Customer Reviews

The Best Of Joe Cocker (Domestic Only)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album isn't really the best of Joe Cocker - it's the best of slick, adult contemporary, 1980s Joe Cocker. That said, it's not without some great songs ("You Can Leave Your Hat On," "Night Calls"). But if you want classic Joe Cocker, try the "Greatest Hits," "A&M Classics," or "20th Century Masters."

Great CD if you're looking for some of Joe's more recent stuff (past 15 years) this is the one to get. But if you're looking for his older stuff, get the Anthology or Millenium collection. Better yet, get both! Only 2 songs from this collection are also on the Anthology. Either choice is an excellent one.

Having been a Joe Cocker fan in the late 60s and the 70s, I recently realized that I had no Joe on CD (only on vinyl). After picking up his greatest album ever ("Joe Cocker!") on CD, I ordered "The Best of Joe Cocker" to bring me up to speed. One of the main reasons for getting this CD was that it contained the LIVE VERSION of "Help from My Friends." However, after receiving the CD and listening to the first few notes of "My Friends," I realized that this was NOT the live version we all know and love. The classic live version of this song done at Woodstock (as well as the studio version on his 1st LP) makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck (the way the lead to "Stairway to Heaven" always does). This version is OK, but BUYER BEWARE - it is WAY less powerful than the Woodstock version. The rest of the album is OK, but all these songs are so overproduced compared those songs exhibiting the raw energy that his earlier work had. This was a disappointing buy.

When Cocker has the right song (meaning a nice raw rocker), he turns out intense, emotional music. When he has slick 80s radio pop backing, the results are usually less involving.

HIGHLIGHTS:
His 90s smash "When the Night Comes" is truly great, combining a nice slowly building melody, some gospelly overtones, and a nicely restrained vocal that belts when it needs to. Outside of that one, his duet with Jennifer Warnes on "Up Where We Belong" continues to sound good. (Who on earth ever envisioned THAT pairing?!?! And how do we thank them?) An updated live version of Beatles cover "With a Little Help from my Friends" is an electric epic, going from strength to strength.

LOWS:
Cocker is NOT Jeff Lynne...not even if you back him with a Lynne produced track like "Night Calls". I'll stick with Tom Jones' version for the definitive "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (likewise Ray Charles' take on "Unchain my Heart").

BOTTOM LINE:
Most of Cocker's best stuff is late 60s, early 70s material like "Feelin' Alright" and "You are So Beautiful". You can get those and the best bits of this one on Hip-O Records ULTIMATE COLLECTION (ASIN B00016MSXU). Get that one instead.

"The Best of Joe Cocker" contains the highlights of his career from after the period covered by his "Greatest Hits" album, so it must be noted that the version of "With a Little Help from My Friends" is newer and not the "classic" version. Cocker's later career was not nearly as interesting as his late 60s and early 70s peak. A song like the syrupy duet ballad "Up Where We Belong" may have been a massive hit, but it has little in common with the raw power of his best work. The album's best moments come early. The first three songs, "Unchain My Heart," "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "When the Night Comes," may be a bit heavy on the bombast, but they are quite tuneful and Cocker's never been in better voice. After that the songs are less memorable, with few standouts.

Overall, an up-and-down anthology from the latter part of Joe Cocker's great career.

One of tha all time great c.d.'s

Joe Cocker remains as the definitive blues voice of our times. Songs like When The Night Comes and You Can Leave Your Hat On, showcase Joe Cocker's talent. Although his work is not as strong as his work with A&M, this collection is in an class all by itself. This is an remarkable album.

Just a great walk down memory lane for those of us who love Joe and a great intro for those who are just getting to know him for the first time!

You know how you buy the cd for 1 song that you absolutely adore and then there are only a couple of other songs on there that you like enough to listen to all the way through? Not going to happen with this one. Get it! Hear it! Love it!

Great CD only thing that went wrong was the case it was shipped in was broken into 5 pieces..but not one scratch on the CD..LOL