3 comments about Roots Music: An American Journey.

1. Sure, it's a Rounder marketing product. A collection of their artists, some new, some familiar, offered to entice us to buy.... NICE JOB Rounder! This is also another home run collection of top quality artists presented with fine liner notes and exceptional production. Get it! LOVE IT!



2. Rounder Records has always done an incredible job of putting together compilations and making the music sound alive. This collection celebrates 30 years of Rounder, and is a great overview of the label, as well as a taster for anyone looking to check out some truly alternative music. The mixture is very eclectic; much like American culture, blending and weaving through musical styles. The set features Blues, Folk, Cajun, Bluegrass, Celtic and much more.

   A highly recommended listening experience.




3. Think of this as an update on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music. Showing up on the heels of the wide success of the "O Brother..." soundtrack and just before the PBS American Roots Music series, this is a worthy collection of samples of the work of contemporary artists working in the earthy music forms from whence it all sprang. From acapella gospel to zydeco with old-time, bluegrass, blues, New Orleans brass and Hawaiian tunes sandwiched in between. What can you say? It's Rounder, for Pete's sake!

5 comments about Love and the Russian Winter.

1. Very uptempo offering from Simply Red, especially the first two tracks: "Spirit of Life", and "Ain't That Alot of Love". Followed by one of the most powerful metaphors regarding drug addiction that I've ever heard in "The Sky is a Gypsy". As well, Mick Hucknall can't resist adding a bit of his transendental theology in a beautiful piece regarding the Universe as God, something he seemed to first elucidate on in the 1997 release Life. Thankfully, he hasn't lost his sense of social justice as is evident in a powerful piece titled "Man Made the Gun." All in all yet another substantial selection of the lyrical - melodic genius that we have come to expect from Simply Red.



2. A few weak songs, but some real heavies in there like "Thank You". I rate this one as the 4th best of Red's stuff. Life, Stars, Blue, then this one. I know that a lot of purests will call me names because they like the earlier stuff, but I feel they fall that way. Buy this one - can't go wrong.



3. My wife and I love this album. A great mix of songs with lovely singing.
   A great late night or driving Album
   Superb effort!



4. My first contact into SR's music was with "Stars". It was a great album, and i loved the fact they composed real great R&B songs without giving up too much to electronica and giving some room for experimentation. Though i basically don't know their older albums, SR was a band worth listening and following. That is why i bought "Russian Winter"... and what a dissapointment.

   The cd is basically plain, dull and with no feeling. Joyness is not Hucknall's business, and the songs sound fake, with no feeling, or with emotions being stretched. Do not buy it. You won't regret it.




5. THIS IS THE WORST C.D. I HAD EVER BOUGHT. HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS SIMPLY RED. MICK? WHAT HAPPENED? BLASE' ....

5 comments about Renaissance.

1. 'Renaissance' is one of Lionel's best records, this cd is a diverse musical journey, from strong ballads with latin beats, alittle R&B, & dance, and Lionel's voice is great as ever! I feel this cd is so underrated and it should've done better!, 'Don't Stop The Music' great song that could've been a major dance hit, and the wonderful 'Cinderella' this cd is another great addition to the Lionel Richie catalog.



2. ...he tells us; I reply: Don't Stop The Music! This is a REAL RENAISSANCE for Richie! After JUST FOR YOU, I can hardly wait what the next treat is going to be!



