Mad Dogs & Englishmen was the first Joe Cocker record I listened to in its entirety. With a little help from the likes of Leon Russell, as well as Rita Coolidge, of course, it is a sensational album. With live renditions of the likes of "Space Captain" and "The Letter", I was sold on the album in no time. But for a while now, I feel I needed a studio album to really further whet my appetite and appreciate Joe Cocker a bit more. So I've decided to try and listen to Joe Cocker! from 1969. And it's an absolute beauty. Perhaps I shouldn't have said "try" - listening to it is effortless, because it is so bloody good. There is not a single rubbish song on the album - "Hello, Little Friend" is probably the "least good" song on the album, and I say "least good" because to use the word "worst" would be somewhat overkill in a way and would insinuate that the song is bad when in truth, it is nothing of the sort. His legacy as a cover artist is well noted here - anybody who has heard "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" can testify to that - and the songs that I didn't know before, such as "Dear Landlord" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" I have a lot to thank for one of the better Sunday arvos I've had in a while. And don't get me started on "That's Your Business" - that'd be my top pick here for sure. One thing is for certain here - I'm going to buy this album, and perhaps you should too. It's a shame I'll be waiting for what seems like an eternity for the damn thing to arrive. A+
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