Song:If A Tree Falls
Album:Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979-2002
Bruce Cockburn is a legend in Canada but has struggled to be successful in the US. He started out as a folkie but took a more mainstream rock direction in the 80s. He was born May 25, 1945 in Ottawa, ON but grew up on a farm outside Pembroke. He studied music at Berklee in Boston and then joined an Ottawa band called The Children in 1966. He moved to Toronto and was a member of The Flying Circus which became Olivus. Cockburn left to go solo but instead joined 3's A Crowd with David Wiffen & Colleen Peterson. They released an album but Cockburn left to go solo and his manager Bernie Finkelstein started True North Records and Cockburn released his solo debut album in 1970. True North had a distribution deal with Columbia so his albums were released in the US but he was nowhere near as popular there. He finally did break through in the US in 1979 with Wondering Where The Lions Are reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the 80s, Cockburn strayed from his folk roots to more mainstream rock and he also became known for his environmental views. The 1989 song If A Tree Falls is one of those songs. It was his biggest hit since Wondering Where The Lions Are. It's from his 1989 album Big Circumstance which was his return after taking a three year break. Cockburn is still on True North in Canada but is now on Rounder in the US. This comp covers singles from 1979-2002 so it's a decent intro for beginners. Rounder has been reissuing Cockburn's music but Finkelstein should probably think about doing a box set covering Cockburn's entire career. Bruce Cockburn has had several honours in Canada including the Order Of Canada and he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 2001. His latest CD Slice O Life: Bruce Cockburn Live was released last Tuesday. Here's the video for If A Tree Falls by Bruce Cockburn.
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