3. The cd is very very wonderful, and I love all the songs including the three songs that appealed my interest. I'll tell you what my story is to those three songs, then, I'll give those
   songs a score-take it from me I'm a poet I been writing poetry about 10 years now since 1993 when I was about 15 years old: (1)"Angel" in the song where it say's "when I find myself believing there's no place to go, when I feel the loneliness inside my heart" that's talking about how a girl feels sad trying to take her heart somewhere to express her feelings is nowhere but to take it in prayer to her only-begotten father (God) from up above, and although she is felt in despair all she
   wants to did is to cry as many times she wants because she had her feelings hurt by someone wants to find someone else in her family to love she keeps telling herself 'if a heart and love had a pair of wings from getting its feelings hurt, where would it live?'the answer to that question is 'it would be in the arms
   of comfort to be encouraged by one's well-chosen words of power of understanding'-I give that a 25, (2)"Cinderella" in the song where it say's "she is a gentle flower" that's talking about a gorgeous prince see's that he hears from her tone that she is graceful and kind to people in the way she speaks to them because she is a princess-I give that a 25, and (3)"Here Is My Heart" in the song where it say's "there's a time in your life for believing that impossible dream in your heart when you find in one magical moment the one you search for from the start" that's talking about an ordinary girl see's her life as nothing all a sudden when she saw the movie "Cinderella" she knew that she was a princess so that girl found that dream that she wanted to be her so she did her dream finally came true look at that girl now she's a princess forever and ever and she saw that her real life is a fairy tale life like an opened fairy tale book that she is the next Cinderella, modern day Cinderella-I give that a 25. Like I said, I gave three scores for those three songs both 25. I recommend this cd for everyone out there who are big Lionel Richie's fan like me.



4. It's Grammy time! If it were in my power, I'd give the nominees from Lionel Richie's Renaissance the following awards:

   BEST DANCE TUNE: Angel was the first hit, and it's no surprise that the producer from Cher's Believe gave it a similar sound but thankfully without the vocoder. (Those are used only for people who can't sing.) Here is My Heart is almost technopop, and the very disco-fied Don't Stop The Music will really have you reaching for the platform shoes (if you aren't already tall, like I am)! A couple of songs actually go beyond funk and "old school" and dive headlong into (gasp) Hip-hop! The beat-box influence is strong in Wasted Time and the sultry Don't You Ever Go Away. However, the award goes to Tonight, a good old-fashioned funk jam such as I used to hear when I was a teenager and used to hear Lionel's voice fronting the Commodores. (Showing my age as well as his!) It's VERY hard to sit still with this fun tune with its heavy bass and percussion.

   BEST LATIN-INFLUENCED NUMBERS: Enrique or especially Marc Anthony should beg to record either Cinderella or Dance the Night Away! Of the two nominees, the award goes to Cinderella, which I feel should have been the first single.

   BEST BALLAD: Tender Heart is a beautiful ballad I'm sure will enjoy a long life on someone else's album. The wistful Piece of My Heart and It May Be The Water both deserve honorable mention. But one ballad in particular, How Long, is not only the one song Lionel Richie wrote without collaboration, it's also the one definitive Lionel Richie song on the album. It not only gets Best Ballad, but Best Song.

   BEST ALBUM PACKAGE: Sorry, no winners here! The photos on the booklet and cover of Renaissance look as though a Richard Avedon wannabe took over the design! They remind me of the strange poses on the first Johnny Mathis Broadway album from 1960.

   In the category of MOST SHAMELESSLY NEGLECTED RECORDING FOR 2001, the winner is: Lionel Richie's Renaissance! Here is a recording by someone who can write great songs and who can actually sing without infusing every syllable with the electronic tricks and the vocal gymnastics that today's pop music artists seem hooked on. Lionel Richie has a voice that, unlike today's crop of boy/girl groups or any number of young female country singers, is instantly recognizable after the first two notes.

   Obviously a student of classic true singers such as Johnny Mathis before him, and Nat Cole before that, as well as of the classic writers like Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow, Richie has apparently learned that to master your craft, even at the risk of being unpopular, means your career will have staying power in the long run. For that, I bestow the final award of the evening, the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, to Lionel Richie.

   Oh oh, there's still a couple minutes left, so I'd like to mention an award that was given before the broadcast:

   For failing to recognize the genius in this album with even a single nomination, I award the Grammy nomination committee LIFETIME LOSER AWARD. These are repeat winners of this award, folks. To my mind, there is plenty of single material here for those who care about such things, dance tunes that should go over well in the clubs, and I'd really be surprised if one of these songs didn't find its way onto a movie soundtrack at some point. Lionel Richie has his market. The fact that NARAS can't find a category to put good music in is no fault of his. It's their loss.




