Calling something "
The Ultimate Collection" is fraught with problems -- usually of omission. Certainly over these two discs -- containing a total of 30 tracks -- there are plenty of fine moments from some of
Joe Cocker's earliest material, such as
"The Letter," "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Delta Lady," "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," etc. Also present are virtually all of his later hits and some that should have been:
"Up Where We Belong," "You Are So Beautiful," "Many Rivers to Cross," "Leave Your Hat On," etc. But there's just too much that isn't here. Where are
"Bird on a Wire" and
"Hitchcock Railway," for starters? Nonetheless, given the length of
Cocker's career, this is not an unusual complaint. One thing that is unique about this set -- other than the fine sound -- is the sequencing that crisscrosses over the breadth and chronology of
Cocker's discography. There are also a couple of rarities, which would have been OK to leave off in order to include some of the more classic titles. But this is quibbling;
Cocker fans will have a good time with this, but it's a safe bet they won't be selling off their original albums/CDs to replace them with this. ~ Thom Jurek
