Customer Reviews

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

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There are those that insist that "Mad Dogs & Englishmen," the 1970 record of the Joe Cocker tour, is the high point in the music career of the gravely voiced soul singer. I can see the reasons for the argument, but even with his once powerful voice worn away by alcohol abuse there is something to be said for his sense of phrasing in the later years. He still came up with a great howl on "When the Night Comes" and if I am only allowed to listen to one Joe Cocker track for the rest of eternity I am going to take the monster 9:27 long live version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" that is on "The Best of Joe Cocker." That being said, if you are talking about an entire album, then "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" is the one to go with, because Cocker live was always better than Cocker in the studio, not that this pronouncement is exactly news to anyone.

It helps to set the scene for the 1970 tour. Two years earlier Cocker had hit the top of the charts in the U.K. with his cover of the Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends," and when he sang the song at Woodstock he made a name for himself in the colonies. Leon Russell became Cocker's musical director and provided a second hit in England with "Delta Lady." Two albums came out in 1969, "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Joe Cocker!", both of which went gold. What makes this live album so amazing is that Cocker only sings one song form his first album (and it is not even the title cut but "Feelin' Alright") and only three cuts from the second: "Bird on a Wire," "Delta Lady" and another in a series of classic Beatles coves, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window." So out of 16 songs on the album, a dozen of them are "new" material for Cocker.

Of course such things are a lot easier when you are a cover artist rather than a singer-songwriter. This frees Cocker to come up with songs by the Rolling Stones ("Honky Tonk Woman") and Bob Dylan ("Girl From the North Country"). But whatever the songs a lot of the credit for Cocker's career and this album have to go to Leon Russell and Chris Stainton for coming up with the greatest live arrangements on the Sixties (Give me George Martin in the studio and Leon Russell). The concert was recorded at New York's Filmore East in the spring of 1970 (as a film as well as an album). There were almost two dozen musicians involved, giving a whole new meaning to Noel Coward's famous song title, and the result is the definitive mixture of rock 'n' roll soul with a big brassy sound and Russell's awesome piano playing behind Cocker's powerful vocals.

Part of the impressive result was a couple of Cocker standards in "Cry Me a River" and "The Letter." It was the cover of the later, originally by the Box Tops, that broke Cocker into the U.S. Top 10 for the first time. Other standout tracks include the slower "Superstar" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long, " along with "Give Peace a Chance." Of course, "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" went gold as well as if there are those who want to argue that Joe Cocker's first three albums were his best, it is hard to argue with them. My preference for this one as the best of the lot is based almost on much as it being a double-album as it being live, but the live part is still the key consideration.

The consistent energy level on this great recording of the outrageous Mad Dogs tour is quintessential Joe Cocker. His renditions of Cry Me a river, Delta Lady, The Letter, She Came In Through The Bathroom Window and others are definitive and find him pushing the limit while rocking the house down. Joe is backed by a virtual all-star band featuring Leon Russell, Chris Stainton, a crack horn and rhythm section, a soulful choir and many more.

This tour was incredible not only in the energetic performances Joe and his cohorts delivered every night, but also in the fact that Joe and his Mad Dog's entourage played 48 cities in 56 days! Coming off his sonic performance at Woodstock the previous summer, this was the ticket to get in 1970. Some may quibble about the recording sound, but for the sheer power of electrifying performances that cannot be matched in intensity. Joe had to recover after this tour from exhaustion as the energy exerted was genuine... a rocking joy from start to finish, this is a classic album!

Not much more can be said about the quality of these performances. Ragged in places, the energy more than makes up for any short comings (real or imaginary) with respect to the players. Leon Russell is a god, but that's getting into a whole other conversation. Simply put, this performance never disappoints. I wish I could say the same for the technical side.

