Joe Cocker, Al Green
Dublin Malahide Castle
1st July, 2007

View: centre stalls, right of mixing desk

A man of immense talent and spellbinding charisma, Cocker, unlike Green, let’s the music do the talking. With little interaction with the crowd, he belted through a number of classics. From the powerful Chain Of Fools to the electric Summer In The City, the crowd loved his enigmatic performance. Similarly, Up Where We Belong and You Can Leave Your Hat On were done in his individual style. However, it was his epic With A Little Help From My Friends that highlighted his appeal: ‘enthralling’ doesn’t do it justice. A classic climax to a great set. In contrast to his co-host, he also did an encore: You Are So Beautiful, and beautiful it was. The consistently bright, bubbly and irrepressible Reverend Al threw in Love And Happiness and I’m Still In Love With You, but it was his impromptu, note-perfect rasping of Hello Dolly (Louis Armstrong style) that underlined his prowess. The notes he hit, and still holds, after 50 years, on tracks like the classic Tired Of Being Alone, are a testament to his talent. From his protestation of wanting to be closer to his audience, to his wooing of the females by throwing flowers, he never let up. A soul genius and a great showman to boot.

Reviewed by James Masterson
<< Back to Issue 340

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