Product: Joe Cocker: Across from Midnight (1997)
Rating: 4.0
Berlin Stories
Stupendous account of all Cocker's greatest hits, plus some miscellaneous tracks that Cocker management hoped wlould launch a second cemback for the Sheffield-born "monster voice" who brought down the house at Woodstock way back when, but in recent years he's been more of a Heritage Rock act, that is, if people remember him at all. Even John Belushi's imitation of him has lost some of its punch for we aren't accustomed to seeing the two-ton powerhouse flail spastically, his head bobbing up and down towards the skies, then back to the footlights, on our stages on a regular basis. Be that as it may, Cocker's comeback didn't really take. "Across From Midnight" is a sturdy enough tune but it won't set young hearts afire--middle aged ones either, and I don't think you'll harm yourself by skipping forward this one on the DVD.The amazing this is the power this man generates at age 55. Mehtinks he'll be going this way at age 80, astonishing when we thought he would never live till he his 30th birthday. He seemed like one of those mutant freaks like Rondo Hatton born to have an early disabling death. And here he is still going strong when seemingly healhier specimens have long retired or even gone to their graves to push up the daisies.I always thought putting Joe Cocker in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA would be a good idea.He has the angelic beast sounds that you need for a good rousing rendition of MUSIC OF THE NIGHT.Here he moans his way through CRY ME A RIVER with much of the power of the old days, and puts Leon Russell in the shade with his majestic, tormented DELTA LADY, which he might try reviving now for Katrina Relief, I think it would go down a storm. I saw him in 2002 and he had sensibly enough dropped the failed "Across from Midnight" from his set list and was once agaion concentrating on the old tried and trues like THE LETTER, UP WHERE WE BELONG, SUMMER IN THE CITY and of course, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS. More power to him and long may he gargle!