Reviewed by Peter Bate

If, like me, you were blessed enough to catch Cockburn when he briefly toured the UK last spring, this six track EP will strike a chord. A departure from 1990's acoustic live album. 'You Pay Your Money...' spits with electric guitars and hissing hi-hats. The silver-haired maestro. 50 next year, has lost none of his venom as the distorted chords and biting vocals of "Call It Democracy" show. Another fan's favourite, "Stolen Land" follows with a menacing rhythm which explodes as Cockburn unleashes a violent guitar break. Then comes the brooding. Psalm-like "Strange Waters" - the first of two tracks from his last album, the excellent 'The Charity Of Night'. The other is the jazz-tinged "Birmingham Shadows", stretched to over 10 minutes as Cockburn launches into another free-form solo. The ace in the pack, though, is the whimsical gem "Fascist Architecture" which showcases the warmer side of the songwriter's lyrical mood swings. Like most live recordings, this one is difficult to justify as little more than a stopgap between studio output. But, if you want a snapshot of the special concert atmosphere that surrounds this unique artist it's not a bad starter.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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