Although Joe Cocker's repertoire spans many styles, there are 3 similar songs which sum him up for me: Delta Lady, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window and Hitchcock Railway. All are superbly raw and loose, the unique combination of blues, soul and funk creating a wonderful sound. But they are also very eclectic, with many sudden changes in feel. Delta Lady goes a bit too far, with all the breaks destroying the groove created by some great passages. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window is far more settled, but it seems the madness is required for the brilliance, as it also doesn't hit the same heights as Delta Lady. As for Hitchcock Railway, the groove is fantastic and, of course, the cowbell means any of its sins are forgiven!
The rest of the CD (with one very notable exception) doesn't really appeal to me. Probably through no fault of their own, more that the styles (soul, ballads) sit a long way from my usual musical taste. And the recording quality is bad to the point of distraction, due to a very thin sound and excessive placement of instruments in the left or right ear.
The aforementioned notable exception is The Letter. As per most of Cocker's hits, it's a cover; but the arrangement and uniqueness of this version mean it's nothing like a re-hash. Highlights include the impassioned yet husky voice, the counterpoint of the piano part, the enormous horn melody for the chorus and the build-up of the chord progression leading into the chorus. The result is sheer brilliance. Even if the rest of the CD was rubbish, I'd still be happy to own it, just for this song.
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