COCKER, JOE

Personnel: Joe Cocker (vocals); Bryan Adams, Phil Grande, Jeff Pevar (guitar); Lenny Pickett, Frank Elmo, Mario Cruz, Crispin Cioe, Deric Dyer, Arno Hecht (saxophone); Paul Litteral, Mark Pender (trumpet); Richie Labamba, Robert Funk (trombone); Jeff Levine (piano, organ, synthesizer, percussion); Chris Stainton (organ, synthesizer); T.M. Stevens (bass); David Beal (drums, percussion); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Curtis King, Vaneese Thomas, Tawatha Agee (background vocals). Recorded at Atlantic Recording Studio, New York, New York. This followup to Cocker's comeback album (1987's UNCHAIN MY HEART) boasts the same band, the same production team, and the same esthetic approach, i.e. it's a savvy mix of slick late '80s power ballads and cannily chosen cover songs. The latter, not surprisingly, provide the meat of the album. Cocker apparently relates to the sexual paranoia in Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man," and he gives it an appropriately volcanic rendering. Even better, he seems to locate a similar feeling of dread in the old Little Willie John/Peggy Lee chestnut "Fever," and he positively out- Elvis's Elvis with his take on the similarly-themed title song. Guilt never sounded so good.

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