Nothing but a Burning Light

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Chicago Tribune	[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[6]
Entertainment Weekly	B[7]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic critic Brett Hartenbach wrote of the album: "Throughout, Burnett's production is understated, allowing Cockburn's voice, guitar, and songs to lead the way over a solid foundation of bass, drums, and tasteful organ by Booker T. Jones. This sort of sympathetic production brings out the best in Cockburn and his material, which is consistently strong... Though it may lack the immediate power, Nothing but a Burning Light is Bruce Cockburn's best since his 1984 release Stealing Fire."[4] The New York Times called the album the finest of Cockburn's career, writing that he "has returned to a simpler, more reflective folk-rock mode."[2] Trouser Press wrote that the album "contains some of Cockburn’s best loved songs ('A Dream Like Mine', 'Great Big Love') but falls a notch or two below great."[9]

All songs written by Bruce Cockburn, except where noted.

1. "A Dream Like Mine" – 3:53
2. "Kit Carson" – 4:12
3. "Mighty Trucks of Midnight" – 5:57
4. "Soul of a Man" (Blind Willie Johnson, arr. Bruce Cockburn) – 3:52
5. "Great Big Love" – 5:13
6. "One of the Best Ones" – 6:57
7. "Somebody Touched Me" – 4:16
8. "Cry of a Tiny Babe" – 7:31
9. "Actions Speak Louder" – 3:01
10. "Indian Wars" – 6:58
11. "When It's Gone, It's Gone" – 4:19
12. "Child of the Wind" – 4:08

• Bruce Cockburn – electric guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (5, 6, 10), resonator guitar (tracks 4, 12) and vocals
• Booker T. Jones – organ (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)
• Jim Keltner – drums (tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8), percussion (track 2), washboard (track 4)
• Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass (tracks 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12), bass (track 11)
• Larry Klein – bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
• Michael Been – bass (tracks 2, 4, 6, 8)
• Denny Fongheiser – drums (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9)
• Michael Blair – percussion (tracks 1, 5, 11), tambourine (track 7)
• Ralph Forbes – percussion (tracks 1, 5, 9, 11)
• Mark O'Connor – violin (tracks 6, 10, 11, 12)
• Sam Phillips – backing vocals (tracks 1, 5, 8)
• T-Bone Burnett – electric guitar (track 5), acoustic guitar (track 7)
• Jackson Browne – backing vocals (tracks 5, 10), resonator guitar (track 10)

Production

• T-Bone Burnett – producer
• Joe Henry – production assistant
• Pat McCarthy – engineer, mixer
• Dave Leonard – mixer (track 1)
• Paula "Max" Garcia – second engineer
• Chris Austopchuk – art direction
• Anton Corbijn – photography