Bruce Cockburn has amassed quite a collection of released albums having issued one almost every year since 1970. This singles collection picks up at 1979 and ends at 2002 with two brand new songs, "anything anytime anywhere" and "My Beat" along with 15 other diamonds. And diamonds they are. If you know Bruce Cockburn and have followed his massive body of work, then you're no stranger to the quality of his songs.

Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian singer songwriter well respected but under appreciated by the record buying public has an extraordinary talent to melodically pen songs of political, philosophical, and spiritual observations. And if his fans ever thought that he might have relaxed those skills, he shows surprising strength in his two new offerings that come on this special SACD disc, a disc that is different from its sister release in that it is a DSD master and that it possesses a bonus track not found on the standard CD issue.

This collection does not provide the well rounded representation that only a box set can do but it does a great job in trying. There are songs selected from 9 of 25 albums that is the body of work of Bruce. As prolific as his output was, he never lost stride in zeroing in on things that captured his attention and then crafting a great song to recognize the issue.

Beginning with a new song, "My Beat", an observant poet looking at his new home and it's undercurrent and closing with a new song, "anything anytime anywhere", a new song that is actually ten years old, having been written for another time, but presents a thought that is timeless. Sandwiched in between is a smorgasbord of wonderful tunes that enlighten and soothe with smart examination and the signature folk/rock wrapper of music.

Within is "Coldest Night of the Year", a folky-jazz concoction that talks of loneliness and incorporates a soul touching soprano saxophone, violin and leaves you caught up in the sing-along chorus. "The Trouble With Normal", "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" (note: dig up the engaging cover of "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" by Bare Naked Ladies.), the politically charged, "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and the excellent "If a Tree Falls" that explores the damage done to our environment.

Suffice it to say, the song selection for this collection is top-notch. A better single disc compilation could not be assembled spanning the time of the set. The songs are very representative of the single potential of Bruce Cockburn during the period indicated.

This disc is also presented to you in an SACD format. The CD counterpart was released as a 24 bit remaster so the comparison is interesting. Immediately upon the first song, the improved quality was apparent, so much so that I was floored. I have an analogy that is as close as I can get to explain the absolute intrinsic beauty of an SACD disc in comparison to it's standard CD counterpart. It is quite simply the difference in standing in a room of your house and being able to view the 3D depth of it versus watching your room form a recorded videotape that is flat and seemingly lifeless; the difference between physically being there and viewing pictures.

The sound of the songs are more softer and increasingly personal. You hear the intimate sound of the drums and the lesser toned instruments that complement the recordings. They take on individualized nuances. The accurate timbre of the notes do not jump out at you like a compressed recording does but, rather, bathes your listening experience in heart rending clarity.

I did an A/B comparison between the SACD and the CD using a 10 second delay, first between the CD then switching to the SACD to capture the new hearing experiences. I then swapped the delay using the SACD first before switching to CD to compare the quality of the sounds. I can tell you without reservation, the SACD version kicked tail impressively.

The set provides a super jewel case and the exact same booklet found on the standard CD release with the exception of the credits to the bonus track - "Rumours of Glory" - found only on the SACD version. The other beauty of this disc is it's Hybrid capability. It will play in any player so an SACD player is not necessary to enjoy the disc. I ran a comparison of the CD layer on this disc in another player versus it's CD sister and the sounds were exact.

If you're a Bruce Cockburn fan, this reasonably priced disc is a purchase well worth your money. Not only do you get a great collection of thought provoking and aurally pleasing songs, you get a great SACD/DSD mix that puts you right into the music.

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Bruce Cockburn
anything anytime anywhere: singles 1979-2002 - SACD

Released: November 19, 2002
Origination Year: 2002
Time: 71:47
Tracks: 17
Produced by: Bruce Cockburn & Colin Linden
Engineered by: Tracy Martinson
Mastered by: Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, NYC
Style: Studio/Compilation
Format: SACD
Enhancement: Hybrid
Label: Rounder Records
Website:
www.cockburnproject.net

my beat
wondering where the lions are
tokyo
rumours of glory
the coldest night of the year
the trouble with normal
lovers in a dangerous time
if I had a rocket launcher
call it democracy
waiting for a miracle
if a tree falls
a dream like mine
listen for the laugh
night train
pacing the cage
last night of the world
anything anytime anywhere