5. These songs, while very contemporary, remind me of his music in his heyday. This is one of the best CD's I purchased in a long time. Not a track I don;t like.

5 comments about Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye - Tribute to Roky Erickson.

1. Roky Erickson is one of those artists that are few in number. Roky is a genius there is just no other way to put it.
   
   When you listen to this album the evidence of that genius is that each song sounds like it was written by or for the artist covering it. That songs can be that malleable have that much space to them that you would think that Julian Cope or the Judybats were playing their own music is testament to how timeless true art is. You hear that same beauty when listening to Roky just playing guitar and singing by himself on one of his own albums. True quality is always evident no matter what the wrappings.
   
   Though Roky has had troubled times his brother stepped up and took things over in order to protect Roky's interests and has guided him back to the world of performing and a rebirth of his career. He got a great reception at the 2007 Coachella festival and that's from a crowd of teenagers and twenty somethings who have never heard of him.
   
   I normally can not stand tribute albums but I can't recommend this one enough.



2. Roky Erickson was one of the 13th Floor Elevators, a legendary and very strange psychedelic garage band from Texas in the 1960s. He subsequently went solo and, rather famously, went a bit mad, resulting in his incarceration in a psychiatric hospital where he was given electroconvulsive treatment.
   
   He struggled through the 70s and 80s and it was, oddly enough, with the production and release of this album that his fortunes began to revive. He had had little idea of how many people admired his music, but this album is a treasure trove of great alternative 80s bands - people like Thin White Rope, Bongwater, Angry Samoans, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Sister Double Happiness rub shoulders with 70s heroes like Doug Sahm, T-Bone Burnett, Richard Lloyd and ZZ Top. There is not a duff track on this album; every song is given loving and imaginative treatment, and the result is one of the weirdest, most tuneful and most invigorating albums of that particularly uninspiring period in pop music history (1980-1992 or so).
   
   I am glad to see that this album is still available. So is Roky Erickson. In 2001, his younger brother Sumner was given legal custody of him, and he saw to it that Roky was (for perhaps the first time in his life) given appropriate medical and legal treatment, including medication to control his schizophrenia - which he has since succeeded in weaning himself off. As a result, Roky Erickson is now able to look after himself, drive his own car, play live, tour and even, it's said, record; he was last heard of as being in the studio with fan and fellow Texan Billy Gibbons. Cheers to him, and to his family. The Roky Erickson story is not yet over.



3. This has got to be one of the best tribute albums I have ever heard. Before it, I had never even heard of Roky Erickson (who is credited with coining the term "psychedelic" to describe the type of music his band was playing) or the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. But after listening to it, I was inspired to go out and find most of the original versions of these songs. The bands offering their interpretation of Erickson's songs include big name groups like REM and ZZ Top as well as many lesser new wave groups. (Incidentally, in addition to the tracks listed above from the CD, the cassette contains bonus tracks We Sell Souls by Lyres and White Faces by the Angry Samoans.)



4. I hate to admit this but this was my first exposure the width of Roky Erickson's talent. To hear these songs done by bands/musicians that I liked, was to open a whole new door of music to me. Roky deserves better than he has gotten. Hopefully people will keep finding this and going on the discover Roky and other unsung heroes of music.



5. This is a tribute album to Roky Erickson. Erickson was the lead singer of the 13th Floor Elevator and later performed solo. Roky was (and is) a mentally disturbed individual, who wrote very strange songs. Here, 19 artists perform 18 of his songs ("Reverberation" is covered twice). Most of the performances are good and this album will hopefully bring attention to this cult hero.

5 comments about Make Him Do Right.

