Customer Reviews

Joe Cocker

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Year was 1969, and Joe Cocker was a hot ticket in the circles of rock n roll. His recent performance at Woodstock and his powerful debut album, "With A Little Help From My Friends", was enough to skyrocket him to the equivalent of a rock n roll rookie of the year. "Joe Cocker!" his 1969 sophmore effort proved to be even better then his debut album. Critically acclaimed by almost every rock critic alive, the album shot up into the top ten and became one of the big sellers of the year. One can instantly feel the driving power in the voice of Joe Cocker, in his absolute prime. Tunes like "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window" and "Delta Lady" are bare bones late 1960's hard rock done to perfection. The album also has a soul and gospel feel that is unmatched by any white classic rocker of that generation[he is the male version of janis Joplin]. The gospel choir sound on such tunes as "Darling Be Home Soon", "Hello Little Friend" and "Hitchcock Railway" are simply phenominal. His cover of George Harrison's "Something" is the best rock interpretation of that song ever waxed. His painful and emotional version of "Something" turns the Beatle classic into his own musical statement, that to this day remains the definitve alternate take on the song. Leon Russell did a great production job along with Denny Cordell. The allstar choir consisted of Bonnie Bramlett, Rita Coolidge, and Merry Clayton. The band assemled for this album included; Leon Russell and Cocker's own grease band consisting of Chris Stainton, Henry McCullough, Bruce Rowland, Alan Spenner and Paul Humphries. In the liner notes it states that Eric Clapton while listening to the finished product told producer Cordell "Oh man, this is a hit, this is a real hit". Indeed it was a hit, and the finest studio album Joe Cocker has ever put out. "Joe Cocker!" is also one of the greatest rock albums of alltime.

It is silly to give this cd anything but a five star rating. First, there is the excellent choice of tunes. When it originally came out it was considered hip, funky, and powerful. Here's an Englishman sounding like Ray Charles doing Dylan, Beatles, Cohen, John Sebastian, and Leon Russell (who produced this). Secondly, the thing sociologically reeks of prime hippie era panache. If you were around when this came out then you'll understand, if you didn't then this is an excellent blues based example of counter culture rock with a tinge of country.

JOE COCKER is the best album by the singer of the same name. He ranks up there with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and way above Jim Morrison, as one of the great performers of the 60s. If the others had survived, music might be much more interesting than the garbage we have coming out today. (Take your Pearl Jam and N-Sync CDs and shove 'em.) This guy not only survived, but has made some great recent records, notably 2002's RESPECT YOURSELF. Anyway, this CD has several versions of Beatles songs that tear the great originals to shreds, as well as a couple of exceptional versions of Leon Russell compositions, and a rendition of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling Be Home Soon" that blows the original away any time you hear the two back-to-back. "Hitchcock Railway" is also great, and the bonus cut "She's Good To Me" is a wondrous Cocker/Stainton original that shows Cocker equally capable of writing original material as well as interpreting the works of others. Pointing out other highlights is pointless, as this album must be heard as a whole to be fully appreciated. You cannot afford to be without this album.

Joe's second album, Joe Cocker!, is a pretty solid work, and just barely escapes a 5 star rating (it gets like a 4.5 or so). Cocker's singing is the main attraction of course, along with his raucous gospel/R&B sensibilities. These are used to great effect all throughout, on both his original material and the covers. To begin with, Cocker has always been the master of cover songs, and there are some gems on this album. The best is George Harrison's Something, and he wisely capitalizes on the great chorus to make this a truly great track. His rendition of John Sebastian's Darling Be Home Soon is also quite nice (great organ solo). The biggest highlights of all for me are Hitchcock Railway and Delta Lady. Hitchcock Railway is a seriously awesome and very underrated tune, and I would probably donate my organs if it meant I could own the piano they recorded it on. Leon Russell's Delta Lady is a little more well known, and is probably the best song on the album. It combines several musical styles (R&B, gospel, classical, and some rock) to create one of the most satisfying songs he's ever recorded. I just wish it was a bit longer, since the repeating chorus at the end is so cool. There are some songs that aren't as good as the ones I've mentioned, but the good songs are more than good enough to make this worth the price. There's even a SUPER mellow version of The Beatles' Let It Be that was previously unreleased. Anyway, this album's a good time, and is certainly essential for Cocker fans.

Hot studio team and great song selection make this a good disk. Joe screams his head off like a white Ray Charles on acid. Take a stroll down memory lane and play this loud.

Joe Cocker/ Joe Cocker!: Joe knows how to entertain and he takes up right where he left off from his first album. The results are great (if a tad weaker than his debut). This one has more of his classic recordings but the song that I love the most on here is his great version of "Hitchcock Railroad" (but everybody will have at least one favorite on this CD). Not as powerful than his first, but still a solid five-star CD. There is a remastered CD with two good bonus tracks on it, if I were buying this for the first time, I'd get the bonus tracks CD.

Great, great CD. Had the vinyl in the 70's. Every song is great. This was the time when he used to have Leon Russel in his band. I saw Cocker in performance in Seattle in the early 70's. Complete with red, white and blue stripped pants with platform shoes. He was amazing. The is before that time. A real rockin/blues CD. You can't go wrong with this one.

I was going to download the other version of this, which is $8.99, but for 50 cents more I get Joe's take on Let It Be, so it's worth the small change.

In the music industry a lot of artists "break through" with their debut album (OK, CD), but Joe Cocker's sophomore effort proved to eclipse his debut. It is one of those fantastic albums that, every time I play it, takes me back to 1969, 1970 -- a heady, lively time to be coming of age. So much great music was made from 1968 or so until 1972 (in my mind, the high-water years for rock).

Joe Cocker! clearly belongs in the pantheon of "essential owning" for fans of classic rock. It's one of those albums (ok, CDs, or downloads...) that I can play in my mind, song-for-song, without it even being on. But playing it is even sweeter. Every single song just hits me in my soul. It's such a spiritual experience to listen to -- and to be carried back to my youth, when I was still excited about the future and what it held.

If you like this, I recommend Live at Woodstock, which is available as a CD and as a download, and contains a live performance that is equal to, if not better, than the Legacy (expanded!) edition of Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

Joe's had a nice, long career, and it's always nice to see him live, though he's cut back significantly on the touring. However, these recordings will live on long after he has gone to the Great Beyond. And first in line among his greatest his is, IMHO, his sophomore album (ok, CD, download...): JOE COCKER!

Get it!

Joe Cocker has a really beautiful voice that's admittedly, not a voice everyone can get into. I think just about everyone would like his debut album. "Hitchcock Railway" is a good-time bluesy song with nice piano bits and female vocals backing up the main vocal melody. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is another really nice song. Not as good as the Beatles song, though. "Delta Lady" is probably the highlight. Beautiful song. Great album overall.

A & M has done an uncharacteristically good job on remastering the early Cockers. The sound here is just beautiful, with a sharpness and clarity lacking on the previous version. If you liked the original, you'll hear stuff on this version you never heard before. Don't buy it for the bonus tracks--She's Good To Me is so-so and Let It Be gets a bit tedious after awhile.