Mad Dogs has been released numerous times on CD. The first two times were both 2CD sets, with the Mobile Fidelity gold set beating the A&M release easily. This was a small consolation. The 2CD A&M set was muddy, with poor separation, and plenty of hiss. The MoFi set was better, only in the fact that it was less muddy, and had a bit less hiss. The overall quality of both releases was poor, and because the MoFi release was on gold, the price of 2CDs would take a bite out of your wallet so bigyou had to skip a few meals.

The next two releases were both 1CD packages. The A&M release (the release this review is being attached to) has significant improvements in some areas, and new problems in others. With this release, A&M seems to have over compensated for their earlier mistakes. There is much more definition through the middle and high end, and at least as much hiss as last time. Between the two A&M releases, your better off getting the new one, and making system adjustments to compensate for the lack of low end.

The best solution, however, is to track down the 1CD gold (newer) release on MoFi. The dynamic range is good, with much less distortion. There's actual depth to the recording, with something vaguely resembling a soundstage. There is quite a bit of background chatter and what-not that remained hidden (to me) until this release. Tracking down a copy is going to be tough: MoFi This will become increasing difficult, as they have gone out of business earlier this year and MoFi's more popular titles (Mad Dogs was one) have gotten very expensive.

[UPDATE - 09 August 2011]

For those interested in the best sound quality, (or simply wanting to hear the shows as they actually were played) the two days worth of shows (four performances) have been released across six discs. The sound quality stomps all previous releases into the sonic dust. Highly Recommended.

So much happened in pop music from 1964-73 that looking back at it, all most people see are the highest peaks. We tend to forget the overall sense of discovery and excitement as the musicians of that time pushed ever forward to try something new, or to revive something old in a new way.

A case in point is this utterly enjoyable album by Joe Cocker, a document of a brief but memorable tour with a band that featured about 10 singers, 3 drummers, 2 horn players, and a great piano-organ-guitar-bass section featuring Leon Russell, Chris Stainton and Carl Radle. There were a lot of musicians on stage, making a stew of music that combined tambourine-shaking white and black gospel, sophisticated Ray Charles-type blues, and British rock. Very quickly, this style went out of style. Leon Russell's time in the limelight was short, as was Delaney and Bonnie's and they were the primary exponents of this sound. In truth, Joe Cocker was probably a strange choice to front a band like this--it's more of a Leon Russell production in many ways. But the combination works magically on this album. Cuts like "Honky Tonk Woman," and "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" rock out, while the middle section of the album featuring a couple of Ray Charles classics, "Drown in My Own Tears" and "Let's Go Get Stoned," and other R&B songs seem very close to Cocker's heart. Russell gives us the great "Delta Lady" and "Superstar" (sung by Rita Coolidge), and his piano dominates the album's biggest hits, "The Letter" and "Cry Me a River," in which he proves that almost any pop song can be sanctified. A few cuts fall short--the version of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country," sounds terrible, and Russell's "Give Peace a Chance" is the kind of repetitive chant that quickly became a self-parody of this style. But another hippie gospel number, "Space Captain" is a lot of fun, with the choir's well-timed oohs and aahs.

The thing that continually lifts up "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is the quality of the musicianship. Cocker is in great voice, the choir is very effective, the horn players make 2 players sound like 10, and the rhythm section is tight as a frog's eyelids. It's not surprising--there is a direct line on this album extending from Delaney and Bonnie, where a lot of the backup musicians came from, to George Harrison, who used many of the same rhythm players on "All Things Must Pass," and who played live in the Bengla Desh benefit with Leon Russell, to "Layla" in which Eric Clapton teamed with several of these musicians to become Derek and the Dominos. Like Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker was just passing through this musical community, but when they came together, brief as it was, they made something rather magical.

This has to be one of the greatest live rock albums ever recorded. When I was 12, I think I saw the movie 3 or 4 times, and played the two-record set until it was grooveless.

Cocker uses Leon Russell's masterful production abilities to put together a phenomenal, exciting road group, complete with solo recording artists Claudia Linnear, Rita Coolidge, and of course Russell himself.

