Heart & Soul

by

Joe Cocker

Edit

These days people my age (mid 50's) are hard pressed to find any worthwhile new recordings to purchase. That is why I usually revert to buying anthologies. Joe Cocker's new studio release "Heart and Soul" is just about the best new album I have heard come down the pike in quite some time. To begin with, Joe Cocker is not some aging rocker whose skills have diminished and is just trying to hang on. Rather, Joe Cocker is still a very viable artist who according to my ears has not lost it one bit.

"Heart and Soul" offers the listener a dozen outstanding tracks including Joe's brand new single release "One" which was written by U2. Nice tune. Most of the rest of "Heart & Soul" features new arrangements of some very familiar hits sung in the inimitable Cocker style. I found Joe's treatment of the old Ben E. King classic "I (Who Have Nothing)" to be absolutely stunning. I also was moved by his rendition of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" and by "Every Kind of People" a hit made famous by Robert Palmer in the late 1970's. A very underrated song! Joe Cocker also does a surprisingly fine job on Marvin Gaye's groundbreaking composition "What's Going On". And I would be remiss if I failed to mention his terrific remake of the old Screamin' Jay Hawkins song "I Put A Spell On You". Joe is one of only a handful of artists who could pull off that one off!

So whether you are in the market for some brand new music or find this disc attractive simply for old times sake "Heart and Soul" is sure to tickle your fancy. Unlike the embarrassing stuff Rod Stewart is churning out these days Joe Cocker has turned out an album he can really be proud of. I am quite confident it is a disc that you will play again and again. Highly recommended!!!