Skip to content
Elly Roberts reviews
Heart and Soul
Parlophone (EMI)
- Released: September 2004
- Rating: 8/10
- Cat. No: 07243 8 66401 2 3
Track listing:
- 1. Whats Going On
2. Chain Of Fools
3. One
4. I Who Have Nothing
5. Maybe Im Amazed
6. I Keep Forgetting
7. I Put A Spell On You
8. Every kind Of People
9. Love Dont Live Here Anymore
10. Dont Let Me Be Lonely
11. Jealous Guy
12. Everybody Hurts
Paul Wellers just done it, The Beautiful South have just done it so why not Joe Cocker?
A covers album that is. Old gravel neck, returns with 12 standards on hisnew album Heart and Soul, celebrating 40 years since his first single in 1964This throaty, emotive pop-rock singer, born in Sheffield on 20 May 1944,certainly knows a thing or two about belting out a song. He made his impactcovering the Beatles‘ With A Little Help From My Friends back in1968.
He also made a huge impact at Woodstock the following year. At the 1988 PrincesTrust Concert, he showed Marti Pellow (of Wet Wet Wet) the door, as he joinedhim, and blew him off stage a truly wonderful moment ! It now seems appropriatehe seeks out other classics. Its not the first time hes gone into thisterritory, as he regularly includes one or two on albums he consistently does wellwith across mainland Europe. Its loaded with top class musicians SteveLukathur (Toto) Jeff Skunk Baxter (ex – Steely Dan), Jeff Beck (ex-Yardbirds),Dean Parks, and yes – Eric Clapton.
Collectively, they provide the perfect backdrop for this ballsy blast: itsno more than youd expect, knowing his vocal reputation. Its not all out andout rock though, as he tenderly handles some fantastic songs from the likesof Paul McCartney, Marvin Gaye, U2, and Rose Royce. At the core of it is RnBand Soul, with a kind of Blues Brothers feel.
Most of it works to perfection, there are some duff ones though like Jealous Guy(who could ever match Roxy Musics version?) Best bits are Chain Of Fools,One, Maybe Im Amazed and Every Kind Of People.
Cocker recently said, “Its not about trying to better something. Itsabout trying to add a little flavour of your own.” Hes certainly donethat and how.
Weblink: Joe Cocker.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.