Joe Cocker Alright

Joe Cocker's debut album holds up extraordinarily well across four decades, the singer's performance bolstered by some very sharp playing, not only by his established sideman/collaborator Chris Stainton, but also some top-notch session musicians, among them drummer Clem Cattini, Steve Winwood on organ, and guitarists Jimmy Page and Albert Lee, all sitting in. It's Cocker's voice, a soulful rasp of an instrument backed up by Madeline Bell, Sunny Weetman and Rossetta Hightower that carries this album and makes "Change in Louise," "Feeling Alright," "Just Like a Woman," "I Shall Be Released," and even "Bye Bye Blackbird" into profound listening experiences. But the surprises in the arrangements, tempo, and approaches taken help make this an exceptional album. Tracks like "Just Like a Woman," with its soaring gospel organ above a lean textured acoustic and light electric accompaniment, and the guitar-dominated rendition of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" – the formal debut of the Grease Band on record – all help make this an exceptional listening experience.

After starting out as an unsuccessful pop singer (working under the name Vance Arnold), Joe Cocker found his niche singing rock and soul in the pubs of England with his superb backing group, the Grease Band. He hit number one in the U.K. in November 1968 with his version of the Beatles' "A Little Help from My Friends." His career really took off after he sang that song at Woodstock in August 1969…

The Life Of A Man, brings together the hits of Joe Cocker into the first comprehensive hits collection for 12 years, and the first package ever to cover his entire career from 1968 to his untimely passing in 2014. Cocker was raised on blues and grew up in Sheffield inspired by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Lightnin’ Hopkins. These influences are evident in Cocker’s idiosyncratic style of vocals which adds a rough edge to the most delicate of melodies. Cocker began making a name for himself in the UK initially, with his prolific and powerful voice lending itself tastefully to love songs which lyrically juxtaposed with his gruff voice. This stunning collection features the international hit, With A Little Help From My Friends and the Grammy Award winning smash duet, Up Where We Belong.

Another one-stop shop from Universal's 20th Century Masters Millennium Collection, here's all the Joe Cocker you need in one packed-with-hits single-disc collection. Kicking off with "Feelin' Alright," "With a Little Help From My Friends," and "Delta Lady," the set also includes his later hits like "You Are So Beautiful" and his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong." This may only clock in at 11 tracks, but it's a very potent little package and highly recommended as the perfect starter set.

Greatest Hits features most, but not all (no "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" or "It's a Sin When You Love Somebody"), of his biggest hits from the early '70s. Nevertheless, there's plenty of fine music here, making the record a solid compilation.

Calling something "The Ultimate Collection" is fraught with problems – usually of omission. Certainly over these two discs – containing a total of 30 tracks – there are plenty of fine moments from some of Joe Cocker's earliest material, such as "The Letter," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Delta Lady," "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," etc. Also present are virtually all of his later hits and some that should have been: "Up Where We Belong," "You Are So Beautiful," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Leave Your Hat On," etc. But there's just too much that isn't here. Where are "Bird on a Wire" and "Hitchcock Railway," for starters? Nonetheless, given the length of Cocker's career, this is not an unusual complaint. One thing that is unique about this set – other than the fine sound – is the sequencing that crisscrosses over the breadth and chronology of Cocker's discography.

The Collection is a compilation album by Joe Cocker, released in 1986 by Castle Communications.