Joe Cocker hardly has the most distinctive voice around, but his grittiness is a perfect match for this sloppy troupe. Mad Dogs & Englishmen succeeds mostly on the high-energy gospel rock 'n' roll numbers, particularly at the beginning with "Honky Tonk Women", "Sticks and Stones" and "Cry Me a River" - sounding not too far from The Rolling Stones where Joe Cocker brings some entertaining swagger. But this live set fails at consistency and fatally brings the energy down to a tedious crawl with "Bird on the Wire". It's a hard album to sit through front to back because of the length and inconsistency. There are duds plastered through this album, like the lead vocals of Rita Coolidge and the sickeningly bravado of "Superstar". The "Blue Medley" again disappointingly simmers what would be an energising live performance. As great as "Give Peace a Chance" is, Joe Cocker's vocals are rushed and gets drowned out by the sheer number of singers and musicians. Despite these criticisms, Mad Dogs & Englishmen brings things back spectacularly with the last four tracks containing a great cover of The Beatles "She Came in Thru the Bathroom Window".