The legendary Joe Cocker released two albums in 1969. Joe Cocker! is the second one, where he brings his patented soulful and bluesy ways to mostly covers. This reissue sees the 10 tracks on black vinyl, and its release coincided with Cocker’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.
“Dear Landlord” starts with Cocker’s unmistakable and gritty voice alongside the lively piano, frisky drumming and Alan Spenner’s quick bass via the Bob Dylan tune. “Bird On A Wire,” by Leonard Cohen, follows with a calmer mood of poeticism and beauty, though Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” picks the pace up with plenty of rhythm and blues nods.
Entering the middle, the energetic and raw “She Came In Through The Bathroom” welcomes Jimmy Page’s well-timed pedal steel to the Lennon and McCartney classic, while the raspy and playful “Hitchcock Railway” enlists plenty of soulful backing vocals to illuminate Don Dunn’s vision. “That’s Your Business,” a Cocker original with Chris Stainton, then relies much on piano and expressive singing.
A couple of Leon Russell tunes arrive near the end. “Delta Lady” flirts with gospel ideas in its powerful and warm delivery, and “Hello, Little Friend” takes that lead into minimal versus busy moments of vintage rock ideas. “Darling Be Home Soon” exits, and makes for a touching, romantic version of the John Sebastian tune.
Cocker would see this album reach #11 on the Billboard 200, but he parted ways with the musicians, a.k.a. the Grease Band, soon after due to disagreements about touring. He would assemble a new band pretty quickly, and release several albums in the ’70s.
Many of the original artists praised Cocker’s versions of their songs and it’s easy to see why; his ability to pour his heart and soul into each moment made for a truly engaging and diverse experience, much like everything he did during his career.