1. A great album. She will always have a beautiful voice. I love all the songs except for the upbeat songs. The upbeat songs sound rushed and oudated, but they are older. However, if you listen to the slower songs only it would be 5 stars.



2. This CD was Karyn's best by far and truly did not get the radio play it deserved! Nearly every song is wonderful! Any true R & B fan past or present will definitely enjoy Make Him Do Right. We miss you Karyn, but thanks for the music.



3. Karyn White was most popular in the late `80s. Some of her contemporaries included Pebbles, Jody Watley and Paula Abdul. Karyn probably received the least success of the three, but, ironically, I feel that she's the most talented. She has a great vocal range and impressive control of her voice. She is best known for her mega-hit, "Superwoman." I really enjoyed all of her music which used to get a decent amount of airplay, and I wanted a closer look at her, so I listened to "Make Him Do Right." I really enjoyed it! This is Karyn's third album and it is great all across the board (production-wise, lyrically and vocally.) Jimmy Jam and her former husband, Terry Lewis produced this album, and Babyface also stepped up to compose a few numbers.
   
   There are few up-tempo tracks on "Make Him Do Right", but that is alright with me because I love ballads and mid-tempos. The few up-tempos on this album are the weakest on the album, and Karyn sounds akin to Shanice on her upbeat tracks. That is a huge compliment because Shanice is an extraordinary, yet unsung, vocalist. "Hungah", "Weakness" and "Simple Pleasures" are the only fast songs, but they don't make the album. It's the slower numbers that capitalizes her vocal talent on, and I enjoy every minute. "Can I Stay With You?" is such a masterpiece! This song is so sensual, yet very tasteful. Karyn's voice sparkles like a rhinestone bra! It's the albums strongest cut. "I'm Your Woman" and "Make Him Do Right" have memorable lyrics. "I'm Your Woman" is about being delighted to be in a good relationship with a certain gentleman. Also worth mentioning is the production and hook on this track, simply lovely they both are! "Make Him Do Right" is another anthem for the ladies, just as "Superwoman" was. This song is about not settling for less than great treatment from your object of affection.
   
   If you are into an R&B diva with great vocals, true and well-written lyrics, and an undeniable sincerity in her voice, pick this album up today! Karyn, please come back to the music business and show some of these little girls how to really sing! You are unforgettable, and that is why I'm writing a review for your album, which was released in 1994.
   
   Mikeisha's Top 5
   
   1. "Can I Stay With You?"
   2. "I'm Your Woman"
   3. "I'd Rather Be Alone"
   4. "Nobody But My Baby"
   5. "Make Him Do Right"



4. I concur with all of the glowing reviews for this Karyn White album. It was one of my favorites, from back in the days when cassettes still existed. I find that her grooves, and the feelings that they invoke within me, are just as strong now, as then. Only a relatively few artists' work can be said to be timeless. She is certainly one of them.
   
   I, too, wondered about her disappearance from the music scene. Karyn certainly had the looks and talent to stay in the business for a much longer time than she did. According to Wikipedia, her latest album, "Sista Sista," has been indefinitely shelved, which is really sad.
   
   One can't help but wonder if sexism, as in blowback from the explosive women's issues -- like abuse and spousal neglect -- that her songs helped to bring to the fore had something to do with it. If that's the case, it is truly a regrettable referendum on this society. More Karyn Whites -- talented individuals who truly have something of import to say -- are sorely needed.



