AMG Review of Classic Cocker

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

Capitol's Classic Cocker contains 19 original and re-recorded tracks spanning the raspy-voiced singer's eight-year stint with the label. It should be noted that his late-'60s hits "With a Little Help from My Friends," "The Letter," and "Feeling Alright" aren't the definitive versions heard on Mad Dogs & Englishmen, but later performances taken from the 1990 Joe Cocker Live album (and "Delta Lady" is from 1996). Only "You Are So Beautiful" and his number one 1992 duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," are the original charted versions. This isn't to suggest that Classic Cocker is second-rate; his rocking version of Gary Wright's "Love Is Alive" and a relaxed reggae take on the Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" are recommended, but fans should be aware that this compilation doesn't encapsulate Cocker's ~Woodstock-era peak.