Tom Cochrane
Mad Mad World (Capitol) (STAR)(STAR)
Tom Cochrane`s record company is trying to position the former Red Rider frontman as an equal of Canadian-bred superstars Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Robbie Robertson. But while he may be a major star in his native Canada, Cochrane comes off more like a Great White North version of John Mellencamp on his first solo album. Cochrane displays a penchant for tackling the big issues: censorship (”Brave and Crazy”), drug abuse (”Get Back Up”) and the general malaise of the planet (”Mad Mad World”). The problem is, Cochrane has nothing particularly original to say on the subjects, and his lyrics are ridden with cliches. He fares a bit better when he sticks to matters of the heart, as on ”Friendly Advice” and ”Emotional Truth.” Cochrane sings in a hoarse, nearly characterless voice throughout that-like his songs-doesn`t make much of an impression one way or the other.
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