5. I remember this CD coming out on my birthdate, so it was only right for me to purchase it. Karyn White was truly talented, i was there when she performed for Jeff Lober and killed it on "The Facts of Love". I wish she would come back and do more music cause the music scene is dull without her soulful vocals. I have all three of her CD's and i am still a HUGE Fan event hough she is not performing anymore just raising her family and staying out of the limelight. All i can say is "Hungah" is the funky number that can't stay out of my head, the beautiful soulful voice and lovely lyrics by babyface he knew her voice so well on "Can I Stay With You" "Weakness" is another great track with hit all over it "No Body but my Baby" Is the bomb song, MY ALL TIME FAV from this album is "Here Comes The Pain Again" WOW what a voice and the lyrics are so IN YOUR FACE..........."I'd Rather Be Alone" is another gem, "Make Him Do Right" is right on with today's music scene, "Simple Pleasures" is a fun sexy kitten kinda song for Karyn White to tease & taunt us with LOVE IT! "I'm Your Woman another stand out track "Think'n Bout Love is another winner in my book and "One Minute" is another great song very nice lyrics and there again that voice of KARYN WHITE! Not a bad track here, every song is a winner. Pick this one up and go back in time when music REALLY meant something.........TRUE SOUL & TALENT from the one and only KARYN WHITE!

5 comments about Stay with Me Tonight.

1. I could easily use this album to explain my personal concept of "musical project". The recipe is plain and simple: first of all, you must take a REAL and soulful singer...then, you must take GREAT songwriters...then, you must gather a band of TRUE and talented musicians (leave the drum machines and the samplers in the musical store, please)...then, you need one or more producers REALLY capable to mix all the ingredients in the proper way. If you follow these instructions, you will have high probabilities to listen a disk like "Stay With Me Tonight".
   In line with the outstanding vocal performances of the singer, the global quality of this album is not comparable with the current (poor) standards of the musical productions. Believe me, when you're listen to these kind of lyrics and arrangements every comparison could be truly embarrassing.
   This and the debut album are been the best of Jeffrey Osborne's long discography, even if the level of his following releases has always been good. Another reviewer has properly mentioned the beauty of "We're Going All The Way". A song that deserve to be quoted in every musical dictionary, below the definition "R&B ballad".



2. Produced by George Duke, this is one of the the best albums of JO!



3. Listening to the words in this CD and the meaning behind them brings home the reality, that love can be accomplished at almost any time. This is an outstanding piece of music and I highly recommend this CD to anyone.



4. After years of listening to this album, I still have not grown tired of it. How could you? With a wonderful blend of funk-styled R&B and tender ballads, all performed with that intense, soulful R&B frontman flare that seems to have all but disappeared in the last decade or so, STAY WITH ME TONIGHT is one of the best R&B albums out there, and despite its genuine 1983 sound, it still holds up well today as an album that can get the party started, and even elevate the mood in the bedroom. With featured production from George Duke and plenty of respected L.A. session musicians at the helm, STAY WITH ME TONIGHT is a highly recommended classic.



5. I thought that this 1983 album was the best one of the 5 albums that Jeffrey Osborne recorded for A&M in the '80s. This is even better than the '82 album that had On The Wings of Love. There's so much an emphasis on strong song making and a live sound. I still love Don't You Get So Mad, at one point in summer '83 my favorite song in a year when Michael Jackson dominated all music charts. George Duke produced his best songs for another artist besides himself with this one. Two Wrongs Don't Make It Right, the funky Stay With Me Tonight, We're Going All the Way, Plane Love (another funky number) and many others are what make this album stand out. Sometimes the album has some shades of '70s sounds, such as with his former group LTD. This really made Osborne a well received artist and he still is loved today by many fans!

5 comments about World Outside My Window.

