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(More customer reviews)With the release of the 35th anniversary edition of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen, the original version as great as it was, has now become obsolete. This delux edition, is packed with top notch bonus material that never made it to the original 2 album set in 1970. Cocker is phenominal on such bonus tunes like "The Weight", "Something, "Darling Be Home Soon", and of course his trademark "With A little Help From my Friends". All the above mentioned bonus tunes are further enhanced by the gospel drive of the space choir. The original version of "Delta Lady", is also extended with a third encore verse only seen in the movie. Add to that, a wonderful version of "Let It Be", by Claudia Lennear, taken from the actual movie, as well as 2 cuts by Leon Russell Hummingbird", and "Dixie Lullaby, and you can't help but feel the power of one of rocks greatest tours ever. The disc also has lots more verbal interaction with Joe and Leon, as well as an introduction by what sounds like promoter Bill Graham at the Fillmore East in New York. Also of note is the inclusion of studio versions of "The Letter" and "Space Captain", that were recorded just prior to the tour. Joe never sounded better on these rare takes, which are also presented for the first time in stereo. "Space Captain", is also an alternate version that has never been heard before. What makes this set so special, is the bonus material is all quality, with no filler that often plagues releases with bonus material. The cd ends fittingly with Leon Russell's "Ballad Of Mad Dogs and Englishmen", which also played during the end credits of the movie. The 24 page booklet is also a treat. Great new liner notes by J.P. Bean, Joe Cocker's biographer, along with photo's and information on each song only enhance this cd to elite status among reissue packages. Finally, I can't say enough about the remastering and sound quality of this recording, which far exceeds any prior edition, including those gold disc versions. If you are a Joe Cocker fan, you haven't heard Mad Dogs and Englishmen until this delux edition is part of your collection.
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In the pantheon of classic live albums as well as concert films, Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen is near the top, alongside Woodstock and The Last Waltz in defining the spirit of a generation. The tour, album and film catapulted Cocker, Leon Russell, and Rita Coolidge to stardom. Now, for the first time, the album, originally issued in 1970, is heard with previously unreleased tracks and studio cuts. The two-CD Mad Dogs & Englishmen: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition reveals in full for the first time the repertoire of the craziest, loudest, longest rock 'n' roll circus to have ever hit America. Along with already-legendary performances of "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "The Letter," "Delta Lady," "Bird on a Wire," "Cry Me a River," "Feelin' Alright," "Let's Go Get Stoned," and "Space Captain" are seven previously unreleased live performances (whose inclusion now reflects the actual sequence of the show's set list) and four rare studio recordings.
The debuting live performances are of Cocker's "The Weight," "Something," "Darling Be Home Soon," and "With a Little Help from My Friends"; Leon Russell's "Hummingbird" and "Dixie Lullaby"; and Don Preston's "Further On up the Road." In addition, Claudia Lennear's performance of "Let It Be," a single B-side, makes its album premiere. That recording, as well as Rita Coolidge's "Superstar," were taped at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium; the other performances took place earlier at the Fillmore East. Added too are the studio singles sessions of Russell's "The Ballad of Mad Dogs & Englishmen," the previously unreleased "Warm-Up Jam" (including "Under My Thumb"); the album debut and stereo debut of the single B-side "Space Captain" as well as "The Letter."
The tour rolled across America, from Detroit to New York to California, from March to May 1970. With Cocker in his prime, driven by a phenomenal band; ringmaster Russell; three drummers; horn section; 10-strong choir; wives, lovers and children; film crew; roadies; and a black-and-white-spotted dog, the tour was one of the greatest and most colorful in history. Thirty-five years later, the excitement of Mad Dogs & Englishmen remains.
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