Joy Will Find a Way is the sixth full-length album by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. The album was released in 1975 by True North Records. It reached No. 34 on the Canadian RPM album chart and received a gold certification in Canada in 1985.
Background According to Cockburn, the guitar part on the title track was heavily derived from an Ethiopian thump harp composition. Cockburn's wife Kitty helped with the lyrics on the song "Starwheel". The album included contributions from several vocalists, including Beverly Glenn-Copeland. "Burn" was culled from the album as a single. The lacquer for Joy Will Find a Way was cut a JAMF, a subsidiary of the Nimbus 9 company owned by Jack Richardson.
To promote the album and its single, which received some airplay on soft rock radio stations in Canada, Cockburn embarked on a nationwide tour beginning in Sackville, New Brunswick on January 20, 1976 and concluding in Peterborough, Ontario on April 10. Within a few weeks, several of these performances were sold-out, including Cockburn's two performances at Massey Hall. In doing so, Cockburn became the first Canadian artist to play multiple sold-out shows at the venue since Gordon Lightfoot. Cockburn's dates in British Columbia were arranged by a Vancouver based firm, which book performances at McPherson Playhouse and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. He opted to select smaller venues so better gauge the audience's response to the material, saying "I can get that kind of feedback only from looking them in the eye."
Reception
In a retrospective review, AllMusic critic Brett Hartenbach wrote, "Though it will appeal to the converted, Joy Will Find a Way, Bruce Cockburn's sixth album, won't do much to garner support outside of these circles. As always, Cockburn is never less than literate, and his guitar is consistently impressive throughout (check out the instrumental "Skylarking"), but there remains the tendency to become overwrought lyrically, as well as to get bogged down musically in the sort of folkish repetition that can be more tiresome than entrancing... Though he hadn't quite hit his stride at this point, this is the best of Bruce Cockburn's first half-dozen albums."
Track listing All songs written by Bruce Cockburn except "Starwheel", which was written with Kitty Cockburn.
Album credits Personnel Bruce Cockburn – composer, vocals, guitar, dulcimer Dennis Pendrith – bass Terry Clarke – drums Dido Morros – percussion Pat Godfrey – keyboards Eugene Martynec – guitar Beverly Glenn-Copeland – backing vocals Linda Page Harpa – backing vocals Malika Hollander – backing vocals Zezi Taeb – backing vocals Alexa De Wiel – backing vocals Jeffrey Crelingston – backing vocals
Production Mavel Mousette – translation Eugene Martynec – producer Blair Drawson – album cover paintings Harry Savage – album photography Bart Schoales – art direction Bernie Finkelstein – direction
Chart performance Chart (1976) PeakpositionCanada Top Albums (RPM) 34
Certifications
References