Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws
Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws is the ninth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album has eight songs written around the acoustic guitar and "particularly showcased Cockburn's sparkling guitar work".[1] Up to that time Cockburn's records had been influenced by his Christianity; Third Way magazine wrote in 1987 that "in 1979 the simple Christian faith [Cockburn] had been celebrating was transformed with the release of his most popular ever album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, where, with the help of Charles Williams, his pre-Christian mysticism resurfaced after the baptism of faith as mature Christian mysticism. The poetry was astonishing, like no Christian musician had then, or would since, come even close to."[2]
The single "Wondering Where the Lions Are" reached No. 21 in the United States, and spent 17 weeks on the Billboard chart.[3] It was important in bringing Cockburn attention outside Canada, and would be his highest-charting single in the U.S.
The album cover is a painting by Canadian aboriginal artist Norval Morrisseau (1932–2007).[4] In 1992 a remastered edition was released by Rounder Records with two extra tracks, "Dawn Music" and "Bye Bye Idi".[1]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
Music critic Brett Hartenbach, writing retrospectively for AllMusic, stated: "The album continues the jazz-inflected folk he had been pursuing on his past several releases, but with a heavier emphasis on the worldbeat rhythms that would play a larger part in his music in the years to come... though it can't match the sheer power of his next few releases, [it] may be his most beautiful record, as well as an excellent culmination of his '70s work."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Creation Dream" | Cockburn | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Hills of Morning" | Cockburn | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Badlands Flashback" | Cockburn | 6:12 |
| 4. | "Northern Lights" | Cockburn | 4:06 |
| 5. | "After the Rain" | Cockburn | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Wondering Where the Lions Are" | Cockburn | 3:42 |
| 7. | "Incandescent Blue" | Cockburn | 4:35 |
| 8. | "No Footprints" | Cockburn | 5:38 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Dawn Music" | |
| 10. | "Bye Bye Idi" |
Personnel
- Bruce Cockburn – guitar, chimes, synthesizer, dulcimer, vocals
- Pat Godfrey – piano, marimba, background vocal on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"
- Robert Boucher – bass
- Bob Di Salle – drums, congas
except on "Wondering Where the Lions Are"
- Larry "Sticky Fingers" Silvera – bass, background vocal
- Ben Bow – drums, güiro, background vocal
References
- ^ a b J.B. and Paoletta, Michael (ed). "Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (Music release)." Billboard, December 12, 2002. Vol. 114, Issue 51.
- ^ Wrote, Martin. "Bruce Cockburn". Third Way, August 1987, vol. 10, no. 8, pp. 18–20.
- ^ Billboard magazine.
- ^ Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws Album cover by Norval Morrisseau
- ^ a b Hartenbach, Brett. "Wondering Where the Lions Are > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 146.
