Fire It Up

Classic white blues from Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker is a constellation of stars about whom you can talk endlessly, and the book will not be enough to describe their achievements. In the world there are not so many musicians and artists, whose works and whose voice can be guessed with a pair or three beginning notes or with the first words of the song. And, of course, the first thing that comes to mind when we hear about Joe Cocker is his stunning husky baritone and elegant blues melodies of his songs. Total number of albums from this artist exceeded 20 in the late 90's and early zeros. His interpretation of covers is so unique and interesting that every rethought and redesigned song became a new one. And of course, everybody in his life, once but heard his famous blues ballads such as My Father's Son, Unchain My Heart, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Now That The Magic Has Gone, N`oubliez jamais. For his services, and since 1969 he has collected plenty of such, he was awarded with the Order of the British Empire, and moreover he was included in the list of 100 best performers according to Mojo and Rolling Stone magazines. This singer seems to know nothing about the notion of age. And regular performances and periodic releases of the albums are another proof for that. The new Fire It Up record, as the name implies, is designed to show that the sacred fire of life still burns in Joe's soul, and he still is not satisfied with what he has achieved and wants more.

Fire It Up - shine, shine bright!

The album starts with the title track Fire It Up. This track fires up from the very first notes. What is especially impressive about it is of cause the voice of Mr. Cocker. Many singers do not maintain such a tempo. Think about it, 43 years on the stage, more than two dozen albums, regular performances, concerts, gatherings, and the age, after all, is different than it was ... but the voice is still a deep, low, penetrating with this branded huskiness. Joe definitely keeps the brand and the subsequent track I'll Be Your Doctor convinces us even more. Flirting, movable track clearly hints at the relationship with woman and who if not an old playboy Joe Cocker will help us to prepare the atmosphere for the conjoint pastime. Well, romance always was his main asset and he knows it, and will give a head start to any other artist in this field. Roles of romantic blues ballads on the album play such songs as You Love Me Back, You Don't Need A Million Dollars, and of course, the jewel of the whole collection, the romantic song You Don't Know What You're Doing To Me. The rest is all the same life-affirming, self-esteem-raising songs which main topic is never to give up and rely on the greatest power in the world – love. And here the fourth track I Come In Peace on the album is breaking all the records – the courageous and pretty arrogant, it inspires for this bright, good feeling when you want to be a hero, and this Jung described pathetic public uncondiciousness wakes up.

Incorrigible romantic

Joe Cocker has once again presented a collection of high-quality, elaborated music. The vast majority of the songs on Fire It Up of Joe Cocker can boast with excellent lyrics and incendiary soulful melodies. And most of them are a storehouse of human wisdom. Well, our wise man has almost 70 years of experience and it is more than enough. Of course, Joe is romantic and without this component he did not release a single album. Fire It Up is no exception and everybody who still fires with these crazy, collapsing and destroying spells of love will find something for himself. Joe Cocker is an icon of style, uncompromising, romantic alpha-male-playboy, and through his music he brings his whole self. He is a kind of ideal unattainable but desired for any self-respecting lady's man. And for girls he is, of course, the romantic hero who after defeating the villain takes the princess away into the sunset. And even if it is not so, and everything in the world can be bought and sold. And such concepts as honor, courage, friendship, faith, hope and love are replaced by the ordinary consumer attitudes like commodity-money-commodity. Joe Cocker will always find something to counter to this rotten at some places world, and for the second or so to show us and throw us into that intimate dreamlike world where nobody uses anyone, and where everyone has a sense of dignity, sense of justice, and love still reigns human destinies. For this Mr. Cocker will always be loved and always be respected. And that is why Fire It Up album as well as subsequent and previous albums of this incomparable blues master will always be popular beyond time and space.