Bruce Cockburn – Stealing Fire

Stealing Fire is Bruce Cockburn's thirteenth studio album and the highpoint of his urban political period. Many of the songs were inspired by Cockburn's trip to Nicaragua and Guatemala with Oxfam. Singles released from the album included "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" (#24 Canada hit singles, #8 Canada adult contemporary), "Making Contact" (#80 Canada hit singles), and "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" (#49 Canada hit singles, #88 US hot 100).

Cockburn and / or Stealing Fire were nominated for four Juno awards in 1984, Male Vocalist of the Year, Producer of the Year, Best Album Graphics and Recording Engineer of the Year, winning for the last one, and it was generally met with praise from the critics:

• AllMusic gives it 4.5 stars out of 5, tied for Cockburn's highest ranking
• Robert Christgau graded it a B, calling it a "folk-rock Sandinista!"
• Rolling Stone Album Guide gave it 4 stars out of 5, calling it "particularly good"

I had seen Cockburn previously, with Sherri and some of her friends, but it was during the Stealing Fire tour that Tracy and I first saw him together, at the Ontario Place Forum.

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Track Listing

1. "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:06
2. "Maybe the Poet" (Bruce Cockburn, Jon Goldsmith, Fergus Marsh) – 4:51
3. "Sahara Gold" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:30
4. "Making Contact" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:47
5. "Peggy's Kitchen Wall" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:46
6. "To Raise the Morning Star" (Bruce Cockburn, Fergus Marsh) – 5:51
7. "Nicaragua" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:44
8. "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" (Bruce Cockburn) – 4:58
9. "Dust and Diesel" (Bruce Cockburn) – 5:24

Personnel

• Bruce Cockburn – guitar, vocals
• Jon Goldsmith – keyboards, background vocals (on 2, 5)
• Fergus Marsh – bass, stick
• Miche Pouliot – drums
• Chi Sharpe – percussion
• Rick Shurman – ground effects (on 2)
• Vein Dorge, Jerry Johnson, Mike Malone, Rick Tait – horns (on 4)
• Joel Feeney – background vocals (on 1)
• Paul Henderson – background vocals (on 1)
• Shawne Jackson – background vocals (on 2, 4, 5, 6)
• Carole Pope – background vocals (on 2, 4)
• Leroy Sibbles – background vocals (on 2, 4)
• Tim Ryan – background vocals (on 4)
• Judy Cade – background vocals (on 5)
• Kerry Crawford – background vocals (on 5)
• Colina Phillips – background vocals (on 5, 6)
• Sharon Lee Williams – background vocals (on 5, 6)

• Bruce Cockburn – Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (album)
• Bruce Cockburn – Bruce Cockburn (album)
• Bruce Cockburn – Lovers in a Dangerous Time (song)
• Bruce Cockburn – Wondering Where the Lions Are (song)
• Bruce Cockburn – The Coldest Night of the Year (song)
• Bruce Cockburn – Waiting for a Miracle (song)