The choice of songs is excellent. I'm not sure there was ever a better remake of "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" (if there was another one at all!), nor did anyone bring such soul and energy to songs like "The Letter" and "Honky Tonk Woman".
Russell's piano is exhilarating, and Cocker's voice on "Bird on a Wire", among others, is quintessentail soul. He IS the drunk in the midnight choir in the song.

Now, the question is..WHERE is the VHS of the tour movie I saw in the theater? I must have it!!

Joe Cocker's "Maddogs And Englishmen" is without question one of the greatest live rock albums ever made. Recorded in 1970 at New York's Fillmore East, Leon Russell assembled an allstar band and choir to back up Joe on a nation wide tour that played to full venues and rave reviews. If Joe's opening rendition of "Honky Tonk Woman" does not get you off your seat nothing will! Great live cuts like "Feelin Alright[featuring awesome Leon Russel guitar work], "Cry Me A River", "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", "Space Captain", "The Letter" and "Delta Lady" document the frenzy surrounding Joe Cocker in his young prime making this live recording along with the Allman Brothers "Live At The Fillmore" as the two greatest early 70's rock concerts ever recorded. If you have not seen the movie documentary of this tour I highly recommend you do. If you enjoyed "Woodstock", you will surely enjoy "Maddogs And Englishmen". A forty piece rock n roll band is not something you come across everyday, so sit back and enjoy this digitally remastered musical time capsule in the name of "COCKER POWER".

This CD is AWESOME! It is one of Joe Cocker's best and I never get tired of playing it. Some songs on the album which aren't well known were a great surprise. I particularly liked the duet between Joe and Leon Russell on "Girl From the North Country". Also "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" is stirring. One song which is rarely noted is "Space Captain" where Joe belts out some amazing deep phlegm sounding hollers that are amazing! This album was worth 10x the price for the amount of time I play it. Also- It introduced me to Leon Russell, who I now have become a big fan of as well.

Here is an album that is so full of raw energy and honest emotion that it should thrill anyone who loves rocking blues. Joe's backup band may have been put together in a hurry for this tour, but Leon did a fantastic job of organizing it and provides the backbone for the high level of energy that comes through every song. Joe is one of the best blues/rock artists to come out of the sixties and this album will always be timeless as a true classic of that era. Bravo Joe and Leon!

You will find to Joe Cocker in the peak of his powers . With that unmistakeable and grasping voice , and incredible energy loaded in every track.
Leon Russell- that living legend - support in the keyboards, the rhytmic section and the chords were absolutely outstanding .
Consider the Letter , Feeling alright , She came in through ... , Delta Lady or Cry me a river and listen them again in studio version . Once more you will notice that the great majority of the rock artists adcquired an additional histamine and powerful resource inspiring to perform and Joe got to me his masterpiece album .
Search the extraordinary and unbeatable version of Rita Coolidge singing Superstar.This performance is by far, much better than the Carpenters version , it inner mood is so much introspective , warm and deep.
An album without any hole . A timeless classic specially recommended for Cocker hard fans and for all those people who are reall interested in knowing what is going on in the two golden rock and roll ages : the sixties and the seventies .

The energy here is just ridiculous. It's obvious on Honky Tonk Woman, Let's Go Get Stoned, Space Captain, Feelin' Alright, Delta Lady, but even shows up on some of the slower tunes, such as Bird on a Wire, Blue Medley and Superstar. Speaking of Superstar, Rita Coodlige delivers a truly amazing vocal performance. Then there's Girl From the North Country...Joe Cocker and pianist Leon Russel team up and inject loads of emotion to one of my all-time favorite Dylan songs, Girl From the North Country. Space Captain is also a masterpiece, with well-placed "Ooh!"'s and "Aah!"'s from the Space Choir. Delta Lady and the Letter are also standouts, and let's not forget Cry Me A River. You should buy this if you like live music of any kind...take a bit of rock, add a bit of soul, and you get Mad Dogs, a landmark live recording.