- Music forced us to take another look
Pull us from despair, give us joy and hope -
Tom Cochrane is well acquainted with the transformative power of music. Songs that draw from the wellspring of human emotions have been his stock in trade for more than 30 years. From his origins as a Yorkville folkie to his heyday as a stadium rocker, the Canadian music legend has always stayed true to his belief that performers have an almost sacred responsibility to their community that cannot be taken lightly. "Music is a trust between the artist and the audience," says Cochrane. "It's something that validates the idea that there is a human spirit, a force that really can change the world. It's not to be violated by posturing or pandering to commerciality." With No Stranger, his first recording of new material in eight years, the Canadian rock legend returns with an album that is fresh and yet classically Cochrane-as heartfelt and uncompromising as anything in his career.
Self-produced and recorded at Toronto's Metalworks as well as Cochrane's own Layastone studio on Georgian Bay, No Stranger features a mix of passionate anthems and stirring ballads from an artist still clearly in his prime. Cochrane kicks things off with "The Party's Not Over," a driving rocker full of hope and faith that recalls the joyfulness of his mega-hit "Life is a Highway." The robust, inspirational "Rough and Tumble," meanwhile, pays tribute to both the courage of Canadian hockey heroes and small-town soldiers fighting overseas. There are also bluesy numbers like "Since You Left Me" and a fuzzed-out psych cover of Norman Greenbaum's 1969 gospel-rock gem "Spirit in the Sky." But the album also contains gentler moments like "Deep Breath" and "Out of My Head," which rank among the most intimate and mellifluous songs that Cochrane has ever recorded.
The album heralds a new chapter in Cochrane's acclaimed career: it's his first for Universal Music Canada, after releasing all of his previous recordings through EMI. "It was time for a change," he says simply, "and change is always good." Indeed, Cochrane sounds positively revitalized throughout the album, summoning a youthful vigor on the soaring choruses to "Glide" and "White Horse" and a fresh urgency on "Didn't Mean." But No Stranger also represents a return to familiar partnerships. After years of what Cochrane calls "estrangement," he and guitarist Ken Greer, his longtime comrade from Red Rider days, reunited to rework their studio magic. Greer's signature slide guitar sound can be heard most prominently on the first single," Didn't Mean" and "Out of My Head." "It's great to be playing with Kenny again," says Cochrane. "He understands music's cinematic potential and weaves wonderful colors that always enhance the lyrics."
In producing the new album himself, Cochrane ignored commercial considerations and eschewed polish in favor of a more stripped-down sound. "A big part of this record was deciding how much to leave raw," he says. "For one thing, we didn't AutoTune the tracks to death." The result is that his falsetto vocals on "Deep Breath" track sound fittingly fragile and honest. Asked why it took him so long to release a follow up 1998's Xray Sierra album, Cochrane says candidly, "I could've put out a record every year after that, but if they're no good and not from your heart, what's the point. Sometimes it just takes a while to get there."
No Stranger has arrived at a time when Cochrane's influence and legacy has never been greater or more apparent. His return to recording follows his 2003 induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, during which younger Canadian stars like Nickelback and Sam Roberts paid tribute to him, recalling how Cochrane's hits from his Red Rider days were among the first songs they ever played. Cochrane cites Roberts, in particular, as having been a motivator for him. "Sam told me, 'Man, you've gotta make another record.' When I told him that I had a pretty rich back catalogue and was just having fun playing 30 to 40 shows a year, he said, 'No, you've got to do something new. That really helped fuel my batteries." Most recently, country boy band Rascal Flatts proved the timelessness of Cochrane's music, when it covered "Life is a Highway," his international hit from 1992, for the Disney animated movie Cars.
Just as "Life is a Highway" was inspired by Cochrane's fact finding mission to West Africa for the famine relief organization World Vision," No Stranger's "Rough and Tumble" was partly drawn from Cochrane's experience visiting Canadian troops in Afghanistan in 2004. "It touches on the bravery of a young guy like Cpl. Brendan Murphy, who really gave himself to the idea of peacekeeping," says Cochrane. "Sadly, he was blown up by a suicide bomber, a few months after our visit. But he's a very inspirational character to me, because of the role he played and that the Canadian forces continue to play."
Cochrane remains committed to humanitarian work. Along with his extensive efforts on behalf of World Vision, he has been a key player in the Make Poverty History Campaign, WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) and is the honorary chairperson for the Parkinson Society. For Cochrane, those charitable roles are as essential for him as writing and performing life-affirming songs like "White Horse" and "The Party's Not Over." "It's all about people having a decent life, freedom of speech and tolerance," he says. "Those things are central to me." Just like his unwavering belief in the redemptive power of rock and roll.
