The Best of Joe Cocker
Known for his crazy man gyrations, sandpaper and gravel voice, and a destructive alcoholism that imbued his songs with a desperate edge, Joe Cocker set forth with a British blues sound nearly impossible to beat. This collection features his later work. The demons controlled, he's transformed himself into an adult-contemporary singer who can deliver the pathos on cue. The simple elegance of his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," catapulted him back into the spotlight and his work since has been a graceful bow to that accomplishment. He's restrained these days but he still delivers that sad, lonely tune as only someone who's been there can.--Rob O'Connor