Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different, June 22, 2001
When you plug your guitar through a handful of effects and monster amps, it becomes very easy to hide behind your music. Going acoustic changes all of that. It puts the musician on the spot and exposes his weaknesses. But, it also gives that musician the opportunity to explore their music more deeply. It also changes the music, giving it a different, new feeling. Just ask VH1 about the reason for creating the show "Unplugged". Songs of a Circling Spirit is a wonderful example of a musician exploring the deeper workings of his music. Tom Cochrane takes twelve cuts from his solo and Red Rider days and covers them all acoustically. With Bill Bell helping out on guitars and mandolin, and Gregor Beresford on stripped down drums (playing African Drums and Djembe on many tracks) make this a complete change from the Cochrane/Red Rider music of norm. You can hear the difference right away with "Lunatic Fringe". The acoustic flare adds power to the song bringing out the lyrics, and a mandolin solo. Tara MacLean provides her sweet twang of a voice to the backing vocals of "All the King's Men", one of my favorite songs from this album. Cochrane and Bell provide some great guitar work the track as well as "Brave and Crazy", "White Hot" and "Good Man, Feeling Bad". This album has a much more intimate feeling than anything Cochrane has ever done before. Cochrane takes it a step further by making this an interactive disc. Providing an interview describing what his music means to him, especially in the acoustic style of this album. There are also video clips and a complete discography including sample tracks.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful............, March 31, 2003
Taking a low road stray from his usually typical AOR rock, Tom Cochrane made a stripped down, pure and naked album. Two people have to be specially mentioned here. Tom Cochrane and His Guitar. They are a magic duo, and if they wasnt strong enough in a full band backed up, they are just as good alone.
Many of his best songs are here, the ever popular Lunatic Fringe in its almost unfamiliar form, to the dramatic and blue(and my favorite) Human Race, which has this HUGE feeling over it. It feels very much more like Blues Rock now, but I think it suits the song perfectly. Napoleon sheds his skin, White Hot, Boy inside a Man are all performed superb.White Hot is maybe the best song on the album, it is awesome, sad and beautiful. Listen to the start. I have nothing but praise for Tom Cochrane. Even unplugged he is as wonderful as always, and Songs of a Circling Spirit proves that he makes real, living music.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great stuff!! -- he should switch completely to acoustic!, September 7, 1999
By A Customer
Never liked his music much, happened to see a live acoustic session on TV one night. Immediately went out and bought this album. Really excellent musicianship on guitars and percussion, and the vocals are excellent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Tom Cochrane 
