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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you are going to listen to Joe Cocker, listen to him live, May 9, 2003
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.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is the second best (of four) CD releases., July 24, 2000
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.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joe in his Prime, June 24, 2000
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!
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is one of Joe Cocker's 99 releases. Browse Joe Cocker's Discography 
