Live at Woodstock

Joe Cocker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B002NOYWZA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,813 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Joe's career took off after singing his his amazing interpretation of With a Little Help from My Friends at Woodstock. But did you know that the rest of his Woodstock set remains unreleased? Here's the whole set, for the first time: the Beatles tune; Feelin' Alright; Dear Landlord; Just Like a Woman; I Shall Be Released; I Don't Need No Doctor , and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historic Joe Cocker Performance!, October 6, 2009

By 

Anthony Accordino (Massapequa Park, New York United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Live at Woodstock (Audio CD)

This past August, marked the 40th anniversary of the three day arts and music festival in upstate New York, known as Woodstock. Lots of books and recordings have been released to commemorate the event, and finally, one of the events defining moments, Joe Cocker's complete sixty-two minute set has been released in its entirety. When Joe Cocker arrived at Woodstock, he already had a reputation, thanks to his fantastic debut album "With A Little Help From My Friends", which was released six months prior to the festival, in Feb 1969. Having been on the road and touring, Joe and the Grease band were well rehearsed, which resulted in one of the best performances of the entire festival. The cd captures Cocker giving outstanding renditions of Dylan's, "Just Like A Woman", and "I Shall Be Released", that both have emotional overtones, that few young rock singers of the day could match. His take on the classic "Let's Go Get Stoned", is far superior to even the fine version on the live album "Mad dogs & Englishmen". A real treat here is his 12 minute reading of "I Don't Need No Doctor", which put on display the heart and soul of a singer that Joe Cocker became famous for. Such standard staple are here, like the hit "Feeling Alright", and some tunes like "Dear Landlord", and Hitchcock Railway", that were slated for release on his then upcoming album "Joe Cocker!" The set of course ends with his majestic take on "With A Little help From My Friends', a song and perfomance which essentially stole the movie, and put Joe Cocker on the map as a major rock n roll attraction during that era. When one thinks of Woodstock, almost everyone who was there, or old enough to remember that classic rock era, can still picture Joe Cocker in his multi-colored dyed t-shirt, as the lasting symbol of a truly historic musical event that will be remembered for all times. Today, Joe Cocker is 65 years old, and still making music and touring to rave reviews, but no one in the annals of Rock will ever forget his performance on an upstate farm in the summer of 1969.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly better than Mad Dogs...., October 15, 2009

By 

J. L. Kaminski - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Live at Woodstock (Audio CD)

After listening to this latest Woodstock release, I was totally blown away. Cocker's voice has always been highly praised, but one cannot overlook the musicianship of his Grease Band. The five that backed him, (Spenner, Stainton, McCullough, Hubbard?, & Rowland) sound like an "R&B Symphony." The recording's fidelity is also striking as I feel like the band is right in the room. Spenner and McCullough's fret work is raw, Stainton fills all gaps with his B-3 and Wurlitzer piano, and Rowland covers the job of a full percussion section. This recording has a more down home feel than Mad Dogs......due to the fact that its not 35 people playing one tune and that everyone actually knows their part in each song. This is the group that backed Cocker on his second album, therefore the intricate grooves of Dear Landlord are right on as are the the rest of the cuts. Cocker's repertoire choice is also spot on. Of all the Woodstock recordings, this one appears the most intimate and a good starting point for those who want to really hear Cocker pull out all the stops. Highly recomemded.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a performance!!!, October 18, 2009

By 

swansong (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Live at Woodstock (Audio CD)

I am so glad this recording has finally been released, and I encourage anyone who loves music to check it out. It's clear that Joe Cocker and The Grease Band had played these songs numerous times before arriving at Woodstock, yet everyone in the band is committed to each note. Their energy builds throughout the set. The Dylan songs are performed with such reverence to the lyric, and the band makes every song their own. The power of " With a Little Help From My Friends" is even more intense heard in context with the rest of the set. Joe and the Grease Band create an unforgettable musical experience in the deliberate pacing of their set. With just the right amount of musical contrast and relief, the audience is treated to one of the best performances of the festival. This performance has passion and power throughout, and stands as a testimony that 40 years ago in a muddy field in upstate New York, a musical performance would stand the test of time.