Album Review

At once rousing and intimate, Joe Cocker's Greatest Love Songs gathers some of his most romantic performances from the '60s through the '90s, including the classic "You Are So Beautiful" and his hit duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong." Covers of rock love songs like "Just Like a Woman," "Something," and "Darling Be Home Soon" dominate the album, and Cocker's warm, soulful delivery makes each of these tracks a highlight. "That's the Way Her Love Is," "Heart Full of Rain," and some of the other more recent performances on the collection suffer from over-production and don't quite equal the spark of Cocker's previous material; fortunately, Greatest Love Songs features a fair portion of his earlier work, with songs like "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress," "Performance," and "If I Love You" also among the collection's standouts. Spanning smooth ballads and fiery declarations of love, Greatest Love Songs is a cohesive but nuanced compilation of Cocker's romantic side. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi