Customer Reviews

X-Ray Sierra

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XRAY SIERRA is another masterpiece from one of Canada's finest music artist. Tom Cochrane has the ability to really rock...."I WONDER", "THIS IS THE WORLD", "WILLIE DIXON SAID", but he can also sing some powerful ballads..."MARIANNE & LENNY", "PIECE OF YOUR SOUL". He always strikes a chord with his terrific songwriting skills, but what really makes Tom special is the way he can belt out those tunes. My ultimate favourite on this cd is "STONECUTTER'S ARMS".What a powerful song. Go get this album, or any of Tom's albums, they are all worth it.

The canadian power rocker is back.This album has a different vibe going than his previous works. In fact he is working with Bill Dillon the guitarist from Peter Gabriel and Sarah Mclachlan. So the atmospheric guitar sound is all over this one.Cochrane delivers some gems like "Willie Dixon Said" and "Stonecutters Arms".Worth it.

I`ve been listening to all his records, noticing the evolution in the style. He has always kept his style, sounded cool, and sounded like a rock artist. However, on Xray Sierra, he looses some of his power, and isnt quite up to Par with earlier times. The Beginning of the album is very good, with "I Wonder", "Stonecutters Arms", "Art of Listening" and "Heartbreak Girl" but it goes somehow downhill from there. "Willie Dixon Said" is more bothersome than good, "Marianne and Lenny" is just medicore, "Beautiful Day" is terrible, "Windy Night in Fall" is not any special, "Piece of your Soul" starts bad, but has a sweet chorus, and ends up good anyway. "This is the World" is bad. BAD. "Northern Frontier" is more like it, slow but stylish.

What do we make out of this? A Disappointment, thats for sure. Compared to highlights like Mad Mad World, the solid Ragged Ass Road, the genuine "Songs of a Circling Spirit" that kept his old spirit burning while slowing down, and his earlier superb work with Red Rider, Xray Sierra falls flat out. Gone is the energy and the power, gone is the beautiful songs that once inhabitated his records. The first three-four songs are pretty good, and is the only songs that saves this from being the first bad album he has made.

Tom, Tom, Tom. Get that guitar back on, find the eye of the tiger and attack the world. This is no way to end for you.

This is perhaps the most underrated disc and yet, perhaps Cochrane's best. "Stonecutter's Arms" is one of those personal coming of age songs that keeps you coming back for more. "Heartbreak Girl" is the upbeat radio-friendly track, while "Willie Dixon Said" is pure poetry! "Marianne and Lenny" is cleverly crafted as he dedicates to Leonard Cohen (Lenny) and one of Cohen's songs "Marianne". "Windy Night In Fall", is one of those deep rockin' bluesy songs, while "This is The World" rocks! The weakest tracks are "Northern Frontier" and the first single "I Wonder", yet they do not hinder from the discs' brilliance.

1. I Wonder
2. Stonecutter's Arms
3. Art Of ing
4. Heartbreak Girl
5. Willie Dixon Said
6. Marianne And Lenny
7. Beautiful Day
8. Windy Night In Fall
9. Piece Of Your Soul
10. This Is The World
11. Northern Frontier

I bought two albums, by two Toms. This album and Petty's "Echo" are both excellent. If you are a fan of Tom Petty you will not be disappointed with Tom Cochrane. Though Cochrane mixes it up a bit. The demented and brilliant "Willie Dixon Said" to the gentle "Piece Of Your Soul" and rocker "This Is The World". Now a tour featuring the two Tom's would be great.