Personnel includes: Bruce Cockburn (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Lucinda Williams, Margo Timmins, Jonell Mosser (vocals); Daniel Janke (kora); Richard Bell, Janice Powers (keyboards); Ben Riley, Gary Craig (drums).
Audio Mixer: John Whynot.
Recording information: Pinhead Recorders, Toronto; Reaction Studios; the Doghouse, Nashville; The Gas Station.
Photographers: Gayle Hurmuses; Sally Sweetland.
Bruce Cockburn is as old as your mother and twice as much fun. And just like your mother, he will never lie to you. He's an old-school poet, writing from real events, rather than simply fabricating an appealing-sounding set of words. He tones down neither his left-leaning politics nor his steadfast Christianity, certainly alienating some would-be fans from the more extreme ends of both camps.
BREAKFAST IN NEW ORLEANS, DINNER IN TIMBUKTU is clearly one of Cockburn's finest among the 20 or so discs he had recorded up to its release. It includes a great acoustic guitar rave-up that's similar to Ralph Towner's more rollicking moments, and there's also a wonderful cover of "Blueberry Hill." Cockburn is St. Valentine; in love with God and in love with love, and like Leonard Cohen says, "ain't no cure for that."
Professional Reviews
Q (10/99, p.117) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...a songwriter's songwriter....even if Cockburn's spoken-word style sometimes grates. New Labor dinner party music perhaps, but with extra bite."
Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.56) - "...[He] has woven the many facets of his music together for a fully matured result....Cockburn's muse is clearly working overtime..."
Mojo (Publisher) (1/00, p.100) - "...an album of alluring tone and many fine details, the pervasive force is his acoustic guitar work..."
