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After recording his highly regarded album The Charity of Night, Bruce Cockburn hit the road with his trio (Steve Lucas on bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Cockburn on electric and acoustic guitars). This concert EP, recorded in May 1997 in Madison, Wisconsin, captures the band in peak form. From the opening notes of 'Call It Democracy' (where Cockburn matches the anger of the lyrics with a blistering guitar solo) to the closing chords of 'Birmingham Shadows' (which memorializes the cradle of the Civil Rights movement with spoken word poetry, a beat-jazz groove, and another blazing guitar solo, this time on acoustic), You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance proves Cockburn earns his reputation as one of our most important artists every time he steps onstage.