Sheffield Steel

Personnel: Joe Cocker, Jimmy Cliff, Robert Palmer (vocals); Barry Reynolds (guitar, background vocals); Adrian Belew, Mikey Chung (guitar); Wally Badarou (keyboards); Sticky Thompson (percussion); Sly & Robbie.
Recorded at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas between March 1981 and May 1982.
Includes liner notes by J.P. Bean.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: Joe Cocker (vocals); Barry Reynolds (vocals, guitar); Robbie Shakespeare (vocals, bass); Jimmy Cliff, Robert Palmer (vocals); Mikey Chung, Adrian Belew (guitar); Wally Badarou (keyboards); Sly Dunbar (drums); Sticky Thompson (percussion).
Recorded at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas.
Personnel: Joe Cocker (vocals); Mikey Chung, Barry Reynolds (guitar); Wally Badarou (keyboards); Sly Dunbar (drums); Sticky Thompson (percussion).
Liner Note Author: Jerry Ewing.
Recording information: Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas (03/1981-05/1982).
Photographers: Lynn Goldsmith; Anton Corbijn.
This is a deliberately low-key album by Joe Cocker's standards, but in its slow, simmering way it's nonetheless one of his best. Thanks to a small band anchored by Jamaica's greatest rhythm section--Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass--the basic sound here is spooky and minimalist, with skittering synth and guitar parts that are unerringly simple, but not simplistic.
Cocker himself is in excellent voice. The choice of songs splits the difference between the familiar--Jimmy Cliff's magnificent, often covered "Many Rivers to Cross," and "Seven Days," one of Bob Dylan's best rockers--and the unjustly obscure, such as Bill Withers' way sexy "Ruby Lee," and Jimmy Webb's lovely "Just Like Always." Great stuff.