1. By 2001 I had all but given up on what now passed as R&B, or soul music. To these ears it was all a much ness with no one really standing out. If it wasn't pop sounding, it had all gone Neo-Soul-a-fied, after acts like D'Angelo, and Rahsaan Paterson. Hence I missed the Initial release of this excellent debut release.
   Fast forward to 2008. Once again what has passed as R&B/Souls left me feeling rather cold. To the extent that, in times when I feel this way, I look back to yester-year, to see what, if anything I may have missed.
   Thank the Lord for You-tube. After putting his name into the search engine, I came upon the videos for ' Don't You Forget It', and 'It's not fair', which pretty much blew me away. Based on these two videos I purchased the album from whence they came.
   I must say that I missed out in 2001. What with a voice that many claim sounds very Stevie-Wonderish, and a slew of songs that show case it too it maximum effect. In interviews that Mr. Lewis has given, he names Stevie as a big influence in his musical development, and one that can be heard on full effect on 'Don't You Forget it'. I don't have a problem with this, as, once he finds his own voice in (hopefully) albums to come, we'll see more of what he has to offer.
   As for the rest of the songs, I was really feeling, as mentioned, 'It's not Fair,, which is an excellent slow jam about deception & cheating in a relationship, the bright-up-tempo 'One More Day', the simpleness of 'Simple Things'. There are a few tunes that leave me non-plussed:' Never Too Late', & 'Take Me', which deals with a lady suffering from mental problems, which feels slightly out of place on this CD. That said, these are in the minority on an excellent debut release. I just hope that this isn't the only release that Mr. Lewis has to show case his talent to the world.



2. I just recently bought this cd for the second time, thinking i wanted to hear one or two of the singles i remember from when the album came out. But once i received the cd and popped it in i was really suprised that this was as good a cd that i had heard in a long while. Definately something to listen all the way through and just sit back and relax.



3. all I like to say is people slept on this album. World outside my window by Glenn you could play the whole way and don't have to skip through the songs. If you like Angie, Erykah, or Stevie Wonder than you'll like Glenn's album.



4. I REALLY LIKE THIS CD THE MUSIC REMINDS ME OF STEVIE WONDER AND HE HAS A NICE SOULFUL SOUND.



5. I heard this song "something to see" for the first time online, I love the song and the artist, this was a nice cd.

5 comments about Heavy Love.

1. A nice bit of the electric blues, from Buddy Guy, with a lot of organ and piano mixed in. But it's the truly wailing guitar numbers that really shine ("Had a Bad Night"). And the southern feeling "Are You Lonely Baby" also plays as an album highlight, as does a playfully funky cover of "I Just Want to Make Love to You." The slow blues grind of "Did Somebody Make a Fool Out of You" really changes the mood of the album, to a more somber, reflective atmosphere, with some timely acoustic guitar magic, before the album returns to its starting point in the upbeat, organ tinged "When the Time Is Right."
   
   A very enjoyable electric blues album.



2. This is the best overall blues album I've ever heard! Buddy Guy at his best, funkiest, grooviest, movingest, and feelingest...
   
   Each song is something new, has something new to say, or if it's a cover - says it in a new way.
   
   My nephew gave me this CD and it was one of the best CDs I've ever gotten. Thanks, Pete!
   
   Tell it, Buddy. Make it sing like you do...



3. Buddy is as great as always on this album. I have several of his other CDs, but was driven to buy this one specifically because of the duo "Midnight Train" with Jonny Lang. I'd have bought the CD again simply because of that song. It is simply outstanding! I'd love to hear more collaborative efforts between Buddy and Jonny.



4. Some blues fans have dissed on this disc here and that's fair enough. This CD is fairly pop/funk for a longtime blues man like Buddy, but for me it works. About half of this disc is very strong in my opinion. Great band playing excellently on a bunch of great tunes. But make no mistake, this ain't your typical Buggy Guy blues disc. It's got a mix of rock, soul and blues with a heavy funk aspect. I like it!



5. There is a great deal of arguing amongst fans of the "Blues" about Buddy Guy's music in this new century. I am reminded of Muddy Water's trip to England in 1958, when fans expected to hear the lonesome delta blues & instead got Muddy's raging electric guitar sounds. He took a wad of cash out of his pocket & waved it in the air & said something like, "how do you expect me to play like that when I got all this now?" Times & artists change & you either dig where your favorites are heading or else it's time to start listening to someone or something else. Me? I dig it & I bet if Muddy were here he'd groove on it, too.

2 comments about Walking on Broken Glass (Live MTV Unplugged).

