Trapeze: The Collection (2CD) [Original recording remastered]

It's the other tracks that should remind critics and casual fans alike that Cochrane is more than just a 1980s and '90s hitmaker. Check out Dreamer's Dream, Neruda and Ocean Blue to get a feel for how varied his sound can be.

Much of that sound was created with guitarist/pedal steel whiz Kenny Greer, who split with Cochrane before the recording of the mega-selling Mad Mad World CD. Fortunately, Greer is back and you hear his influence all over the two new tracks on this collection - Just Like Ali, a tribute to his father and the famous boxer (both of whom have Parkinson's Disease, and all the proceeds from this track go to fight the ailment) and Pictures From The Edge.

Here's the complete track listing:
CD 1: White Hot, Avenue A, Lunatic Fringe, Light In The Tunnel, Power (Strength In Numbers), Human Race, Can't Turn Back, Napoleon Sheds His Skin, Neruda, Young Thing, Wild Dreams, Boy Inside The Man, The Untouchable One, Ocean Blues, Big League, Victory Day Good Times, Just Like Ali.
CD 2: Life Is A Highway, Mad Mad World, No Regrets, Sinking Like A Sunset, Washed Away, Brave And Crazy, I Wish You Well, Wildest Dreams, paper Tigers, Dreamer's Dream, I Wonder, Stonecutter's Arms, Pictures From The Edge.

The package comes with a very complete essay by Canadian freelance music writer Greg Quill, plus commentary on every song by Cochrane himself. So what's missing? Well, both CDs have room for a few more tracks, and those songs should have come from the excellent all-acoustic Songs From A Circling Spirit and the very cool Symphony Sessions albums (Thus my rating of 4, instead of 5 stars). Both were mysteriously ignored when it came to picking songs for Trapeze. Too bad, too. The Symphony Sessions version of White Hot, recorded live in concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, is the definitive one as far as I'm concerned.

It's the other tracks that should remind critics and casual fans alike that Cochrane is more than just a 1980s and '90s hitmaker. Check out Dreamer's Dream, Neruda and Ocean Blue to get a feel for how varied his sound can be.

Much of that sound was created with guitarist/pedal steel whiz Kenny Greer, who split with Cochrane before the recording of the mega-selling Mad Mad World CD. Fortunately, Greer is back and you hear his influence all over the two new tracks on this collection - Just Like Ali, a tribute to his father and the famous boxer (both of whom have Parkinson's Disease, and all the proceeds from this track go to fight the ailment) and Pictures From The Edge.

Here's the complete track listing:
CD 1: White Hot, Avenue A, Lunatic Fringe, Light In The Tunnel, Power (Strength In Numbers), Human Race, Can't Turn Back, Napoleon Sheds His Skin, Neruda, Young Thing, Wild Dreams, Boy Inside The Man, The Untouchable One, Ocean Blues, Big League, Victory Day Good Times, Just Like Ali.

CD 2: Life Is A Highway, Mad Mad World, No Regrets, Sinking Like A Sunset, Washed Away, Brave And Crazy, I Wish You Well, Wildest Dreams, paper Tigers, Dreamer's Dream, I Wonder, Stonecutter's Arms, Pictures From The Edge.

The package comes with a very complete essay by Canadian freelance music writer Greg Quill, plus commentary on every song by Cochrane himself. So what's missing? Well, both CDs have room for a few more tracks, and those songs should have come from the excellent all-acoustic Songs From A Circling Spirit and the very cool Symphony Sessions albums (Thus my rating of 4, instead of 5 stars). Both were mysteriously ignored when it came to picking songs for Trapeze. Too bad, too. The Symphony Sessions version of White Hot, recorded live in concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, is the definitive one as far as I'm concerned.

One other thing: in Canada there's a limited-edition version with a third disc containing five live-in-concert songs.