exceedes his capabilities as a player--and he's an absolutely outstanding player (a south paw) that guitarists in his audiance stare in awe at. Give this a few listens. It will grow on you, perhaps expand your horizons and give you some things to think about as well as to dance to. If you've never listened to Cockburn, be sure to check out his back catalog of work, too. Newly remastered reissues with bonus tracks are available."

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	Cockburn Bruce Youve Never Seen Everything Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, International Music, Jazz, Pop, Rock Possessed of a creative spirit as restless as his vaunted socio-spiritual conscience, Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn took nearly four years to deliver this, his first album of the new millennium. Judging from th... more » « less
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