1. Never heard Annie Sing "River Deep, Mountain High" before.

   As a matter of fact, I've never seen or heard Annie do her LIVE MTV UNPLUGGED special.

   I think that "RDMH" sung live by Annie is amusing! She's got the voice to do it, but at the time she did that show, and when the single was made, she was pregnant. It took a toll on her voice. She still was able to belt it out though.
   It's always nice to hear an artist do an MTV Live Unplugged show. It shows how much versatile an artist and their band is.

   I'm not too crazy about hearing Annie singing "Here comes the rain again" and "It's alright, baby's coming back" live, because I already have the Eurythmics live double concert cd.

   Anyhow, owning this single is fine. It adds to my Annie Lennox collection. I do like the studio, single version of "Walking on broken glass". Most of the time, single versions of songs are slightly different than the album version. I will have to listen to both versions of WOBG to see if there is much of a difference there.

   The biggest complaint I have, is that this cd came out way too late. Would have been nice to get it at the time it was released!

   Hope this review helped you.




2. Classy and soulful. Two adjectives that describe this single re-release of Annie Lennox's 1992 hit "Walking On Broken Glass". One of the hits from her solo debut "Diva", the song is contained here in 2 versions - a single version, and a live version recorded for MTV Unplugged during the summer of '92. Three other live cuts from that show are present here, all three with Annie's rich and alluring white soul voice. Two being choice Eurythmics tunes - "It's Alright (Baby's Comin' Back)" and "Here Comes The Rain Again". The high point for me though, is the cover of the classic "River Deep, Mountain High" - a tune she sounds great on. If you missed this single the first time, follow my advice and pick it up on it's second go round like I did.

5 comments about 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Joe Cocker.

1. when i ordered this cd, I knew what I was getting into. I contacted seller to make sure this was of the original songs joe Cocker came out with. when I got it in mail, I listened to it and it was just what i ordered. it tells you right up front the amount of songs you get. not a problem. i remember when my older brother listened to him on an original 33 1/3 lp. try a little help from our friends was a master piece. if any of you got to see the movie about woodstock in the late 60's, you would have got to see him perform in his early days. quite a musician.



2. this eleven track cocker compalation from the millenium collcection is like most others in the fact that it only takes up half of the max. cd space. But! all of the tracks on here are essential cocker and its sure to please.



3. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this eleven-track Milliennium Collection is actually somewhat worth it! Granted, some Millennium Collections are very bad ideas (listen to those by the Who and B.B. King, for instance--better yet, don't). But somehow, this one works. I don't know, maybe the presence of With a Little Help From My Friends (Cocker's best song) has clouded my visions, but this is actually somewhat GOOD!!! Granted, I would've loved to have heard the versions of Bathroom WIndow and Delta Lady from Mad Dogs and Englishmen, as well as a couple other selections from that LP (namely LEt's Go Get Stoned) but I already own Mad Dogs in the first place, so why am I complaining? Especially when it's got Cry Me A River and the Letter from that concert? Not to mention the flat-out rocker High Time We Went and Traffic classic Feelin' Alright.
   Sadly, there are a couple tunes that don't work. You Are So Beautiful is the most overproduced thing Joe pulled off...possibly ever. His vocals are a big plus, though, And Up Where We Belong never really did much for me. But this collection isn't half bad!



4. The obvious negative is that this CD has only 11 songs of fairly standard length, which is an especially lousy practice for a greatest hits album. They could have and should have added at least 1-2 more, like maybe "Let's Go Get Stoned." On the positive side, it had every song I wanted by Joe Cocker, including his lesser known hits from around 1970, like the radio versions of "The Letter," "Delta Lady," and "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window."



5. Although I have a couple Joe Cocker albums, and I love 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen,' I still regard myself a newbie. This album is a great start, and 'The Letter' makes up for any shortcomings. I can't believe that song doesn't get the airtime it deserves. However, but the last couple tracks are pretty cringe-worthy compared to the soul of the first six, mainly because of the limp accompaniments.